Four Gables near Chard This is a lovely looking house!
It is believed the house dates back to the 17th Century, belonged to the Church until 1911 and during the eighteen hundreds the house was possibly run as a school.
It’s such an unusual house but so pretty!
Month: March 2011
Gary Neville House approved
Yesterday Bolton councillors approved amended plans for the Gary Neville’s zero-carbon mansion. These will now be referred to the government though. The house would be build on green belt land on the moors above Bolton and this is causing some contraversy.
It looks a bit like a telly tubby house.
This is Neville’s current home up for sale on rightmove He owns the Harwood estate and his house is Alexander House
It’s amazing with a swimming pool, gym, cinema room and it’s very glam.
One could easily question the eco-friendlyness of building a brand new home when one already owns a house.
How to make a small room bigger
When you have a small room that you want to make it look bigger there are several simple things you can do.
Add a mirror. This is a good trick to use on a landing halfway up stairs. You’ll bring more light in too but the reflecting makes the space feel bigger. In a room a big mirror can double the light and give the appearance the room is bigger than it is.
Use smaller furniture. If you can buy a smaller, narrower bed then the room will seem more spacious. Smaller pieces of furniture will give the room a more spacious feel.
Use a strong colour on a far wall to bring your eye across the room. This is the theory behind having a feature wall.
Use light colour furnishings and carpet. Light curtains that are neat won’t crowd a window. Light carpet is a must. Dark colours on floors and walls can just suck in all the light making the room darker.
A white ceiling is always good! White woodwork can help too. Ensure the room is spotless too. Pale walls are essential.
Wall hung shelves take up no floor space. Even a bedside table shelf can help! Look for space saving wall mounted items. This is a useful idea to look out for bathroom cupboards too.
Declutter. Declutter as much as you can. And then declutter some more.
Make sure you can shut the bedroom door! Some small bedrooms have the problem of the door bumping the bed when you try and shut it. Don’t do this! It instantly shows how small the room is. Get a smaller bed. Consider a built in bed if space is tight. Consider a day bed if you are showing a room as a guestroom.
As well as mirrors paint finishes can reflect light. Look for shiny objects for the room – including shiny bedsteads and ornaments.
As long as you make the room look nice and usable as a bedroom or study then potential buyers will see it as a room they can use.
Grand Design for sale
Brock House, Sheepdrove, Lambourn, Berkshire Guide Price of £1,400,000
It’s an oak framed building with an octagonal kitchen at the centre!
You can see more about it at the Grand Design site here
What is a duplex?
There are several different definitions
A duplex apartment is one which has rooms on two floors that are connected by a staircase.
A maisonette could be considered a duplex.
A duplex house can be a house that has separate entrances to two different apartments. Whether they are spread over two floors or have a floor each.
A duplex can also be side-by-side apartments on a single lot that share a common wall. Technically a semi-detached could be called a duplex.
If something is described as a duplex then ask the estate agent who’s written the listing what they mean by that.
Former Gardener’s World Garden for sale
Clacks Farm was featured regularly on Gardener’s World. It was Arthur Billitt’s home in Ombersley in Worcestershire. It featured from 1976 to 1979.
If you’re after buying a property in the Worcester area and have £1.5M to spend then it could just what you’re looking for!
High windows
With some houses there are little quirks that can make you smile. I love the steps in this property that they have to enable them to see out of the window.
This reminds me a little of some strange concrete house that was on Grand Designs Abroad – in Spain they had a mezzanine floor with a window out, but only if you were very very tall.
Still at least in this house in Somerset you get plenty of headroom!
Rating houses to compare them
How to rate a property and compare it with others you have viewed.
When you do several viewings you might find it hard to weigh them all up and compare them properly.
A simple way of doing this is to write down their score out of 10 for each of the following points. Add up the totals and see how you feel about your reaction. Sometimes the property you didn’t think you liked that much actually makes most sense.
1. Location – how perfect a location is it for schools, shops, peace and quiet,
2. Parking – is there the parking or garage you require.
3. Size of property – is it big enough so you don’t outgrow it in a matter of months?
4. Potential for expansion – just in case you ever feel the urge.
5. Outdoor space – is there enough outdoor space
6. State of property – will it need redecorating or completely renovating. How do you feel about picking
up a paint brush or getting major works done?
7. Feel of house – how did it make you feel looking at it and going in.
8. Neighbours – what are they like?
9. The price – is it a good price or overpriced?
10. The must have factor – does it make you go WOW!
When you’ve added the scores up you’ll be able to rank properties. Sometimes your results are quite surprising and will make you look again at properties you weren’t sure about before.