Sunday 22nd February - A Viewing

We went to see a house! Oh yes!! Could you tell from the title? I shall give you an run down of what we saw, what we thought etc.

Information
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Land: 4.5 acres
Features:
Outhouse. Garden. Private Courtyard.

We had to drive up a farm track to reach the property, definately a plus and the track is not bumpy, a very smooth ride. First impressions, well, first impressions were this is ALOT bigger than we had imagined, very much so. It became apparent that it was not a detatched house as we had believed from the schedule but infact one of three houses converted from the original farm builds. It was essentially the 'top bar' of a lower case N with the legs forming the other two cottages. This was an immediate problem. Not becasue I am anto social but we were trying to find somewhere away from others and also if we plan to add cottages I don't want to be building right in front of someones house! But onward we went.

The couple were very friendly and had been there many years so knew much of what had been fixed, added, renewed etc. We got the full tour. To the right of the entrance: the living room was huge and very well maintained, as was the entire house. Open fire which is one of the things on my list. Downsatirs continued through to another two bedrooms and bathroom. Going left from the front door took you to a mighty large kitchen with range. There was something quite empty feeling about the room and it felt very echo-y. But later as I was sitting at the kitchen table I realised that little wall furniture (cupboards, worksurfaces etc) could be added due to the abundance of windows and doors adourning the walls. There is a utility room off the kitchen with an outhouse beyond. A utlity room would be most handy but the news that these used to be a stable and tackroom is also interesting as perhaps they could be converted back...

The bedrooms consituted the whole of the upstairs and were sensational. Extremely open and one was en-suite. We were also told that, beyond the wall of the master bedroom, the Attic was floored and had been intended to be an extension of the ensuite and possibly a fifth bedroom. So plenty of space back there.

The front windows needed re-sealing and the boiler would need replacing in the next few years but beyond that the house was in good shape structurally.

We learned that the land the house owned was in the form of a small flat field, maybe around 1 acre, possibly 1 and a half. And the rest was quite steep hill which apparently sported a range of different wildlife from foxes to Roe deer. The land was behind the existing buildings which was definately a plus if you are considering building and we were also informed that planning permission had been approved for a four bedroom house, in the field, several years ago. So although that had lapsed it appeared that building on the land may be possible. We took a tour of the land, which has been left pretty much to itself for many, many years and it was certainly extensive and very peaceful, a great place to walk. Only issues were its steepness and that it appeared to look onto another farm that apparently was always moving very large amounts of earth around, not the best for 'pleasant country aspects'. But it wasn't without potential even if it came only in the form of rental to a farmer for sheep. It was excellent to see what 4.5 acres looks like, even if just for future reference when looking at other schedules.

All in all a very successful visit and certainly a lot learned. With only having bought one property before we are on somewhat of a learning spree with how and what to ask but visits like this, particularly at this time, allow us to see whats out there, ask questions and it is defiantely easier to think when there isn't the pressure!