When looking for a new home, it’s generally important to have a checklist. But there are some houses that have such unique qualities that they make any checklist seem irrelevant. Here are five homes on the current market that might tempt you away from your original search.
A list of essential criteria against which all potential investments can be judged. You might think that having a garden, say, is non-negotiable. Or you might insist on a spare bedroom as well as a study, or you might want off-street parking for several cars. But there are some houses that have such unique qualities that they make any checklist seem irrelevant: houses that are so appealing that they can make you rethink your entire plan. Here are five homes on the current market that have unique and special characteristics that might tempt you away from your original search.
1. Barnes, London
You might be looking for a large family home in London, but could you be tempted by one that has highland cattle grazing at the bottom of the garden? This elegant Victorian detached house is one of the largest properties in Barnes and its garden backs onto the Wetlands Centre, making it an excellent spot for wildlife spotting, with a rural feel that belies its urban location. The house has lots of other attractive selling points, including a basement swimming pool with a gym, sauna and steam room, a private cinema, seven bedrooms and lots of space for entertaining with Winkworth Barnes 020 8255 0088 for an impressive £13.85m.
2. Wimbledon, London
If you’ve always wanted a dumbwaiter, then this house in Wimbledon is for you. Newly built with every possible modern convenience, the dumbwaiter serves all five floors, ensuring that residents need never carry a tray upstairs. With five bedrooms, a stylish contemporary kitchen (complete with integrated coffee machine and wine cooler) and a light-filled first floor living room, this is a spectacular home that overlooks Morley Park Nature Reserve with its acres of greenery. Plus, there’s lots of tech, including concealed lighting, a Control 4 music system, underfloor heating and comfort cooling throughout. The house is for sale with Winkworth Wimbledon 020 3761 4044 for 3.9m.
3. Poole, Dorset
This architect-designed house in Poole is appealing enough for its coastal location and sea views, but it also has the added attraction of being one of the greenest houses in the area. Energy efficient technologies built into it include 20 solar panels, triple glazing, solar water and car charging, a rainwater washing machine, zoned underfloor heating and a heat pump. Inside, spacious and versatile accommodation includes five bedrooms (all with en-suites), a cinema room, a study and an outdoor gym/office as well as four large sun terraces and an impressive vaulted open plan kitchen/living/dining room. The house is on the books at Winkworth Poole 01202 733000 priced at £3m.
4. Liss, Hampshire
This rural idyll in Hampshire includes 13 acres of land with equine facilities – and who can resist keeping a horse? It’s a lovely, detached period property with a triple aspect sitting room that soaks up views of the surrounding countryside, with original features including fireplaces and beams with scope for modernisation too. There are four bedrooms, including two on the ground floor, and beyond the pretty gardens are enclosed paddocks and a stable block with a tack room and separate vehicle access. It’s for sale with Winkworth Petersfield 01730 267274, priced at £1.75m.
5. Worthing, Sussex
Behind the façade of this Grade II listed Georgian terraced townhouse in Worthing is a fully modernised contemporary residence with a large dose of the wow factor. Thanks to a three-year refurbishment project, the Old Rectory is formed of two original houses converted into a single dwelling, resulting in the creation of a vast house with the largest garden on the terrace. The kitchen houses a large glass extension that leads to a tiled outdoor terrace with a sunken swim-against spa and a large lawn; there are three reception rooms, five bedrooms and a cinema room, plus a gated parking area for four cars. It is on the books at Winkworth Worthing 01423103 216219, priced at £1.5m.
