GUIDE PRICE: £1,500,000.

INTERNAL VIEWINGS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.


With an astonishing 2328 square feet (216m2) of elegant sun-lit rooms, and a beautiful landscaped garden so large it has a timber lodge gym at its centre, this impressive five bedroom family house, built in 1928, has been sympathetically extended and improved to deliver an effortless, luxury lifestyle with a family friendly ethos and a social flow. Making the most of its elevated position for uninterrupted light and sea views from the top, it is in an exclusive location perfect for families and professionals. Within a 4 minute radius, local primary and secondary schools are good or outstanding and the tennis courts, playground and country walks of Hollingbury Park are a 2 minute stroll. Preston Park’s sports facilities, playground, cafés and shops as well as the al fresco lifestyle of Fiveways are within a 4 minute drive, and the station serving Gatwick and London is an easy walk or 4 minutes by cab.

Inside, a spacious family room is bright and cheerful, the reception is a classic beauty which opens to the extensive grounds in summer but has an open fire for winters, and the beautiful kitchen diner, with a separate utility, brings high end appliances into the house and leads to the garden for al fresco entertaining. On the first floor, a luxury bathroom is large enough for both a bath and a shower and of four family bedrooms, three are double and one is a generous single. The fifth bedroom is the principal with open views which spill down to the sea to help you unwind, generous storage and a fabulous en-suite bathroom. On the cusp of Preston Park and Fiveways, both given a top spot in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide, this prestigious leafy road is between the Ditchling and London Roads which both connect you to the countryside and A23/A27 for the Amex Stadium, universities and M23, or takes you straight to the centre of the city and its beaches within minutes.

Style Detached house, 1928, extended and improved
Type 4 double bedrooms + 1 generous single, 2 bathrooms + cloakroom, reception, family room, kitchen/dining room, utility
Area Surrenden
Floor Area 2328 sq.ft.
Outside Space Extensive landscaped gardens at the front and back, large timber cabin
Parking Off street parking for several cars
Council Tax Band F

Why you’ll like it:

Introduction:
Lined with prosperous detached homes, this leafy road with its wide acres of grass verges is in one of the most exclusive areas of the city where properties do not appear on the market often, and a long-term happy family home, this imposing house is on the market for the first time in many years. Built in 1928 with traditional Sussex hung tiles, sensitive improvements include energy efficient windows, seamless extensions and stunning landscaping in the gardens, which at the front deliver an inviting approach and off street parking.

The Entrance Hall, Reception and Family Room:
Through a ‘heritage’ front door with a leaded window, a broad hallway has both discreet storage and a guest cloakroom tucked away, and the original Canadian Spruce floor, restored to its former glory, continues into the spacious reception to give guests and pets free reign.

A restful, light -filled retreat to return to after a day in the city, the reception spans the full depth of this substantial building. With classic grace and painted beams high overhead, an elegant fireplace is open, so guests can enjoy a roaring fire. Glazed doors at the far end bring the outside in.

Across the hall, with a broad window which almost fills the south wall, the family room is bright and cheerful with the hardy Canadian Spruce beneath your feet, custom built shelving, a glimpse of sea and generous floorspace where teenage children can welcome friends.

With a magnificent 1049 square feet (26.7m2), the ground floor delivers flexible accommodation and offers scope for a spacious home office either to the rear of the reception with its wall- lined bookshelves, or in the family room which could become a beautifully organised work space, large enough to share and secluded but not isolated within the home, so you can keep the door open to listen out for the children when you need to.

The Kitchen/Diner:
Sunshine streams through this fabulous kitchen diner, lined with windows in three external walls and skilfully extended to create a light and airy space for a big family table.

Perfect for everyday but also for parties, the magnificent gas AGA could stay, and the kitchen revolves around a fabulous central island which has the summertime back up of a dual electric hob and fan oven integrated into it. Expertly planned to cater for large numbers, streamlined units conceal sophisticated storage, dark quartz surfaces add glamour, there is plumbing for a dishwasher - and you can enjoy a Downton moment as the 1920’s servant’s bell case remains. Within easy reach, there is a designated area for an American style fridge freezer which the vendors are happy to discuss and with yet more storage options, the separate utility room keeps on giving with space for both a washing machine and a dryer, and it is opposite the door to the side path from the parking, so beach towels and sports kits can go straight to the machine. It is also worth noting that there’s a pressurized water system for the upstairs bathrooms installed here.

The Garden:
Sunny and secure the garden is a private paradise, so vast there is always a spot to sit in the sun. A stone terrace is lit with power - and level with the house, (unusual in a city built on hills) there is a seamless in/out flow. Central, shallow steps lead to a spacious lawn larger than some entire gardens this close to the city centre, and a second big lawn is great for ball games, shaded by the delicate foliage of a birch and scented by apple tree which has a small pond for wildlife beneath its bower. Inclusive for all age groups, a broad, south facing terrace in front of the timber cabin is the ideal spot for bathing in the Sussex sun and as inside has power and is well insulated, it inspires ideas - it has been a music room, a playroom, a teenage den and is currently a gym, but could also become a private home office. Surrounded by gardens all you can hear is birdsong, and tucked away at the end, there’s a spacious secret garden where trees were climbed, and camps were made.

Three First Floor Family Bedrooms and Bathroom:
Upstairs, the first floor spreads its wings with a light passage running along the length of the house from east to west, and it has access to a very large attic. At one end, two big, bright bedrooms have open, leafy views at the front or back with a third private room nestled in the middle. More or less of equal size you can avoid ‘lively discussions’ of allocation, and they share a big, bright bathroom which has a bath with a shower attachment, separate power shower (remember the pressurized water system!) and high end finish.

The Guest Room and Principal Suite:
At the heart of this floor, guests will enjoy the restful views over the tree-lined street and protected green verges to a glimpse of sea from a quiet guest room which has 9’9 x 8’4 (2.97 x 2.55m) of floorspace to play with.

Stretching from front to back in the southwest wing, the principal suite next door is a blissful retreat in which to wind down. There are ample, hand built wardrobes for organised storage and the en suite bathroom is a 1920’s influenced black and white with Heritage fittings – but there is nothing old fashioned about the big tub with a shower attachment, separate walk in power shower, shaving/toothbrush point or heated airing cupboard – and with garden views, it is not directly overlooked.

Agent says:
“Making the most of its elevated setting with open views from every room, this luxurious but family friendly home is on an exceptionally large plot with popular primary schools and secondary schools within walking distance, and swift access to the city, the station, the National Park and the sea.”

Owner’s secret:
“Our happy home is always full of light. The relaxed, easy flow inside is perfect for a family or for someone who likes to entertain as the location is easy for guests to reach either by train –we can collect them in 4 minutes – or there’s plenty of parking outside. The house will adapt as your family grows – my children would scoot around me on the ground floor when they were little, but now they have their own room on the ground floor so their friends can come and enjoy movies or gaming, and there is so much space in the kitchen and the garden for us all to come together and enjoy each other’s company. Although we are surrounded by parks with shops, cafes and countryside nearby, with easy access to the city and the sea, (and bus routes for the older children) we actually loved coming home on Friday for the weekend and not going out -we didn’t have to as with so much space inside and out, kids don’t go stir crazy, so we could just enjoy our home and relax whilst the children played.”

What’s around you:
Shops: 4 minutes to Fiveways and to Sainsbury’s at Preston Village
Train Station: Preston Park Station 4 minutes by cab, about 25 on foot downhill!
Seafront or Park: Hollingbury Park with woodland walks, playground and tennis courts 2 mins walk, Withdean Park 2 mins by car, Preston Park 4, sea about 10 mins

Closest schools:
Primary: Balfour, The Downs Infant School, The Downs Junior School
Secondary: Varndean, Dorothy Stringer, Downs View Link College
6th form: Varndean, BHASVIC, MET
Private: Brighton College, Brighton & Hove High, Windlesham, Lancing Prep, Lancing (all have buses)

This prestigious location between Preston Park Village and the al fresco lifestyle of Fiveways – both given top spots by the Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide - is just a short walk from the countryside walks of Hollingbury Park and Woods and only a short drive from the 63 acres of Preston Park which has football pitches, basketball courts, tennis courts, cycle velodrome, café and open spaces hosting arts events during our legendary festivals. Both the beach and the South Downs National Park are quick to get to and you have the best of all worlds with the vibrant arts venues, international restaurants and famous shopping of the city all easy to reach, as well as good local primary and secondary schools within a 4 minute radius. For those who need rapid and regular access to Gatwick, London or Lewes, Preston Park Station is 4 minutes by cab and there’s swift access to the A23/A27.