Guide Price £1,250,000 - £1,350,000

A striking and architecturally remarkable detached family home of 3462 sq ft positioned in a beautiful Essex village.

Standing back from the road behind a substantial front garden with plenty of off-road parking, The Wayside presents an imposing view with its three dormer windows facing the street. The front door takes you into a long, well-lit hallway with parquet flooring from which all the ground-floor rooms and the staircase turn off.

The home's centrepiece is the extensive kitchen/dining/family room at the rear. At one end, the extensive contemporary kitchen is comprehensively equipped and features as much surface space as you could need, including a large breakfast bar.

In the centre is a substantial dining area, big enough to fit in a large dining table for family or guests without feeling cramped. You can dine with a view through the windows that take up the whole rear wall out onto the garden, while a pitched area of glass roof makes the most of the light.

At the far end, distant enough from the kitchen to be entirely separate, the family area offers plenty of room for you all to relax and enjoy your own activities without being on top of one another. Like all the house, it's decorated in a contemporary style, with attractive, muted shades and plenty of overhead lighting. Most of the floors are wooden, though the kitchen, dining area and bathrooms are tiled.

Four of the five bedrooms are upstairs, all spacious enough for whatever you need to fit around any size of bed you choose without being cramped. The two rear bedrooms feature balconies overlooking the garden - one is the master bedroom, which also has an ensuite with a large bathtub and a walk-in shower. All the bedrooms are fitted with cupboards and shelves, and the first floor also has a family bathroom.

The fifth bedroom is on the ground floor - perhaps it could be a guest room, or else converted into a study or play-room for the kids if you don't need it as a bedroom. There's also a smaller reception room, which could be a quiet retreat or an office. The house is completed by an extensive loft space, fully boarded and well-lit, a utility room and a garage of nearly 150 square feet.

That's not all there is to The Wayside, though. French windows from the family room take you out onto a decking patio, perfect for entertaining or just relaxing in the summer, while the garden offers plenty of opportunity for both gardening and games. At the rear is an attractive wooden outhouse that could serve for anything from a workshop to a gym.

The village will cater for your basic needs, but you're less than 15 minutes from Brentwood and less than 25 minutes from the city of Chelmsford, both offering a wide choice of shopping, dining and entertainment. And, if you want even more choice, Brentwood is now on the new, state-of-the-art Elizabeth Line, which can whisk you off to anywhere in London or beyond - including a direct line to Heathrow.

There are excellent pre-schools and primary schools in a number of the neighbouring villages, while there are several well-rated secondary schools in Brentwood. Alternatively, if you'd like your children to be educated privately, you have a number of very nearby options, including the outstandingly-rated Brentwood School.

If you're looking for a luxurious family life away from the bustle and with the countryside around, yet offering easy access to everything you and your kids might want, book a visit to The Wayside and prepare to fall in love. But book it quickly, as this dream home may not be on the market for long.