HIGH PLACES/GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Guide Price £875,000-£900,000 With its attractive, white exterior, spacious accommodation and generous gardens, the house at High Grove is an outstanding family home and could hold potential for extension.

There was something immediately enticing about the appealing white house on High Grove, remembers the current owner. It was not simply the leafy location and generous space that seemed to suggest this could be a perfect home for her family. “It had such a lot of character as well,” she recalls. “I loved its large windows and the fact that all the houses on the road were of a similar, attractive style. We were moving out to Welwyn Garden City from London and only saw three houses in total before we knew this was the one we wanted. We loved the area, the position, the size of the house and the garden – and the fact there was something different about it.”

POSSIBLE EXTENSION

Dating back to 1924, the charming, corner-plot property was situated on the highly desirable south-west side of the town. It was in a peaceful, friendly location and yet enjoyed good access to shops, schools and transport connections. The house offered the space the owners were seeking back in 1984 and yet also held scope for extension should they choose to do that in the future. “In the end we didn’t enlarge it as there was always plenty of room for all of us,” she explains. “However, this is certainly something new owners could consider, especially as neighbours of ours have successful extended their homes.” It could be possible, for example, for a two-storey extension to be carried out to the side of the house where the garage is. New owners may also wish to look into going out to the rear or converting the side garage into additional accommodation.

A MUCH-LOVED HOME

Since moving in, the owners have improved the property with many touches of their own. They built a second garage at the end of the garden, which could hold scope for being transformed into an office or leisure room. They have also ensured the building has been well maintained and have recently replaced the roof and boiler. “We removed the wall between the sitting room and dining room to create one large space, which has been excellent for family living,” she continues. “We also remodelled the kitchen nine or 10 years ago, added a breakfast area to the kitchen and a conservatory at the back of the house, and redecorated the internally as necessary.”

WINTER WARMING

The house, which sits beautifully within its plot, is entered from the front via a lobby. This leads to a reception hall, with access to the ground-floor cloakroom, kitchen and main reception room. The open-plan sitting and dining room now stretches the entire depth of the home, with a bay window at either end. There is ample space for both comfortable seating and dining furniture. “I have very happy memories of spending time with family and friends in this room,” she recalls. “The girls would always come back home for Christmas and we would often have people staying with us from Spain. There is a living flame fire which makes it very cosy in the winter.”

SUMMER DAYS

The immaculate kitchen, which features integrated appliances, is well arranged for the preparation and storage of food. This leads into the breakfast area, where the owner tends to enjoy her meals, and then the conservatory. “I like to sit in the conservatory all year round, but especially in the spring and summer months when the south-facing garden looks so lovely,” she admits. All three bedrooms are on the first floor of the house. The master bedroom, which is especially large and has fitted wardrobes, looks out to the front. Two smaller rooms, one of which also has built-in storage, overlook the pretty garden. There is a generous family bathroom and separate cloakroom. “Each bedroom has two windows so they are all lovely and light,” she adds.

HAPPY TIMES

The location of the house has suited the family well. The girls were able to get to school easily and proximity to good roads and the train station also made commuting simple. “This is a brilliant area – I used to work in London and could drive in very easily,” she says. It has also always been quick to get to picturesque countryside and other nice places to walk at weekends. “I will certainly miss living here when I move – it has been a wonderful home,” she agrees. “It is a lovely house and it is ready for someone else to move straight into and enjoy or to come in and change if they wish. It has been a perfect home to us and we will remember the very happy times we have spent here together.”

SETTING THE SCENE

The house on High Grove is set back from the road by a mature front garden and driveway leading to a long garage. To the rear there is a sizeable family garden with a large lawn and a wealth of mature shrubs and trees. The garden has a terrace, arbours and access to an additional garage which could possibly be converted into an office or studio.

“It had such a lot of character.”

“I loved its large windows and the fact that all the houses on the road were of a similar, attractive style.”

“We were moving out to Welwyn Garden City from London and only saw three houses in total before we knew this was the one we wanted.”

“We loved the area, the position, the size of the house and the garden – and the fact there was something different about it.”

“We removed the wall between the sitting room and dining room to create one large space, which has been excellent for family living.”

“The open-plan sitting and dining room now stretches the entire depth of the home, with a bay window at either end.”

“I have very happy memories of spending time with family and friends in the main reception room.”

“The girls would always come back home for Christmas and we would often have people staying with us from Spain.”

“There is a living flame fire which makes the sitting room very cosy in the winter.”

“I like to sit in the conservatory all year round, but especially in the spring and summer months when the south-facing garden looks so lovely.”

“Each bedroom has two windows so they are all lovely and light.”

“This is a brilliant area – I used to work in London and could drive in very easily.”

“I will certainly miss living here when I move – it has been a wonderful home.”

“It is a lovely house and it is ready for someone else to move straight into and enjoy or to come in and change if they wish.”

“It has been a perfect home to us and we will remember the very happy times we have spent here together