4 bedroom semi-detached house

GUIDE PRICE: £900,000--£950,000.

ANOTHER SALE AGREED BY BRAND VAUGHAN PRESTON PARK OFFICE.

INTERNAL VIEWINGS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.

6 mins from Preston Park’s direct trains to Gatwick and London and within 5 mins of good primary and senior schools (10 on foot), this four bedroom Victorian family house has a large, south facing garden and picture perfect views to the sea from the top. In friendly Fiveways - given a top spot in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide, local cafés and shops are around the corner and Blakers Park is nearby. Inside, no expense has been spared to create a beautiful family home where an astonishing 181.9m2 (1958 sq. ft.) combine period charm with a contemporary, sociable lifestyle. A graceful living room with an open fire offers options for work, rest or play, whilst next door, guests can enjoy an elegant dining experience in rare seclusion. At the heart of the home an extensive sitting/family room with a wood burning stove bathes in sunlight through large Velux and leads to a sophisticated kitchen which opens to the garden and has a utility room with a separate w.c. Outside, the big, sunny garden is ideal for al fresco living as it is level with the house – a feature hard to find in the city built on the Downs. Upstairs all the double bedrooms are bright and comfortable, the principal with access to a wrought iron balcony, the spacious bathroom has a designer finish and at the top, the vaulted guest room has ample storage and picture perfect views to the coast.

In a quiet enclave of historic terraces which rise from the sports facilities, playground and arts events of Preston Park to Fiveways Village – and its 5 ways into or out of the city, homes in this golden triangle do not come onto the market often- and sell fast as they attract professionals, families and international investors with London Road at the bottom of the hill giving easy access to the city centre or A23/27, and Ditchling Road at the top, which takes you to the historic heart of Brighton and its beaches or to the National Park.

Style Victorian semi-detached house
Type 4 double bedrooms, 1 bathroom + cloakroom, living room, dining room, sitting/family room, kitchen, utility room
Area Fiveways
Floor Area 1958 sq.ft.
Outside Space Spacious south garden at the back, front garden
Parking Permit Zone F
Council Tax Band D

Why you’ll like it:
Tucked away on a friendly street with access to Dorothy Stringer Secondary School and popular Balfour Primary a stroll, this box bay fronted house with a pretty first floor balcony and drop diamond path has instant appeal. In a quiet but convenient location with plentiful permit parking and grocers, cafes, bakeries and bistro pubs around the corner, but out of hearing, this is a popular area of the city with bus routes into or out of Brighton giving older children some independence, and Preston Park Station with direct access to Gatwick and London is about 20-25 minutes on foot – or 6 by cab.

The Entrance Hall and Living Room:
Inside has a subtle commitment to style, comfort and practicality and this design approach begins in the entrance lobby where rush matting gives way to wood flooring in the broad hall which continues throughout the ground floor, and a restful colour choice keeps the focus on the inviting views through this big house to the garden.

To the right, built in an age reliant on natural light, sunlight streams through the broad front bay of a beautifully proportioned living room. Ideal for entertaining, for family time or perhaps as a home office, there is 4.56m x 3.46m (15’0 x 11’4) to enjoy with custom made shelving in the alcoves on each side of a stately fireplace, which is open. The elegant coving remains unspoilt whilst dimmer switches deliver ambient lighting.

The Dining Room, Family Sitting Room and Kitchen:
Quiet, stylish and unusually private, guests can enjoy a traditional dining experience in a welcoming room which also has French doors to the family room, and with 4.20m x 2.79 (13’9 x 9’2) it seats 8 people in comfort – and still has space for a piano.

All about embracing friends and family life, sunshine streams through this glorious family sitting room. Skilfully extended into the side return in 2006 to create a dream space which works well for everyday but is also perfect for parties, there is a generous area for a family table beneath four skylights whilst in winter, the room transforms into a welcoming haven when you light the Stovax wood burning stove.

Ahead, the skilful attention to detail continues in the family friendly kitchen which although sociably placed for al fresco living, doesn’t dominate the family room. Classic shaker units provide ample storage, wood surfaces look great but are also indestructible for fledgling cooks and the multi fuel Smeg range could stay, subject to circumstance. The high end dishwasher, fridge and freezer are all integrated for you and there is a spacious utility room with plumbing for a washing machine and a dryer which has a guest cloakroom tucked away.

The Garden:
A rare, south facing oasis, this tranquil garden is a fabulous sun trap, larger than many just 10 minutes from the city centre and child and pet secure. Level with the house, and level along its CHAR_LENGTH(which is unusual in a city built on the rolling Downs), it is scented by honeysuckle and herbs for the table with a lawn for play overlooked by the paved, lit terrace by the kitchen, and at the far end, we are told that the two sheds will stay.

The First Floor Landing Bedroom and Bathroom:
The first of the generous double bedrooms is bright and cheerful with inspiring garden views – and is not directly overlooked. Currently used as a home office, with 4.37m x 3.22m (14’4 x 10’7) it is a good size for a teenager or an au-pair as it is on the first landing, so the occupants can come and go without disturbing the main bedrooms - and the bonus is that it is next to the stylish bathroom.

Cool and contemporary with natural light, there’s a flawless finish to this fabulous bathroom which is big enough for both a family tub and a luxury walk in Aqualisa shower.
The First Floor Bedroom and Principal Room:
Up a few steps, the second double bedroom has plenty of character and space of its own with alcoves for storage and designer paper, and looking across a sea of gardens it is not directly overlooked.

A calm refuge to return to, the principal bedroom spans the full width of this substantial property with 4.86m x 4.56m (15’11 x 13’0) in which to unwind. With the restful proportions only a period home can deliver, the decoration is in soothing hues and a broad bay window as well as tall window almost fill the front wall to flood the room with light.

The Top Floor:
Private and peaceful at the top of the house, the vaulted guest room spreads its wings across 5.61m x 3.88m (18’5 x 12’9) with ingenious custom made storage to deliver all the wardrobe space you could dream of as well as extra space under the eaves, and there’s a window seat beneath the large window lining the south dormer where you can relax and enjoy the picture perfect view across the city to the sea by day, or a glittering cityscape at night.

Agent’s thoughts:
“Families stay in this sought after location until their children have grown up and moved on, which makes homes in these quiet terraces unusually close to popular schools difficult to find, and this beautifully extended house is good to go with a family friendly flow, sociable layout and glorious south facing garden – a rare find in a city mainly built obliquely to the sea.”

Owner’s Secret
“We came to look at the house because we were looking for a family house but wanted to be able to walk to the station and the shops and instantly fell in love with quiet road, its period proportions and the sunny garden. The flowing layout and big, bright rooms all on one level on the ground floor are perfect for young children as well as for entertaining and adapted easily as our family grew, then grew up! After moving, we discovered just how convenient the house was for parks and both the primary and the secondary schools – the children walked there. Inside, we wanted the house to be stylish but practical, so put in wood floors and ample storage, and we have enjoyed the garden, which is a real sun trap. I love having the doors open to hear the birds as I cook. This is a great place to live with lovely neighbours, and the intercontinental al fresco lifestyle of 5 ways – and its 5 ways to the entire city – is a 2 minute drive, or 5 mins on foot. If you enjoy the outdoors, Preston Park’s sports facilities, football clubs and sociable Saturday fun runs is at the bottom of the hill and both the sea and the National Park are both about 10 mins away.”

Where it is:
Shops: Fiveways 5 mins walk, 2 by car
Train Station: Preston Park Station 6 mins drive, about 20 on foot, London Road 5 mins drive
Seafront or Park: Hollingbury tennis courts & playground 5 on foot, Blakers Park 10 mins on foot, 3 by car, Preston Park 10-15 mins walk, 3 mins by car, sea about 10
Closest schools:
Primary: Balfour, Downs Junior, Downs Infant
Secondary: Varndean, Dorothy Stringer
Sixth Form: Varndean 6th Form, BHASVIC, Newman 6th Form College, BIMM
Private: Brighton College, Brighton & Hove High, Lancing

Ideal for those needing access to the airports and London as the station is a 6 minute drive, Fiveways is a favourite destination known for its independent friendly shops, cafés and small Co-Op. Between family friendly Blakers Park, the expansive leafy acreage and sports facilities of Preston Park -which both host events during our legendary festivals- and Hollingbury Parks countryside walks, local schools are good and within easy reach, and the National Park bordered by beaches is just a short drive– so a healthy lifestyle beckons! The vibrant arts venues, international restaurants and cosmopolitan shopping of the city are all quick to get to by bus or by cab and for those who need a car, there’s swift access to the A23/A27 and Zone F has no waiting list.