2 bedroom cottage for sale

Why buy this home?

Common concerns that buyers looking for character homes in village settings (especially thatched Grade II listed cottages) typically have are around practicality and energy efficiency. The attraction of this beautiful former smokehouse is that a significant proportion of the cottage is new construction and benefits from modern insulation and heating, resulting in an impressive 71 'C' rating on the recently conducted Energy Performance Certificate. The thatch was also installed in May of 2016, was inspected in 2018 and has a fire-retardant layer to reduce the cost of buildings insurance. The result is that the current owners have advised that their annual heating bill is circa £500, meaning you can admire and appreciate the characterful nature of this home without compromising on easy, convenient living.

As you approach this home, which is located in the heart of Granborough opposite St John the Baptist Church, the first thing you will notice is the amount of parking on offer. The double-width driveway means that cars can be parked side-by-side, and in all, roughly four cars can fit comfortably. The original entrance to the cottage is still available to the front of the cottage with steps leading down to the road, however a new more convenient entrance was created during the renovation which is accessed from the driveway.

This brings you straight into the country-style kitchen, which is all new construction. Sympathetic to the original cottage, the kitchen is designed with shaker units and wooden worktops. Other features of note is the Rangemaster cooker, a large column radiator and, of course, the beautiful flagstone floor. This room has been designed so that there is room for a breakfast or dining table, however the current owners have opted for a relaxed seating area underneath the vaulted glass ceiling. Double doors lead out to the impressive 80 ft. rear garden which has a selection of fruit trees. There is a patio and also an additional seating area under a pergola at the back of the garden which has been created to take advantage of the picturesque view back at the cottage which perfectly frames the church opposite. Whilst a very good size, the owners have advised that the garden is low maintenance with it being primarily flat and laid to lawn.

Back inside, a door off the kitchen leads you into the original cottage. The first room you enter is being used as a formal dining room and further seating area. The old chimney breast has been opened up to reveal the evidence of this building's historic use as a smokehouse - the soot stains. The stove that is installed is purely a feature due to the cottage's energy efficiency, and a store cupboard has also been created. This room is where you first get a glimpse of the abundance of character and original features, from the exposed brick, to the hand-painted drawings on one of the exposed beams. An original 'brace and latch' door takes you through to a more snug and cosy living room which does have a working log burner. This room offers a quieter more private seating area which means that you can have separate conversations whilst entertaining guests. It's also a wonderful space to retire to at the end of the evening. Just off the living room is a boot room which would have served the original entrance to the front of the cottage, and now makes a useful additional space to utilise how you see fit.

Off the dining room is a further reception room which would make an ideal study. This room has one of our favorite features in the form of the exposed brick wall, which anyone who is looking for a charming space to work will surely fall in love with. Lastly downstairs is a very handy shower room which provides a WC and means there is a washing room on both floors.

The staircase leads you passed some ornate pargeting to the first floor, where you will find two double bedrooms. The original bedroom for the cottage is an impressive size for a building of this age, with the other original bedroom now serving as a walk-in wardrobe, meaning you don't have to be concerned with the ceiling heights. As this room is at the front of the cottage, it has gorgeous views over the Church opposite. The other bedroom is part of the modern extension and so benefits from the previously external chimney breast as a feature. Two storage cupboards have been created alongside this chimney breast which further storage available in the eaves. As this bedroom is at the back of the house, it has wonderful views over the rear garden. Lastly there is a bathroom which has a hair-washing shower head to the bath.

This simply charming home has to be viewed to be fully appreciated, and is perfect for those looking for traditional Buckinghamshire village living.

More about the location...

Granborough lies in North Buckinghamshire and has a total population of 535 residing in 235 households. Of the total population, 100 (19%) are young people under the age of 18, 335 are of working age and 100 are of pensionable age.

Granborough is a parish of 1580 acres in the Buckinghamshire Hundred of Waddesdon. It is situated 9 miles north of Aylesbury and adjoins the small market town of Winslow. Due to the new train station being built at Winslow, Granborough will benefit from superb transport links via train to Oxford, as well as its already convenient road links to Milton Keynes, Buckingham, Bicester and Aylesbury.

Today Granborough remains a rural village with farming the predominant business. As well as 235 households, Granborough has St John the Baptist church, the village hall built in 1910, the Crown Public House, a children’s play area, and communal allotments. We share the Sports field and North Marston C of E Primary School with the neighbouring village of North Marston.

There is a public house, logically called the Crown. After the parish church the most interesting building is the neat half-timbered Arts and Crafts village hall. Granborough still has very many thatched cottages and houses, many of them in Green End, a hamlet attached to the village.
Council tax band: E