Month: October 2015

Situated on the first floor of a well maintained, purpose built apartment building off Park Road in Winchester, this home has the lovely bonus of a superb far reaching view.

Positioned just a short walk from the city centre and train station, this is a popular location for those working within Winchester and further afield with fast connections to the surrounding areas.

The apartment is spacious with an open plan sitting and dining room, two bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom. A garage is also included in the rent.

A monthly rent of £1,025 is quoted by Pearsons and further information is available by calling the Winchester office on 01962 853344.…

As the party conference season draws to a close, across the political spectrum housing policy has very much come to the fore. A key part of this debate and a well-documented driver of the UK’s housing problems is the inability to build enough homes to meet rising demand. A growing population combined with smaller households looks to continue to pile pressure onto our housing stock. While problems of the housing market stretch beyond simple demand and supply economics, getting more houses built in the areas that need them is an important part of creating a better housing market for everyone. 

In response the government has set a target of 200,000 houses to be built each year, whether this is achievable is yet to be seen, but measures are being put in place to assist. Planning constraints have long been a hurdle to housing supply and the government is trying to lower the barrier. Several changes are in the pipeline; notably a zonal system to give automatic permission to brownfield sites, penalties for Local Authorities that stall on planning applications and an extension of the Permitted Development rights on change of use from office to residential.

On a local level, larger housing schemes such as Barton Farm in Winchester will make an impact, but smaller local and regional developers also have an important part to play and will need to continue to increase their supply. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government, the 2008 economic crash particularly devastated small builders, with delivery falling from 44,000 homes to just 18,000 per year in this category. Seven years on, with funding more readily available, numbers are picking up and demand for suitable sites for development is high.

With this in mind if you have land or property which you suspect may have potential for residential development the Land Department at Hamptons International would be delighted to investigate the options that may be available and provide free professional and impartial advice. Hamptons International is well placed to offer advice at any stage of the development process, from initial assessment of development potential through to marketing and sale.

James Turpin of the Residential Development and Investment team says: “We are currently advising on a number of opportunities across the south, ranging from office conversions, through to single self-build plots, multiple unit schemes and the promotion of strategic land. Recent successes have seen landowners benefit significantly by Hamptons acting on their behalf enabling them to fully unlock the potential in their assets. Should you suspect that your property has development potential, we would be pleased to discuss the possibilities open to you.”

Contact James at the Winchester branch on 01962 842079  winchesterrdi@hamptons-int.com…

This well presented Grade II listed house has a certain air of elegance with period architecture opening to reveal spacious accommodation over four floors. The mellow brick and flint elevations with sash windows sit well on St James Terrace from where there is easy access into the centre of Winchester and it is also within a short walk of the train station.

From St James Terrace there is pedestrian access to Romsey Road and St James Lane whilst to the rear, off Crowder Terrace, there is a garage together with a parking space.

Dating back to 1840, this lovely home radiates from an impressive entrance hall, with original cornice, plaster arch and mahogany handrail, which opens to a double reception room running east to west. This fine drawing room has an open fireplace with a marble surround and slate hearth, flanked by fitted bookcases. Off a rear lobby is a study recess, utility area and cloakroom.

The large open plan kitchen and dining room takes up much of the lower ground floor which provides great entertaining space, supported by a utility room with a door to the front courtyard and wine cellars, and a family room at the rear with a door to the garden.

Five bedrooms, a bathroom and shower room are arranged over the top two floors, with the smallest room adjacent to the master bedroom at the front which has potential to be converted to an additional bathroom.

Both garden areas are easily maintained with a delightful west facing enclosed garden to the rear with mature hedging to one side and flower and shrub borders to the other including a fig tree. From the sandstone paving there are steps down to the lower courtyard and secondary access to the house.

A price guide of £1,295,000 is quoted by Belgarum Estate Agents who will be happy to arrange a personal inspection of this elegant home. Call the office on 01962 844460…

The village of Sutton Scotney lies within easy reach of Winchester and has its own excellent local amenities which mean that this community holds a wide appeal to all. Goadsby in Winchester has recently added two lovely homes to the market for sale, each with its own features and benefits.

The first is a semi-detached house in a quiet cul de sac with views out over the garden and a village green to the front. The house has a great layout for families with a smart kitchen with a breakfast area having an open aspect to a playroom. There is also a sitting room at the front with an open fire and a dining area which also connects with the playroom.

The integral garage has been converted to provide a large store at the front and a utility room with a door through to the kitchen, further adding to the benefits for a busy family lifestyle. There is also a ground floor cloakroom.

Upstairs are three bedrooms, the largest with a good range of wardrobes, and a family bathroom.

The house enjoys open aspects to the front and rear with a gate from the garden opening to playing fields where there are football pitches, tennis court, play equipment and lovely walks along the river bank.

A price of £375,000 is quoted for this Gratton Close house.

For those looking for something with more of a period feel in the village, Northolt Cottage has sash windows and an open fire in the sitting room. The kitchen is fitted in a country style with wooden work surfaces and a deep butler sink. An alternative entrance lies to the side of the cottage into a conservatory which is currently used as a dining area, although there is also a second reception room.

Both double bedrooms on the first floor have sash windows and the family bathroom is downstairs.

The garden is a principal feature of the cottage with wonderful fruit trees and well stocked flower borders. Enjoying an excellent degree of privacy, the garden primarily faces east but also has an open sunny aspect. A price of £300,000 is sought.

Chris Pickard, manager of the Winchester branch of Goadsby, says: “Both these properties have recently come to the market in Sutton Scotney. Northolt Cottage is an excellent opportunity for first time buyers or downsizers looking to experience a charming semi-rural village, with the house in Gratton Close ideal as a family home, with generous accommodation and backing on to the playing field.

“Sutton Scotney is a lovely village with excellent local amenities, yet close to commuter routes for access to Winchester, London, Stockbridge and beyond.”

Contact Chris and his team at Goadsby for further information on both properties on 01962 620444.…

One of only two thatched properties remaining within Winchester city boundaries this beautiful example of a 16th century cottage lies conveniently close to shops and amenities on the north western fringes and is concealed within very special gardens of almost half an acre. Pond Cottage has been much altered over the centuries but has retained lovely mellow brickwork, now partly clothed in wisteria, and benefits from a recently thatched roof.

The interior, unusual for a thatched cottage, is light and airy with good ceiling heights but also with a wealth of character created by vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, fireplaces and a superb fully vaulted drawing room with a mezzanine study.

An impressive studded and panelled oak front door opens to the entrance hall which is double height in part and with a solid oak floor.

The lovely beamed sitting room has a brick lined fireplace, former bread oven and a window seat with a southerly aspect. The kitchen is fitted with hand crafted oak cabinets with polished granite work surfaces with limestone flooring extending through to a large utility area, dining space and French doors to both front and rear.

There is also a spacious formal dining room with a fireplace and this leads through, via a lobby area to the superb drawing rom which was added in the 1980s. A balustraded mezzanine study area overlooks the room where one wall is completely lined with book cases and there is a feature brick chimney breast extending up over both levels.

On the first floor are two superb double bedrooms with vaulted ceilings displaying structural timbers and each with excellent fitted wardrobes. Two further bedrooms lie close to the bathroom and separate shower room, both recently upgraded with quality fittings, attractive tiling, heated towel rails and downlighters.

The gardens provide a magical backdrop and amenity, being partly walled and very private. With a variety of mature trees and shrubs, the garden is divided into various distinctive areas where lawns, paved terraces, colourful flower borders, fruit trees, clipped hedging and a raised vegetable garden all make an appearance.

Pond Cottage is approached through a five bar gate and there is parking for several cars in addition to the double garage which is smothered in Virginia Creeper, at its glorious best this time of year.

Jackson-Stops & Staff in Winchester quotes a price of £1,450,000 and welcomes enquiries on 01962 844299.…

Connells is thrilled to announce that Tom Bateson is celebrating 20 years with the company this month.  Tom, who joined the company in 1995 as branch manager at the Basingstoke office which, during his tenure, became the company’s most profitable office in 1999, has quickly worked his way up through the ranks becoming a new homes specialist in 2002 through to his current position as Regional Director for the New Homes South division since 2007. 

“I am thrilled to reach this milestone anniversary with Connells at an incredibly exciting time for the company,” says Tom.  “Our new homes division goes from strength to strength.  We recorded a record breaking year last year which we are on course to surpass this year.  The market is buoyant, there is continuous demand for more new homes and we have won more new instructions in the first half of this year compared to the whole of last year.  In fact, our parent company Connells Group recently announced a staggering 43% increase in new homes sales in its half year results as compared to 2014.  We fully expect this momentum to continue throughout the remainder of the year and look forward to achieving more successes for our developer partners.”

Tom, who oversees the New Homes division for the following regions – Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Avon & South Gloucester – has in excess of 30 years of expertise in the sector and heads up a team of five highly experienced new homes specialists.  The company intends to grow and invest in the division to meet current demand.

“We pride ourselves on the level of customer service we offer in our new homes division and across our extensive branch network,” adds Tom.  “We continue to look at those opportunities to expand and grow the division in order to provide the most effective service for our customers within this growing market.”

For advice and further information on land and new homes in Southern England, please call Connells’ dedicated team on 01256 357457 where you will be directed to the correct team member. …