The Househunter 24/6/16

I am writing this the day before the morning after and I have literally no idea what the morning after is going to bring. It is a strange feeling and one I can’t remember having had before. Perhaps it was like the day before the A Level results were due. When you were pretty sure you’d done ok, but you still woke up at 3am sweating and and shouting I FORGOT TO WRITE ANYTHING DOWN AT ALL, IT’S ALL BLANK I HAVE TOTALLY FAILED AND RUINED THE REST OF MY LIFE. And then it was all fine and you got the results you needed and life carried on as you had secretly suspected it always would.

Except today, I don’t know that. Because it’s not just about what I wrote down on the piece of paper, it’s about what everyone else wrote down too. Anyway by the time you read this the result will be known. And so I shall leave it there and take you into this rather gorgeous converted greenhouse…

It’s on the market with The Modern House for £675,000 and is in Hawkshurst, Kent. It has been converted into a two bedroom house which is such a clever idea and definitely not one I would have thought of. These pictures make it look very Beatrix Potter and you can imagine Peter Rabbit roaming round the garden eating all the cabbages.

This is the room that would sell it for me. Imagine sitting there and looking at that all that greenery. You could practically convince yourself you were in Bali. Even the narrowness of the space works when you have that view at the end of it.

It is, as you would imagine, surrounded by gardens and there is a separate studio that could work as a home office, or, permission forthcoming, extra accommodation. It just goes to show that with the right architect and a willingness to try nothing is impossible.

Now where? That’s enough frolicking round the cabbage patch. If I had had more time this week I would have brought you beautiful houses from France, Spain and Italy where you can (at the time of writing) go and live and work but I ran out of time that would have felt/might feel like tempting fate/too sad to contemplate so we’re staying here.

And this is quite a good place to be isn’t it? It’s on for £1,200,000 with Strutt & Parker (via onthemarket.com) and is full of lovely, large, light rooms. Look at that window seat in the kitchen. I mean what kind of person doesn’t like a window seat? I’m certain I’ve never met one.

And that huge bedroom below with that sitting area which would be perfect for those moments when you just need to hide from the kids and usually the only way to do it is by locking yourself in the bathroom, but this house you could lock yourself in the bedroom and you wouldn’t even need to go to bed. You could sit and work or sit and read. Although maybe, if you’re still at the hiding from the kids stage, maybe all you want is to go to bed.

Finally, this bathroom. Now I have issues with this. It’s enormous, but that shower is tiny. So you take down that wall creating the alcove for the chest of drawers – enlarge the shower. put the chest or drawers – or some other storage, by the window – you could build something to go round that beam and suddenly it’s much more luxurious. Actually, I’ve looked at the floorplans, there are various other configurations you could do too and as there’s plumbing on all four walls, it should all be possible. If you were thinking of dropping £1.2 mill on this house that it. If you are let me know and I’ll share the ideas…..

Did I mention there are seven bedrooms and it’s on an estate of 350 acres. It’ s a good place to hide if it all turns to worms in the referendum .