Posted on 03/09/08, filed under Show-House Show-Case | No Comments
South Down seclusion …
Symonds & Reading, Brook Lane, Ferring
Ferring is a friendly village three miles West of Worthing town centre where there has been evidence of settlers dating back to the Bronze Age. There are both new builds and traditional bungalows which are beginning to become more popular with young families wishing to take residence in a calm seaside village. There is a sense of strong community spirit within Ferring’s beautiful surroundings which comprises of the beach, the South Downs and the river rife. But what can this new development offer?
Driving along a tree lined road, I entered the close-knit village of Ferring, passing old cobbled buildings with the Church and library on the northern edge. It was easy to find Brook Lane however with no signs to the development I thought I had taken a wrong turn. Once reaching the end of the compact road, I saw the bright Symonds & Reading board signifying the new builds, all of which are tucked away along a newly bricked lane. It made me wonder how anyone with no previous knowledge of the site, or indeed much familiarity of the village, would be able to locate it. I parked my car outside one of the semi-detached homes and waited for the estate agent to arrive.
I gazed around the small development of just five two and three bedroom homes and was intrigued by their design – some were in keeping with the village’s character and had a cobbled frontage whereas others were pushing more towards a contemporary theme. I was slightly dubious with regards to the front doors, especially their handles which were rather small. Once the smartly dressed estate agent arrived, he introduced himself and we entered the first property.
I was informed they had a “show-home” opening on 23 August (a week before I visited) so when I entered the three bedroom home, I was quite taken aback as this did not appear to have “show-home” quality. The first thing that “caught my eye” were wires still hanging out of the wall. I then began to take in the rest of the surroundings where there was no furniture or pictures that would normally be found in a show home. The available space and light on the ground floor, however, over-ruled my urge to leave the property and I continued my way through the semi-detached home. The kitchen was decorated with white splash back tiles, light cupboards and dark worktops – in my opinion, after viewing many show homes, it seemed that the worktops were installed on a tight budget. The kitchen comes with an extractor fan, oven, hob and fridge freezer.
An attribute that I was very happy with was the separate cupboard space where a washer and dryer could be kept; out of the way behind a door which would hopefully disguise the noise of a busy machine. Carrying on through, towards the North, we entered the lounge/dining room which had an open plan integrated conservatory. This allowed for a lot of natural light due to the large windows and glass doors opening out onto the back garden. This room offers the finest views of High Down Hill.
We walked back into the hall to climb the stairs to the first floor. The first room at the top of the stairs was the third bed/study. It seemed unlikely that much more than a small single bed would fit in, which perhaps is why there was a small cupboard space outside this room. Unfortunately, the views of the South Downs cannot be fully appreciated as the windows to the two North facing bedrooms were small. I was also not very keen on the two wall lights in both the master bedroom and second bedroom; these could be easily broken by children and limit the layout of the room. The bathroom was a convenient size and I liked the “p” shape bath that enables enough room to shower comfortably or to have a relaxing bath.
What you get for your money:
Prices from £280,000 for a two bed …
Prices from £299,950 for a three bed …
Offers are being considered. For more information phone Symonds & Reading 01903 502121
Location, location, location:
A short walk to the main high street where the local pub can also be found, bus stops a short walk, Goring-By-Sea train station about 1 mile away, Blue Bird Café 1 mile away, short walk to the village green and play ground.
Best feature:
Ground floor is spacious with great views to the South Downs, in a quiet area, good access to transport links.
Worst feature:
Small windows on the first floor, third bedroom small, front door handle
Contact the sales office: 01903 502121
- Location: 7 of 10 (Easy access by roads and to amenities)
- Product: 5 of 10
- Sales Negotiator service: 2 of 10 (didn’t bring any information with him, didn’t know the exact prices, was unsure on specifications)
- Value for money: Good for young family
Overall: Ferring has some good transport links, is a quiet and friendly village …
Have you visited Brook Lane, Ferring? Do you agree with our ‘Show-home Show-case’? Post Your Comments.
Legal disclaimer: The impression expressed by “Show Home Hannah” is purely based on their genuine opinion and subjective experience on the specified development site visits. They are based on only as their opinion of what they have encountered and should not be read as a judgement of the business or the employees involved.
Posted on 02/09/08, filed under Buy-2-Let, Estate Agents | No Comments
Can you believe it’s already September? I’m not altogether sure where August went, but despite the unseasonal weather, I do know that a few local events took place, carnivals, summer fetes, the Arundel Festival and The Brunswick Festival in Hove.
Callaways Estate Agents, Hove, supported the Brunswick Festival and it was a great day, with hundreds of people turning up to meet with friends and family, and enjoy the stalls, entertainers and catering available.
As part of the Brunswick Festival, Callaways are offering NEW landlords a special offer of 6 months FREE rent protection and legal expenses warranty on one of the properties they assign to Callaways.
This offer is open until 17 September, so call Callaways now, and quote BRUNSWICK!
Contact Callaways on 01273-735237 or email mel@callaways.co.uk
Posted on 02/09/08, filed under Show-House Show-Case | No Comments
Life in the calm lane…
Barratt Homes, Clayton Mills, Hassocks
Hassocks is a historic village with idyllic views overlooking the South Downs. For those who love rural living yet need good transport links for work or play, this is the perfect location for you. The main line train station allows easy access to London, and for the jet setters, Gatwick airport is an easy 30 minute drive. If the city lights of London don’t draw you in, then perhaps a quick 20 minute car journey to the seaside city of Brighton might interest you.
The village has much on offer for those who enjoy the outdoors, with tennis & squash clubs, golf clubs, bowling greens, scenic South Down routes and much more. It is a village layered in history, with a church dating back 900 years to the Saxon times, however the village has been pulled into the modern day but still retains its character and charm.
Driving East along the A23 and onto the A273, my trusty AA route finder safely navigated me towards the rural development built by Barratt Homes. I had nearly reached the site entrance when the eye-catching yellow AA boards continued to direct me along the narrow roads. It was easy to find the visitor parking which had informative boards hung on the fences to give me a taste of what the developer has on offer to help those who wish to buy one of their well-built homes. I walked into the sales office where a well presented show home negotiator welcomed me into his neat, tidy and cleverly displayed sales cabin. He ‘qualified’ me and then began by showing the display boards so I was able to comprehend what was on offer and where the available homes were located. Afterwards, we strolled along to the two bedroom show home where he gave me some snippets of useful information, invited me to take a look around the three bed two doors away, then dashed back to the sales cabin where paper-work awaited his attention.
Both the show-homes were spacious and were designed in different colour schemes, one in yellows and oranges, the other in blues and greens to give perspective buyers a variety of choice. This time, I will be concentrating on the three bed property known as The Mulberry.
I entered through the partially glazed fronted door into a large, open lounge. The wooden flooring and silver framed flame effect fire place immediately grabbed my attention. There was plenty of available natural light with more than enough room to move, play or relax in – definitely in-keeping with the surroundings. The cloakroom and under-stairs cupboard were also a good size.
The kitchen was uniquely designed with colour codes normally unseen in this creative room - however this particular blue gave a pleasing end result. The kitchen was rectangular in shape with dark wooden veneer cupboards filling much of the space, lots of available light coming through the sink windows and patio doors (which open up onto the turfed rear garden), large grey worktops that blended in well with the brush-chromed door handles, oven and extractor fan. The kitchen is large enough to fit a four seated breakfast table to enjoy the rear-garden view.
Walking back through the lounge, I climbed the stairs. The bathroom was the first door I entered which was well proportioned and decorated in blues and creams. The second bedroom lay next to the bathroom fitting a double bed, two side tables and a fitted wardrobe. The master bedroom, slightly larger than the second bedroom, was decorated in browns and oranges and comes with an en-suite bathroom. Next to the master is the smaller third room which can be utilised as a study or a bedroom. This particular room was decorated in a spaceman theme and came with a fitted wardrobe.
What you get for your money:
Prices from £249,995 for a two bed property …
Prices from £285,495 for a three bed property …
Prices from £390,995 for a four bed property …
Prices from £579,495 for a five bed property …
Location, location, location:
A short walk to the main high street where there are a variety of shops, Hassocks train station about 1 mile away, Burgess Hill 2 miles away, Brighton is a twenty minute drive, Golf clubs, tennis clubs and bowls green within a 5 minute car journey.
Best feature:
Spacious, great location, easy access to transport links, outside space available for everyone, good community feel, children’s playground to be built in development between 2009-2010.
Worst feature:
There will be further construction taking place in 2009 – could this cause problems for present residents?
Contact the sales office: 01273 846418 - open daily 10 till 6
- Location: 9 of 10 (Easy access by roads and to amenities)
- Product: 10 of 10
- Sales Negotiator service: 8 of 10 (smiled, well spoken, took the time to chat when he was busy)
- Value for money: Good for family homes or commuters, very good value
Overall: Hassocks has good transport links, is a calm and friendly village with good leisure facilities available …
Have you visited Clayton Mills, Hassocks? Do you agree with our ‘Show-home Show-case’? Post Your Comments.
Legal disclaimer: The impression expressed by “Show Home Hannah” is purely based on their genuine opinion and subjective experience on the specified development site visits. They are based on only as their opinion of what they have encountered and should not be read as a judgement of the business or the employees involved.
