House For Sale £350,000
An admirable renovation of a mid-war semi. Two generous double bedrooms, bay-fronted living room with woodburner, large kitchen, Air-Source heating, rewired, new windows etc! There are generous gardens to front and rear, plus a brick outbuilding. Wonderful in all respects, and no chain
Kirtlington needs little introduction locally. It is, simply, one of the most popular villages in North Oxfordshire. There are many reasons. The great local primary school also feeds through to an excellent C of E secondary in Woodstock (with private schools also within easy driving distance). Two high quality pub/restaurants provide great food and drink. Close road and rail links (40 mins to Marylebone from Bicester North - 6 miles away) provide immensely easy commuting. The old stone quarry by the canal plus the Capability Brown gardens of Kirtlington Park offer lovely walks etc. But for many, it's the community with its all-inclusive ethos, sense of vibrancy and spirit that makes it the sort of place people rarely want to leave.
When I first visited this house, my initial question was “which builder did the work? The finish is fantastic”. The answer nearly felled me: “We did most of it ourselves, we’ve always wanted to renovate a house”. Over several decades I have seen few professionals finish a renovation this well. The whole house is simply stylish. Painted white throughout, this neutral finish maximises the light and also presents the easiest "blank canvas" for the new owners, but framed by some lovely, thoughtful detailing. Oak doors add colour and warmth. Mushroom coloured carpets are mellow and attractive, as are the light oak effect floors in hall, kitchen and bathroom. And that's not to mention the Air-Source heating system, a valuable asset in an era of increasing energy costs.
The entrance is to the left side of the house under an open porch, via a new composite door. It leads to a hallway that is wide and bright, with the staircase running dead straight away from you. Take a right and the bay-fronted living room is a joy. From this elevated position, set behind a deep front garden, well above and back from the roadway (with a severely policed 20 mph limit), the light is great. The fireplace has been opened up, with the slender red brick detailing to the sides framing a lovely modern wood burner. Deep alcoves either side could house shelves and cupboards if desired, or just provide nooks for TV table, easy chairs etc as now. A recess under the stairs has been mostly taken into the kitchen as excellent storage (more of this later), but the alcove in this room gives some extra character as well as a further place for shelves/ storage. And as the room is double aspect, the already generous proportions feel even larger.
Across the hall, the kitchen continues this theme. Simple, elegant and immaculate, it's a really great room. A Howdens kitchen to one end provides a generous range of units around three sides, with a quartz work surface to top it off. A washing machine is fitted, plus a range cooker adding a little extra panache. The alcove under the stairs previously mentioned has been fitted out to provide assorted shelves and a hanging rail, alongside which the fridge/freezer has its own dedicated slot (this will be included in the sale). And this all frames a really generous dining space in front of a pair of new French windows that overlook the terrace and garden beyond.
Upstairs, the landing leads to all rooms. The larger bedroom to the front mirrors the dimensions of the living room beneath, hence it's a significant size. As below, the chimney breast provides large alcoves either side, ideal for wardrobe or other storage. And the window to the front is wide hence the room is bright, with a very pleasing view from this height over some pretty houses and gardens. The second bedroom is only marginally smaller and overlooks the gardens to the rear. It's fitted with wardrobes and storage behind mirrored doors across the whole of the right hand wall. So, some might consider this the preferred primary bedroom - you decide! Serving the pair, the bathroom is neatly packaged with well-chosen fittings that include a deep blue vanity unit and a modern suite with a thermostatic shower above the bath. Large, cream tiles run round all the wet areas, and there's also a chrome towel radiator. The door next to the bath accesses a deep cupboard over the stairs, a perfect airing cupboard.
Outside, the house sits high above and back from the road behind a really pretty front garden that's mainly lawned. Hedging to the front and left side frames the space, and a picket gate provides access to a concrete path that runs up to the door at the side. This carries on past the house to an outbuilding that provides useful storage as well as the old outside toilet. Beyond this, the garden is a great size, c.60 feet long. Behind the kitchen, a terrace provides a place for summer dining, and beyond that flower beds and veg patch give way to lawn to the majority of the space. And at the rear another seating area catches the sun, as well as providing a really good view of this rather lovely house.
Kirtlington needs little introduction locally. It is, simply, one of the most popular villages in North Oxfordshire. There are many reasons. The great local primary school also feeds through to an excellent C of E secondary in Woodstock (with private schools also within easy driving distance). Two high quality pub/restaurants provide great food and drink. Close road and rail links (40 mins to Marylebone from Bicester North - 6 miles away) provide immensely easy commuting. The old stone quarry by the canal plus the Capability Brown gardens of Kirtlington Park offer lovely walks etc. But for many, it's the community with its all-inclusive ethos, sense of vibrancy and spirit that makes it the sort of place people rarely want to leave.
When I first visited this house, my initial question was “which builder did the work? The finish is fantastic”. The answer nearly felled me: “We did most of it ourselves, we’ve always wanted to renovate a house”. Over several decades I have seen few professionals finish a renovation this well. The whole house is simply stylish. Painted white throughout, this neutral finish maximises the light and also presents the easiest "blank canvas" for the new owners, but framed by some lovely, thoughtful detailing. Oak doors add colour and warmth. Mushroom coloured carpets are mellow and attractive, as are the light oak effect floors in hall, kitchen and bathroom. And that's not to mention the Air-Source heating system, a valuable asset in an era of increasing energy costs.
The entrance is to the left side of the house under an open porch, via a new composite door. It leads to a hallway that is wide and bright, with the staircase running dead straight away from you. Take a right and the bay-fronted living room is a joy. From this elevated position, set behind a deep front garden, well above and back from the roadway (with a severely policed 20 mph limit), the light is great. The fireplace has been opened up, with the slender red brick detailing to the sides framing a lovely modern wood burner. Deep alcoves either side could house shelves and cupboards if desired, or just provide nooks for TV table, easy chairs etc as now. A recess under the stairs has been mostly taken into the kitchen as excellent storage (more of this later), but the alcove in this room gives some extra character as well as a further place for shelves/ storage. And as the room is double aspect, the already generous proportions feel even larger.
Across the hall, the kitchen continues this theme. Simple, elegant and immaculate, it's a really great room. A Howdens kitchen to one end provides a generous range of units around three sides, with a quartz work surface to top it off. A washing machine is fitted, plus a range cooker adding a little extra panache. The alcove under the stairs previously mentioned has been fitted out to provide assorted shelves and a hanging rail, alongside which the fridge/freezer has its own dedicated slot (this will be included in the sale). And this all frames a really generous dining space in front of a pair of new French windows that overlook the terrace and garden beyond.
Upstairs, the landing leads to all rooms. The larger bedroom to the front mirrors the dimensions of the living room beneath, hence it's a significant size. As below, the chimney breast provides large alcoves either side, ideal for wardrobe or other storage. And the window to the front is wide hence the room is bright, with a very pleasing view from this height over some pretty houses and gardens. The second bedroom is only marginally smaller and overlooks the gardens to the rear. It's fitted with wardrobes and storage behind mirrored doors across the whole of the right hand wall. So, some might consider this the preferred primary bedroom - you decide! Serving the pair, the bathroom is neatly packaged with well-chosen fittings that include a deep blue vanity unit and a modern suite with a thermostatic shower above the bath. Large, cream tiles run round all the wet areas, and there's also a chrome towel radiator. The door next to the bath accesses a deep cupboard over the stairs, a perfect airing cupboard.
Outside, the house sits high above and back from the road behind a really pretty front garden that's mainly lawned. Hedging to the front and left side frames the space, and a picket gate provides access to a concrete path that runs up to the door at the side. This carries on past the house to an outbuilding that provides useful storage as well as the old outside toilet. Beyond this, the garden is a great size, c.60 feet long. Behind the kitchen, a terrace provides a place for summer dining, and beyond that flower beds and veg patch give way to lawn to the majority of the space. And at the rear another seating area catches the sun, as well as providing a really good view of this rather lovely house.
