Conservatory Garden Garage Double glazing Central heating No Chain

A 3 double bedroom plus garage property for sale in a premier area of Southsea. Our family having fled the nest, we are selling after a happy 24 years,

with no chain!

All those years ago, we thought the house might be 10% overpriced until we walked through the door and decided to buy in 20 seconds. The house is end-of-terrace located close to the sea front in a quiet road. It has 3 double bedrooms and a garage, with a paved patio garden with raised flowerbeds and mature shrubs – ideal for barbecues. This area of Southsea is a “much sought-after premier location”.

It is a short bicycle ride (or drive) to Southsea Marina, should you have a yacht to "park"

The house being built in 1906, we have done what Estate Agents might describe as “updating with care” over recent years. Really it is not “updating” at all but restoration of “faded grandeur”. An unusual amount of “original features” survived to be renovated - fireplaces, ceiling roses, coving and the like, mostly in good condition. There are; a Lounge (or, if you prefer to be pretentious, “Drawing Room”) a splendid Dining Room and three double bedrooms, Kitchen and proper Larder and Bathroom as discussed below. The Lounge and Dining Room have 9'6” ceilings.

What are the special features which make it such a happy house?

Firstly, the location of course, in a lovely area of town just off the sea front, which has become ever more “posh” over the years. Then the house is unusually light, being end of terrace with lots of windows facing East and South. There are delightful spacious views from the bedroom windows in particular. Then there is something rather unusual – all the rooms are separated by stairs or corridors. So, Wagner in the lounge and Heavy Metal in our son's bedroom – no problem! The house is definitely Dinner Gong territory.

The separate garage was fully rebuilt a few years ago and is currently used as a study/garden room, but could be returned to use as a garage in a morning.

Come and have a look. In EstateAgent-ese, “Viewing is highly recommended.”

ACCOMODATION

Let's start with what is common to all the rooms. There is gas-fired central heating (boiler replaced recently) throughout and fitted carpeting in all the rooms except the Kitchen and Larder. Woodwork, ceiling roses and coving are original as are the fireplaces, except for the Dining Room which has a “tasteful replacement”.

So …………………………..

ENTRANCE HALL
4.86m x 1.86m (16' x 6'1) There is the staircase to the first floor, doors to the Lounge and Dining Room and the first of our corridors run to the kitchen, dinner gong and back door. There is space under the stairs for hanging coats etc., and an understairs cupboard.

LOUNGE (“Drawing Room”, Mr Pooter?)
4.86m x 4.61 (15'11 x 15'2) into the bay with original/rebuilt sash windows and stained glass to the top lights. Big lovely black slate fireplace with “so-so” modern tiles and a gas coal effect fire, two radiators, and phone point. This is an absolutely lovely room, which we hardly use now. Orchids and cats, amongst other things, are not included.

DINING ROOM
3.87m x 3.39 (12'8 x 11'7) The original sash window (jammed) looks East. There is an original built-in corner cupboard with two glazed doors, a radiator and a fireplace with a gas fire, seldom used. A lovely room again, which doubles as a library and gallery for some of our paintings and china collection.

KITCHEN
3.61m x 2.70m (11'10 x 8'10) Double glazed window facing East, a range of wood effect wall and base units, some nice wall tiling and useful shelves. There is a breakfast counter with space for stools and cats under, plumbing for washing machine and dish washer, space and connections for a gas cooker. There is a stainless steel sink & drainer under the window. The gas combi boiler on the wall is a recent Vaillant.

NORTH-FACING WALK-IN LARDER
1.72m x 1.41m (5'8 x 4'7) There is a North facing window and wooden storage shelves. There is space for a fridge, freezer and tumble dryer. Since it is North facing and has no radiator, shut the door and it is cool, saving refrigeration costs (very “Green”, and I happen to be Scottish).

FIRST FLOOR
Stairs rise in a 15'1 x 5'11 stairwell to a landing with East facing double glazed window, so it is lovely and light again. It is excellent as an Art Gallery, but it is a long way up to paint all the walls and ceiling.

BEDROOM (1) (Above Lounge)
4.84m x 4.61m (15'10 x 15'2) into the bay with original/rebuilt sash windows and a nice original fire place, this time with original Art Neuveau tiles. The ceiling rose is splendid, but was a devil to paint.

BEDROOM (2) (Above Dining Room)
3.87m x 3.39m. (12'8 x 117) There is an East facing sash window, a built-in cupboard, and the original fire place is cast iron also with original tiles. No ceiling rose, and never was. This is the room infested by our son when he is home from Uni.

BEDROOM (3)
3.922m x 2.71m (12'10 x 8'11) There is another East facing double glazed window and another original cast iron fire place with original tiles. This is a useful guest room as it is next to the bathroom and at the other end of one of corridors from Bedroom 1. This room requires ffffff on the dinner gong. We have a convention that Beethoven 5 on the gong means dinner, but this room requires something very loud from Wagner if guests are to hear anything from the kitchen.

BATHROOM
2.47m x 1.68m (8'1 x 5'6) There are two East facing double glazed windows, white suite with shower mixer tap to bath, radiator, tiled walls around the bath. It is time to update this room, but I think it best to leave this to the taste of YOU, the new owner.

From the hall you can climb to the…
LOFT (WITH CONVERSION POSSIBILITIES).
This is mostly boarded and full of junk (We can't throw away that Kenwood Chef we had as a wedding present my dear! Our friend, Professor Collie designed the damned thing 50 years ago!). It has a skylight, lighting and folding ladder. HOWEVER, we once had an architect look at the loft for conversion possibilities and with dormer windows it could become an elegant double bedroom with ensuite bathroom/shower room. The existing staircase could be expanded in style with the angle OK for building regulations.

ANOTHER POSSIBILITY
Although there is no cellar as far as we know, houses across the road do have ample cellars. We were told by the previous owner that, when rewiring, it was found that there was standing headroom below much of the house and there may even be a boarded-up trapdoor, so there!

So, maybe when you come to sell, you could be advertising "A 4 double bedroom plus cellar and garage property for sale in a premier area of Southsea".

CONSERVATORY (Access via a door near the dinner gong)
2.57m. x 1.89m. (8'5 x 6'2) with strong plastic laminate roof, glazed door to garden and brick walls to three sides. All rebuilt and properly glued and screwed by present (retired accountant) owner.

OUTSIDE AREA/ GARDEN
The rear garden with laid slabs, has raised flower beds with mature shrubs, outside toilet and storage cupboard (old coal bunker) and an aviary, currently with a few geriatric budgies which we will remove (or maybe release!). There is a side pedestrian gate to Chitty Road and a door into…….

The GARAGE (Gosh!!!!)
4.06m. x 2.58m. (13'4 x 8"5) Garages are extremely rare beasts in Southsea – the yetis of the South Coast. This is currently used as a study/garden room, as we always tended to have 3 litre gas-guzzlers in the past. It has been dry lined, and has 3 ceiling spot lights, and power points all over the place. It is carpeted but has a proper concrete floor and wooden doors and is designed to be easily converted back into a garage “just like that!”. The dropped pavement is not currently painted, but this can be done for a small (!!!) fee to the Council.

Ron and Rosemary
ronkeay@hotmail.com
rkeay1@hotmail.com
skype: ronkeay