5 Bed Detached House, Planning Permission, Lewes, BN8 4BN £975,000

Next to the living room is the office/playroom/family/dining room which faces the front of the house. My clients currently have this set up as a home office, however this room could also be used as a playroom, family room or even as a dining room if desired. There are fitted wooden plantation shutters in the window of this room which provide privacy and replace the need to have curtains.

Back into the hallway is the Kitchen/Dining/Family Room which measures 21ft x 18ft. It is a wonderfully light room with a large window facing the South West rear, another window facing the side, and large glazed patio doors which open out onto the garden. The dining area has wooden laminate flooring, and is large enough for a range of dining room furniture including a dining room table that could seat up to eight people. The kitchen consists of; black floor tiles, recessed spotlights, cream high gloss soft close wall and base units with undercounter lights, black speckled solid granite work surfaces, one and a half bowl sink unit, built in double wine fridge, integrated appliances which include; fridge, freezer, dishwasher, AEG oven, AEG microwave/combi oven and AEG induction hob. The kitchen has a door which leads into the utility room. The utility room has a window facing the front and consists of; cream floor tiles, black work surfaces, base cupboard units, sink and drainer, plumbing and space for a washing machine, and space for a tumble dryer. There is another window which looks onto, and a glazed door that opens into, a small fully glazed back porch, which has an internal door to the double garage, and door out to the rear garden. This rear porch has proven to my clients to be a very useful boot room and space for their dog to come into after a walk with it linking directly with the utility room.

My clients have recently extended behind the garage to create an incredible 16ft x 14ft home office. It has a picture window with uninterrupted views over the field and woodland beyond, and double patio doors which open out onto the private rear garden. It is fully kitted out with spotlights, power points and has full internet connectivity. Although my clients use it as a home office, it could easily provide the use as a playroom, family room, studio, games room or the perfect teenage den. Because the room has a pathway which leads to the side of the house and through the side gate back onto the driveway, it could mean that you could run a business from this space with clients being able to come and go without having to interact with the rest of the house. My clients had planning permission granted to build a second storey on top of the existing structure but decided not to do this. More information about this can be found under the heading ‘permission to extend granted’ further down the page.

Stairs rise from the hallway to the first floor. Up on the first floor landing can be found five bedrooms, en suite shower room and the family bathroom. There is a long thin window located in the stairwell which floods the stairs and upstairs landing with plenty of natural daylight. On the landing there is a large linen cupboard with storage shelves and the hot water tank. There is also another large double cupboard on the landing providing plenty of storage options. Bedroom 1 is a good size double bedroom with two built in double wardrobes, and a large window with built in wooden plantation shutters providing lovely views over the field and woodland behind the house. The en-suite shower room to this bedroom consists of; underfloor heating, frosted window to the side, recessed spotlights, tiled flooring, wash hand basin, WC and glass shower cubicle.

Bedroom 2 faces the rear with built in plantation shutters in the window and a double wardrobe. Bedroom 3 faces the front, again with the plantation shutters, and a double built in wardrobe. Bedroom 4 is a double bedroom which has wood laminate flooring and a window overlooking the rear garden again with the plantation shutters. Bedroom 5 is a good size and would fit a double bed. It also has wooden laminate flooring and orientates over the rear garden, field and woodland with the plantation shutters.

The family bathroom is modern and well appointed with a frosted window to the front, cream floor tiles, chrome heated towel rail, part tiles walls, recessed spotlights, wash hand basin with vanity cupboard under, WC, and a P-shaped bath with mixer taps and a shower over.

Outside

To the front of the house is a block paved driveway which provides off road parking for five vehicles. There is a lawned area in front of the house flanked by a stone pathway leading to the front door. There is also an over-sized side gate from the driveway which leads to the side of the house and onto the rear garden. The oversized side gate enables large appliances / equipment to access the house and garden.

The double garage measures 18ft x 17ft and has two separate up and over doors. The garage has power and light with fantastic storage in the roof voids. It has been split into two by my clients with a stud partition wall separating the two areas. This partition wall could easily be removed if desired. My clients use one half of the garage as storage and the other half as a gym. This space could also be used as a hobby room or games room. Subject to planning the garage could also be potentially converted into a separate self contained annexe or another reception room. This could then be further incorporated with the office / family / games room behind if desired.

There is a 19ft x 8ft substantial timber framed gazebo with external power in the bottom corner of the garden. This space has a sturdy roof which makes this a perfect space for alfresco dining and entertaining whatever the weather.
There are three sheds in the garden which provide extra storage, and a covered log store. The garden is laid to lawn which is flat and perfect for children who want a football goal or a trampoline.

Agents note

The house backs onto a field at the bottom of the garden, which in turn overlooks woodland beyond. There are various public footpaths which radiate directly from the house (within a few hundred yards) which link directly onto open countryside. If you are looking for a semi-rural lifestyle with walks and cycling on your doorstep, then this property genuinely is one to consider. One public footpath in particular runs a few doors down from my clients house which links into the woodland that can be seen from the rear of the property. This is a particular favourite for my clients who often walk their dog over this footpath into this woodland and plentiful open countryside beyond.

All four of the five bedrooms, and the main reception rooms all look out onto this rare uninterrupted view over this rear field and woodland beyond. The house is far away from the A275, so there is no road noise that can be heard in the house nor in the rear garden. This house possesses a unique blend of privacy, seclusion and tranquillity, which is a rare quality that needs to be viewed to be appreciated.

Permission to extend granted

As of 2014, my clients have been granted full planning permission for a rear extension to be built off the rear of the existing garage. They have, to date, built this extension abiding by the councils pre-approved plans and advisories. This has transformed their home into now providing a wonderful home working space. Within the plans for the planning permission my clients were approved a second storey to this extended space. There were further plans drawn up for this second storey to continue into the roof line of the garage. My clients however decided that the single storey extension was enough for them. There is therefore an opportunity if desired to further extend this space, creating perhaps even a self-contained double storey extension for a relative to live in.

More details on this (including plans) can be provided by the agent.

Location

Chailey is a village and parish in the Lewes District. The parish consists of the settlements; South Chailey, South Street, Chailey and North Chailey.

It is surrounded by Chailey Common Nature Reserve and has footpaths and bridleways linking with the neighbouring districts and provides good access by road to a number of the surrounding towns.

South Chailey has a Jempsons convenience store and Post Office which is only a 2 minute drive and a 15 minute walk.

North Chailey has a Shell petrol station with a Londis convenience shop about a 5 minute drive away from the property.

Also in Chailey there is a very good historic pub called The Five Bells (3 minute drive and a 15-minute walk from the property) which serves local ales and offering a great varied food menu. It is an old coaching house dating back many hundred of years. It has everything you could wish for in a country pub, including; a log fire, cosy bar area, delightful gardens and a well equipped restaurant.

The Rainbow pub and carvery in Cooksbridge is only a 3 minute drive away or a 45-minute drive. Further along again on the A275 is the historic town of Lewes with all of its pubs, restaurants and shops which is only a 11-minute drive down the A275 from the house.

Schools

There are two schools in the village of Chailey: Chailey St Peters Primary School in North Chailey (1.8 miles away, a 4-minute drive or a 40 minute walk) and Chailey Secondary School in South Chailey itself (0.6 miles away, a 12-minute walk or a 2-minute drive).

There is a variety of other excellent schools in the local area, both state and independent. Newick primary CofE school is just 3.5 miles away, Fletching CofE, and St Augustines CofE School in Scaynes Hill are both within 6 miles. Uckfield secondary school and sixth form college is only 8.5 miles away. The independent Cumnor House and Great Walstead schools are also a short drive away. Oathall Community College (7.8 miles away) is a popular state secondary school and Haywards Heath further education college is only 8.6 miles away. Regular bus services run on the A272 to these schools and colleges.

Transport links

Cooksbridge mainline train station is only a 4-minutes away by car with services to Lewes and London.

There is also bus number 121 which runs between Uckfield and Lewes. There are bus stops in Newick and South Chailey on this route.

Haywards Heath mainline railway station with its fast services to London Bridge/Victoria/St. Pancras (journey time from 42 minutes) is 8 miles (18-minutes drive) from the house. The property is well positioned to three of the main local roads links; the A272 (2.7 miles) the A22 (10 miles) and the A27 (5.6 miles). Brighton with all of its many amenities and attractions is 12 miles away and Crawley is also only 20 miles away. Gatwick airport can be reached in around 35 minutes.

Although it may seem as if South Chailey is quite remote, it is only an 10 – 15- minute drive to the towns of Lewes, Haywards Heath Uckfield. All of these towns have mainline train links to London and Brighton, each with an array of different supermarkets, shops, restaurants and nightlife.

Come and have a look around this fantastic property, and you will experience its wonderful charm and see its potential as a versatile family home. Modern life is always changing - this home can change with you, and give you the perfect balance of countryside living whilst being a short distance from a thriving village and all its conveniences, both well and truly on your doorstep.