Beauchamps, WELWYN GARDEN CITY

From their home on the fringes of Welwyn Garden City, the owners of Beauchamps enjoy the best of all worlds. They can head into town, where they have shops, restaurants and leisure amenities at their fingertips, or they can head off on a cycle ride or walk and be in green, open space within a matter of minutes. “We are very lucky here,” one of them suggests. “We have good access to the A1 as we are close to the outside of town and yet we can also walk into the centre of Welwyn Garden City in half an hour to reach the shops or train station.” He adds: “The National Cycle Route 61 runs through the park right next to the house. This goes to Hertford, where you can then get on the River Lea towpath and cycle all the way down to the River Thames, coming out opposite the O2 arena.”

NATURAL LIGHT
It was over seven years ago now that they bought the appealing, red-brick property, which is thought to be 20 years old and had a traditional-style exterior. “It was the first home we bought together,” he recalls. “We liked it as soon as we saw it from the outside – it had an abundance of kerb appeal and was tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac, which felt very safe.” Inside, the four-bedroom house offered three storeys of bright, contemporary accommodation. “It felt very spacious as we walked from room to room – it was very light throughout and we loved the en-suite master bedroom up on the second floor.”

STYLISH FINISH

Since arriving at the property, the owners have ensured it has remained well maintained and well presented. “It still feels and looks quite new and up to date,” he says. “We had the en suite shower room upgraded a few years ago, with a new rainhead shower and tiling etc, to bring it up to modern specifications. We replaced the kitchen floor and have redecorated, but the property was in great condition when we moved in and we have retained the same colour scheme. We have simply added our own personal touches, with furnishings and accessories; this also means it will be very easy for someone else to move into.”

FLEXIBLE LIVING

The house is set back from the road by a small gravel garden and a driveway leading to the garage. It is entered via a porch and then a hall with access to a ground-floor cloakroom and the main living space. The sitting room, where there is ample space for friends and family to gather, is to the front. Double doors from here open into the generous kitchen dining room, which has been cleverly designed to offer plenty of room for food preparation and storage, as well as a table and chairs. French windows open on to the garden. “We like being able to choose whether to have two separate rooms or one larger open-plan kitchen area. We can open the whole of the downstairs up across both rooms to make it feel spacious or close the doors to keep the areas separate.”

SUMMER AND WINTER
Three of the bedrooms are at first-floor level, together with the family bathroom. The sumptuous master bedroom, with its en suite shower room and built-in wardrobe, is on the top floor. The arrangement could suit owners with older or younger children and would also work well for anyone who enjoyed having visitors to stay. “The layout has worked very well for us,” he agrees. “This is a comfortable home for family living and entertaining all year round. In winter, it is warm; in summer, we love spending time in the garden. We have enjoyed creating a sociable outdoor space that accommodates us and our children. It is nice to have the French windows open, making it easy to have friends round for an evening barbecue when the weather is fine.”

A SPECIAL PLACE

The owners have enjoyed the well-balanced lifestyle the Beauchamps house has provided them with. “We have a supermarket just five minutes’ walk away and the leisure centre is great for children and adults who are sporty. We are close to highly regarded towns, such as Hertford and St Albans. We also especially like having green spaces, including the park next to us, nearby. Panshanger Park and Stanborough Park are both easy to reach and are beautiful places to relax,” he says. “We are sad to be leaving Beauchamps but it is time to move on to something new. We will miss the house, which feels so homely, and the road itself, where everyone looks out for each other and there is a wonderful community spirit.”

SETTING THE SCENE

The house on Beauchamps has a driveway and garage that are accessed from the front. To the rear, there is an enclosed family garden, with a lawn for children to play on and a terrace for outside entertaining and relaxation. “We added the sleepers and built a bench, which is great to sit on after work,” the owner says. “We can unwind out here and soak up the sun until around 8pm on the summer evenings.”

“We are very lucky here. We have good access to the A1 as we are close to the outside of town and yet we can also walk into the centre of Welwyn Garden City in half an hour.”

“The National Cycle Route 61 runs through the park right next to the house. This goes to Hertford, where you can then get on the River Lea towpath and cycle to the River Thames.”

“We liked it as soon as we saw it from the outside – it had an abundance of kerb appeal and was tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac, which felt very safe.”

“It felt very spacious as we walked from room to room.”

“It was very light throughout and we loved the en-suite master bedroom up on the second floor.”

“It still feels and looks quite new and up to date.”

“We have simply added our own personal touches, with furnishings and accessories; this also means it will be very easy for someone else to move into.”

“We like being able to choose whether to have two separate rooms or one larger open-plan kitchen area.”

“We can open the whole of the downstairs up across both rooms to make it feel spacious or close the doors to keep the areas separate.”

“The layout has worked very well for us.”

“This is a comfortable home for family living and entertaining all year round. In winter, it is warm; in summer, we love spending time in the garden.”

“It is nice to have the French windows open, making it easy to have friends round for an evening barbecue when the weather is fine.”
“We especially like having green spaces, including the park next to us, nearby. Panshanger Park and Stanborough Park are both easy to reach and are beautiful places to relax.”

“We will miss the house, which feels so homely, and the road itself, where everyone looks out for each other and there is a wonderful community spirit.”

“We added the sleepers and built a bench in the garden, which is great to sit on after work. We can unwind out here and soak up the sun until around 8pm on the summer evenings.”