Hill Drive, Hove

* Guide Price £1,000,000 - £1,100,000 *

Perched on the hill in unarguably the most prestigious location in Brighton & Hove, this substantial semi-detached four-bedroom, two-bathroom house is surrounded by greenery offering a peaceful retreat for families looking to live close to town and country. Tree lined roads flanked with grand houses on generous plots have come to characterise the area between Hove Park and Dyke Road Avenue, with this house sitting centrally to the area. It is impressive on approach with a tall, hung-tiled gable and a graceful weeping silver birch tree on the drive. To the rear, the garden is south facing with mature borders around a lush green lawn, where tucked away sits generous outbuilding providing the ideal space for working from home or for hobbies and games. To the front there is parking for several cars with space for another in the integrated garage which could also be ripe for conversion.

It has been modernised throughout with an immaculate finish, yet there remains plenty of scope to add value, or simply put your own stamp on the place, with further renovation and extension– although it is a sizable home as it stands. It boasts two large reception rooms making it ideal for both family time and sophisticated entertaining, feeling immediately homely.

Quintessential for the period, homes of the 1940s were built with space, light and the family in mind, so generous proportions, social spaces and the all-important garage and driveway were a must. Stepping inside, the hallway is wide and welcoming with gleaming wood floors, fresh buttermilk walls and a turning timber staircase with butterfly landing rising to the first floor. There is a ground floor WC – an essential in any shared space and access through a cloakroom to the garage.

From the front door, your line of sight takes you through the depth of the house, through the glamourous kitchen to the garden beyond. Open plan and spacious, the kitchen breakfast room forms another sociable space for families to eat and talk around a kitchen table, which can spill outside for summer soirees. Fine quality wood cabinetry provides plenty of storage solutions alongside integrated appliances, paired with dark granite worksurfaces which form the island worktop, ideal for food preparation. The utility room is usefully separate to keep the sound of the washing machine and dryer away from the main living areas.

The formal sitting room and dining room span the depth of the building with a second set of doors opening to the garden, so the entire ground floor has a lovely sense of flow during the warmer seasons when entertaining. Glazed timber doors can divide the room when needed, so the sitting room becomes a cosy space during winter.

South facing and abundant with mature trees and flowers, the garden is a tranquil oasis throughout the year. Stone steps rise centrally to the main lawn which is a fine size for children to play. It is not overlooked, and the patio is a fine size for dining alfresco. To the rear, the outbuilding is a timber framed structure providing over 22 sq. m. of versatile space to suit any family’s needs.

Returning inside, a wide turning timber staircase rises to the first floor here there are four double bedrooms to include the principal bedroom suite, and the family bathroom. All four bedrooms have soft carpet underfoot and an immaculate, neutral palette on the walls to suit all styles of furnishing. The principal bedroom suite has a large dressing room with ample clothes and shoe storage for two alongside a travertine mosaic tiled shower room en suite, while the remaining three bedrooms share use of the family bathroom, lined in sandy porcelain tiles around a roomy white bath suite.

There remains huge potential to extend into the loft, where the bedrooms would enjoy far reaching views across the city to the sea in the south.

Vendor's Comments - “This has been our very happy home for seventeen years, but now there are just two of us here it’s time to downsize. We’ve hosted four generations of the family to lovely parties, there’s so much space to enjoy with the patio and garden, and to drift in and out of the house. It’s everyone’s favourite venue! I shall miss our lovely neighbours, waking up to birdsong every morning, and walking in Hove Park. We plan not to move too far away so that I can still do all my shopping at the wonderful Waitrose across the park!”

Where It Is: - Shops: Local 5 min walk, city centre 10-15 min bus ride
Train Station: Preston Park Station/Hove Station 15-20 min walk
Seafront or Park: Hove Park 10 min walk, seafront 10 min drive

Closest Schools: - Primary: Westdean Primary School
Secondary: Hove Park, Blatchington Mill, Cardinal Newman RC
Private: Brighton College, Windlesham Prep, Lancing Prep

Good To Know: - Perfectly positioned in the catchment for several high-achieving primary, secondary and private schools; with Preston Park and Hove Stations just a 15-minute walk away, and the A23/A27 just moments away by car, you remain well connected to the city and beyond.

For dog walking, rambling, cycling and anyone with a love of the great outdoors, the South Downs National Park is within walking distance, or several beauty spots are just a short drive away, as is the Dyke Golf Club and some of the cleanest beaches on the South Coast, giving you the best of all worlds.