Surrenden Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1

GUIDE PRICE: £1,250,000--£1,350,000.

INTERNAL VIEWINGS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.



Live the dream in this sun-lit, four bedroom sanctuary, immersed in its own beautiful grounds which wrap around to the south where a two storey eco- build designed by renowned architect Anil Barnes is used as a soundproof music room and a workshop – but could fulfil many other roles. Built in 1947 the main house has been sympathetically extended and improved to deliver a relaxed lifestyle with a social flow, whilst access to a quiet unmade lane behind raises interesting possibilities of off street parking, stnc. With the station and direct trains to Gatwick and London an easy walk or 4 mins by cab, this exclusive location has good primary and secondary schools within a 4 minute radius, the tennis courts, playground and country walks of Hollingbury Park are a 2 minute stroll whilst Preston Park’s sports facilities, playground, cafés and shops as well as the al fresco Fiveways are a swift, 4 minute drive.

Inside, the spacious living dining room with a quiet home office/crafts area tucked away is an inviting refuge in every season; a wall of glass folds away to a sun deck and garden views during summer, and there’s a sleek Stovax fireplace for winter. An environmentally sensitive Ritchlite kitchen (with a separate utility) brings high end, energy efficient appliances and recycled paper surfaces into the heart of the home and leads to a boot room by the side path which has ample space for buggies, bags and sports kits – and there is also a chic guest cloakroom on this level. Upstairs, three peaceful family bedrooms enjoy a wet room with a designer finish and the principal bedroom, en-suite, has a spectacular view which spills over gardens to the sea. On the cusp of Preston Park and Fiveways, both given a top spot in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide, this prestigious leafy road is between the Ditchling and London Roads which both connect you to the countryside and A23/A27 for the Amex Stadium, universities and M23, or takes you straight to the centre of the city and its beaches within minutes.


Style Detached house, 1947, extended and improved with 2 storey 2019 eco annexe with warranty
Type 4 bedrooms: 3 double + 1 generous single, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite) + cloakroom, living dining room, craft room/home office, kitchen, utility, boot room, attic
Area Surrenden
Floor Area 2299 sq.ft.
Outside Space Extensive landscaped gardens at the front and back with architect designed annexe
Parking Plentiful permit parking, zone 10
Council Tax Band F

Why you’ll like it:
Introduction:
Lined with prosperous detached homes this leafy road with its wide, protected acres of grass verges is in one of the most exclusive areas of the city where properties do not appear on the market often. On a hillside with uninterrupted light and expansive views to the sea from the top which change with the seasons, sensitive improvements to this long-term, happy home include energy efficient windows, seamless extensions for a contemporary lifestyle and high calibre craftmanship to create a fabulous property where a deceptively simple flow masks a skilled commitment to practical function – and energy management. With an astonishing 2299 square feet, or 213.5m2 in which to spread your wings over the two detached buildings, the clean lines of the main house are accentuated by glass to bring the beautiful gardens into the heart of the home with interiors designed by Denis Robbins of Adrian Robbins Interiors - and we will come to the annexe later!

The Entrance Hall, Utility, Kitchen and Boot Room:
Through a beautiful front garden full of butterflies, a front door opens to a porch designed to keep the house private from casual callers where an original leaded door opens to a large entrance hall with both a chic cloakroom with fashionable Cole & Son wallpaper, and a big utility room/store tucked away, so sports kits can go straight into the machine.

Ahead, the spacious kitchen is a delicious taste of skilled design, with an ingenious storage area with a deep larder and designated space for a fridge freezer by the living dining room for easy entertaining, which flows into a bright, practical working space of 16’4 x 14’6 (4.98m x 4.42m) beneath electric skylights and lined with windows. Recently installed, the eco-sensitive Richlite kitchen surfaces mellow with time, the ply and steel units deliver sophisticated storage and high spec, energy efficient appliances include an AEG touch induction hob and hood, an AEG combi oven plus an oven with a warming tray, a Bosch dishwasher and a wine cooler.

There’s an easy sweep into a spacious boot room with yet more storage and access to the side path, and larger than some kitchens at 10’8 x 6’6 (3.24m x 1.98m) there is ample space for buggies, boots and bags.

The Living Dining Room, Home Office/Craft Room and Garden:
Beneath a bank of vaulted skylights with a wall of glass which folds away to the glory of the garden, the stunning living/dining room delivers 30’0 x 21’10 (9.16m x 6.65m) of sophisticated, sociable space to enjoy where your guests can relax in complete and rare seclusion by a fabulous Stovax fireplace. Great design leads to effortless living and tucked away to one side there is a light and airy home office/craft room with 7’2 x 6’4 (2.18m x 1.92m) which would also be the perfect place for children of any age to complete assignments whilst supper is cooked.

Outside, a broad, south facing sun deck runs across the full width of the house with space for stylish al fresco dining and is level with the house – a feature hard to find in a city built on hills. The free-flowing nature of the design inside continues outside, with the plants growing in the cedar greenhouse (=no maintenance) visible at one end of the deck but reached from the lower level, where the exuberant garden bursts into flower and fruit with both shaded and sunny spots. Child and pet secure, the garden nestles around the new build and culminate in a private seating area with a small wildlife pond fed by rainwater at the far end, where the gate leads to the unmade lane behind and the shed could be moved up a little to create generous off street parking.

The Two Storey Annexe:
Conceived by the owner as a sophisticated, soundproof music room with great acoustics, air conditioning to maintain a constant temperature for the grand piano and rain-sensor motorized skylights, and a companion workshop beneath for fine tuning other instruments, the design of this unique, two storey building was entrusted to respected local architect Anil Barnes who also maximized the light and enjoyment of the unique, private setting which spills to the sea. An inventive collaboration with the dream team at Bright Green Homes in consultation with Indigo Design Architects delivers an eco-sensitive build with a high sustainability code and a ground floor of 232 sq. ft. (21.6m2) and a lower floor with a cloakroom – at garden level – of 232 sq.ft. (21.6m2)

Three First Floor Family Bedrooms, Luxury Bathroom and Principal En-Suite:
Up beneath a skylight, all the bedrooms radiate from a central landing with an airing cupboard and access to a large attic. Spanning from front to back, the first of the double bedrooms, nicknamed the dorm as friends were always staying over, is an airy refuge with a glimmer of sea.

At the front, the second big bedroom is peaceful and private looking over the broad leafy avenue with its special protected wide grass verges and next door, a family shower room is wet room in style with high end fittings and a designer finish whilst completely private at the far end, the principal bedroom is blissfully quiet, absolutely private and a dream come true with fitted wardrobes which have made use of leaded doors original to the building, and a state of the art en-suite with high end Villeroy & Boch fittings and by it, at the heart of this level, a generous single room is a quiet, comfortable nursery with garden views.

Agent says:
“Balancing a leafy setting on the ground floor with open views from every bedroom, this private family friendly home is on an exceptionally large plot with popular primary schools and secondary schools within walking distance, and swift access to the city, the station, the National Park and the sea.”

Owner’s secret:
“We love seeing the sea in the morning from the bedroom, enjoying the garden and good company on the sundeck, and the quietude as there is no traffic directly in front or behind. Full of light, the relaxed, easy flow inside was perfect for our growing family and for entertaining. Our dream was to create a music room which nestled in the scented garden which we both created and although we are ready for our next step, we shall miss both – but hope that you will enjoy them as much as we have. We are surrounded by parks with shops, cafes and countryside nearby, with easy access to the city and the sea, (and bus routes for the older children) we actually enjoyed being able to stay at home together at the weekends.”

What’s around you:
Shops: 4 minutes to Fiveways and to Sainsbury’s at Preston Village
Train Station: Preston Park Station 4 minutes by cab, about 25 on foot downhill!
Seafront or Park: Hollingbury Park with woodland walks, playground and tennis courts 2 mins walk, Withdean Park 2 mins by car, Preston Park 4, sea about 10 mins
Closest schools:
Primary: Balfour, The Downs Infant School, The Downs Junior School
Secondary: Varndean, Dorothy Stringer, Downs View Link College
6th form: Varndean, BHASVIC, MET
Private: Brighton College, Brighton & Hove High, Windlesham, Lancing Prep, Lancing (all have buses)

This prestigious location between Preston Park Village and the al fresco lifestyle of Fiveways – both given top spots by the Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide - is just a short walk from the countryside walks of Hollingbury Park and Woods and only a short drive from the 63 acres of Preston Park which has football pitches, basketball courts, tennis courts, cycle velodrome, café and open spaces hosting arts events during our legendary festivals. Both the beach and the South Downs National Park are quick to get to and you have the best of all worlds with the vibrant arts venues, international restaurants and famous shopping of the city all easy to reach, as well as good local primary and secondary schools within a 4 minute radius. For those who need rapid and regular access to Gatwick, London or Lewes, Preston Park Station is 4 minutes by cab and there’s swift access to the A23/A27.