Crystal Palace Park Road, London, SE26

A rather special two double bedroom flat on the raised ground floor of a magnificent period building backing onto Crystal Palace Park. Boasting high ceilings, huge windows, voluminous rooms, a quality interior, a utility room, a share of freehold, a communal garden, and off-street parking, this flat ticks all the boxes!

This prime flat sits at the southeast tip of Crystal Palace Park, which puts Crystal Palace, Penge & Sydenham within very easy reach, but it’s not the location you’ll fall in love with here; it’s the breathtaking living room, the insanely beautiful façade of the building, the size of the rooms and the quality of the interior. Flats like this rarely come to market, and this one is beautifully presented. It has charm in abundance, and there’s kerb appeal due to the building’s sheer size and handsome style.

The reception room has high ceilings, creating an incredibly grand and voluminous space; they’re 3.33 metres high, and they give the room that feeling of space that no newer property can ever recreate. There’s a pretty bay window with stunning double-glazed windows, which our client recently invested a huge amount of money in. Windows may feel like a dull subject, but windows of this size, when single-glazed, do not make for that comfortable a flat. These are in keeping with the shape and size of the original windows, so they retain the original charm. Also, it’s worth mentioning they face east, so you’ll get magnificent light in the morning as the sun rises.

There are characterful original features blended with modern finishes throughout to create a contemporary home that respects its heritage. The reception, in particular, brilliantly combines new and old to create a warm, inviting space that you’ll love spending time in. The kitchen’s modern lines contrast nicely against the period cornicing and the marble fireplace; its simplicity feels purposeful so as not to detract from the room's original features.

The kitchen is well appointed, with a large amount of solid worktop space, there’s an integrated dishwasher, washing machine and the coveted gas hob. Storage is plentiful above and below the countertops, and a large full-size fridge stands at the end of the kitchen.

Adjacent to the reception is a large bathroom, which has a lux vibe, especially given its high-end finish and the exceptional ceiling height of the room. There is a large bath and a separate walk-in shower, and the walls are partially tiled with sand colour tiles which match the floor tiles.

To the rear, overlooking the garden, are the two double bedrooms; there is a bit of a disparity in size between the rooms, but only as the principal bedroom is such an epic room. It has 3.5m tall ceilings and a vast window (new & double glazed) that frames the garden and park view. Also worth mentioning, it has impressive integrated wardrobe space, which frees up floor space for other furniture, or allows you to have a more minimalist approach to furnishing.

The second room is a generous-sized double room by anyone’s standards and has the same garden and park view through another tall, west-facing new double-glazed window, the afternoon into evening sun would make this a great work-from-home space. There is a full-height built-in bookcase against one wall; some may want to reclaim the space it occupies, and if removed it would make the room a lot bigger, but it could also be adapted to create a wardrobe to include hanging space.

Rather unusually for a two-bedroom flat, there is a utility room! It is positioned between the two bedrooms and offers an abundance of storage, and owing to the ceiling height, it can store an inordinate amount of things!  

The communal garden has a western aspect but will actually get the sun in sections of it all day - the rear gets the morning sun from the east, and during the day, the southern sun will pour into the middle, then in the late afternoon into the evening, pretty much all of the garden gets the western sun.

Tenure-wise, the flat has a share of freehold and the current owner is kindly extending the lease at present, so the flat will be sold with a fresh lease and a share of freehold. The service charge is a very reasonable £1600 PA, and the co-freeholders have employed a managing agent to run the building, and, of course, as this flat has a share of freehold, there is no ground rent.

Location-wise, the flat is 230 ft from the Park entrance (approx. 1 min walk, if that), with the nearest part of the park being the boating lake and Dinosaurs. This also puts the fabulous Brown & Green café basically in your back garden, so working from home will be a joy, as will lazy weekends where you can enjoy being catered for. The coffee is fab, and the food is proper, too! The other massive benefit to being in this corner of the park, especially if you’re a foodie, is the food market, which operates every Sunday. There’s a diverse mix of street food on offer, and some deli-style artisan stands, too; luckily, most traders accept cards, so maybe it’s time to invest in some new running shoes!

Penge West Station is 0.3 mi away, or a 3 mins walk according to Google Maps, this gives you ultra-easy access to the overground, putting Shoreditch High St, the East and Highbury & Islington within very easy reach. During peak hours, there are direct trains to London Bridge, giving you a door-to-door journey in about 25 minutes.

Penge East is also close by, at only 0.4 mi, which is an eight-minute walk. If timed correctly, you can leave the flat, be on a train and get into Victoria in 28 mins door to door!

Crystal Palace Station is 0.6 mi away, or a 14 min walk through the park and gives direct access to London Bridge as well as Victoria (via Forest Hill); having multiple station options within easy reach is a real asset of this location.

Sydenham High St is close by, as is Penge High St, where you can find gems such as the General Store, a quaint deli and supplies store. There’s Craft Metropolis for our local craft beer lovers and, of course, the Bridge House pub; this charming split-level gastro pub, is super welcoming and hosts comedy nights, quiz nights and has a lovely beer garden, the food there is lovely, too, and best of all it’s within staggering distance of the flat! Anerley Road is only 0.7 mi away, where you will find Café Chic, Bob Wines, and a few other incredible places you’ll love living next door to, such as the beloved Chatsworth Bakehouse, where locals queue for Tom & Sian’s insanely good sandwiches, focaccia, brownies & pizzas.

Slightly further up the hill, On the Triangle, you are spoilt for choice with restaurants, pubs, brilliant eateries, and even an Everyman Cinema. There are galleries, a yoga school, and a variety of coffee shops, from the indie artisanal variety to the bigger chains (café Nero, not the other one!), it’s worth mentioning that most shops in the Triangle are indies, and this is something we are all rightly proud of.

Crystal Palace has two Food Markets, one on Haynes Lane, which operates every Saturday, offering the best from small sustainable farmers and local food producers; think of it as a local Borough Market with a distinct Crystal Palace vibe, and the other we mentioned above, is just literally behind the flat and operates on Sundays.

Parking - Off street