Old College Road, Newbury, RG14

A larger than average 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, first-floor apartment in a calm, leafy development on the outskirts of town. Lots of natural light. Balcony. Underfloor heating. Allocated parking. No onward chain. This is a great find in a great location.

Situation
Stephenson Court is part of the Old College development, which sits just off the Bath Road to the north side of Newbury. This is a well-established, pleasant green and leafy development in a desirable part of town, with super-easy access to the M4, A34 and other key connecting roads.

Waitrose is your corner shop, you’re just over a mile from the train station, and you’ve an array of leisure options all within easy reach, including Newbury Tennis Club, Donnington Grove Golf Course, Donnington Castle and The Watermill Theatre. And that’s before you’ve gone into Newbury town centre with all the options that has to offer.

Take a gentle 10-minute stroll past Waitrose and you reach the top of town. From here you have a medical centre, pharmacy and a wide array of restaurants, cafes and pubs, as well as the multi-screen cinema, live entertainment and retail facilities within the town. There are numerous parks, including Goldwell, Northcroft and Victoria Park. Or you could head out for a nature rich canal-side walk along the Kennet & Avon or into the beautiful unspoilt countryside nearby.

Property
4 Stephenson Court is on the first floor of a purpose-built block, with a lift for easier access.

Inside walls are kept clear thanks to the zoned underfloor heating system with weather compensation, which adjusts the heating based on the outside temperature to ensure you always have a pleasant, even temperature. French doors onto a balcony bring in fresh air and birdsong. This apartment feels wonderfully light, bright, open and spacious.

Entrance
The entrance hallway has two large cupboards, one housing the hot water tank and water softener – perfect for protecting your appliances from the local hard water while keeping your shampoo bill manageable (and you under masses of rich, soapy bubbles). The other is shelved and offers plenty of space for boots, coats, sports kits, hoovers, mops and more.

Living/dining room
At 13’1” x 21’3” (3.9 x 6.5m in new money), this is a great-sized double-aspect room with scope to zone if you choose. You’ve certainly got space for a large sofa and entertainment system to one end, and a dining table or home office/study area (or potentially both) to the other.

On warm days you can throw open the French doors to enjoy the fresh air and birdsong from your balcony, as well as a cooling flow of air through the apartment.

Kitchen
A kitchen you can close the door on – very handy if you’re prone to burning the toast or like more aromatic cuisine. The feature glass brick wall adds extra light, and you’ve space for a breakfast bar or table, making this a lovely kitchen to spend time in.

There’s a plentiful amount of storage and kitchen counters. Wall units, cupboards and drawers have a wood-effect finish and long brushed-steel handles. White tiles create the splash-backs and the floor is finished in hard-wearing ceramic tiles. Within the kitchen you also have:

• Integrated fridge freezer
• 4-ring electric hob
• Extractor fan
• Built-in oven with grill
• Built-in microwave
• Integrated dishwasher
• Under-cupboard lighting
• Stainless-steel sink and drainer

Main bedroom
The generous main bedroom is designed to create a feeling of space and calm. The combination of space (180ft2 / 16.7m2) and the separate dressing area makes it feel more like a suite than a bedroom. You’ve ample space for a king-sized bed with bedside cabinets and a dressing table, tallboy or boudoir chair or chaise longue.

The separate walk-through dressing area has two walls of wardrobes, giving plentiful hanging space and storage, beyond which is the ensuite.

En suite
As with the rest of this apartment, even the ensuite is larger than average. You have a quadrant shower with a thermostatic bar and handheld showerhead on an adjustable riser bar. The close-coupled loo and pedestal hand basin are contemporary in design, and there’s a shaver socket and extractor fan. Obscured opening windows on two sides fill the room with natural light.

Bedroom two
Another good-sized double bedroom with two windows that fill the room with light and create a feeling of even greater space. Built-in wardrobes further help to create an uncluttered calm. Beside the wardrobe is a space that could accommodate anything from a small sofa or chaise longue to a dressing table, chest of drawers or desk.

Bathroom
The family bathroom consists of a bath with a shower over, with a handset on a riser bar and a hinged screen. There's also a close-coupled loo, wide pedestal basin with mono tap, heated ladder towel rail for toasty warm towels, shaver point, extractor fan and an obscured glass window.

Parking
The apartment comes with an allocated parking space. Additional guest parking is available with on-street parking nearby.

Good to know
The apartment has no onward chain and is empty, so it’s ready for a quick sale and to be moved into.

At just over 883ft2 / 82m2, this is one of the largest properties in the development

Transport links
By car
The A34, A339/A4 and M4 are all close at hand, making this an exceptionally well-connected location.

Newbury sits on the crossroads of the A34 and M4, giving access to Winchester, the south coast, the Midlands, Wales and London.

By train
Newbury railway station is a mile or roughly 23 minutes’ walk away. Trains run east to Reading and London, with the Elizabeth line starting at Reading, and to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. To the west, trains run to Exeter St Davids and Penzance. Didcot railway station isn’t far away, offering another route of travel.

Schooling
According to West Berkshire Council, the schools within the catchment area are:
Primary: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary, Speenhamland Primary.
Secondary: Trinity School.

In addition, there’s a wide range of private schooling available, including Cheam, Elstree, Downe House, St. Gabriel’s, Brockhurst & Marlston House, Horris Hill, Marlborough College, Bradfield College and Pangbourne College.

Services
Heating is underfloor throughout, with thermostats to control the different zones and weather compensation.
Hot water is from an electric immersion tank.
Water softener fitted
Water and electricity are mains supplied.
Drainage/sewerage is mains.

Connectivity
Broadband, according to Openreach, is Full Fibre available at up to 1600 Mbps.
Mobile, according to Vodafone, is a “Good indoors and outdoors” 4G, 5G and 5G Ultra signal.

Council
The local authority is West Berkshire Council. The Council Tax band is C.

Tenure
Leasehold, for a term of 125 years from 1 April 2003, with 103 years remaining.
Ground rent: £125 a year
Service charge budgeted for 2024/25 is £2360

EPC rating: C. Tenure: Leasehold, Length of lease (remaining): 102 years 9 months,