For those seeking a home that effortlessly balances beauty with practicality, this five-bedroom Edwardian townhouse represents a rare opportunity. Masterfully renovated and extended, it sits on the hill close to Fiveways — voted by The Times as one of the best places to live in Sussex — where the city's energy meets the quiet confidence of an established residential neighbourhood.
Two elegant reception rooms anchor the ground floor, while five generous bedrooms spread across the upper storeys capture sweeping views over Preston Valley to the South Downs and a glimmer of sea to the south. The result is a home that feels genuinely connected to its landscape, poised between countryside and coast.
The west-facing garden draws the sun through the afternoon and long into summer evenings, spilling naturally from the kitchen and dining space beyond. Excellent schools, parks, a commuter station and an enviable cluster of cafés, independent shops and gastropubs are all within easy reach — everything a busy family needs, close to hand.
Introduction
One of eight three-storey homes in a handsome uniform terrace, this house has plenty of curb appeal. A cast iron balcony graces the south-facing façade, and a traditionally tiled path leads from the street to the original stained-glass front door — hallmarks of the era, lovingly preserved.
Inside, the current owners have brought refined styling to every detail. Each surface, fitting and finish has been chosen with both form and function in mind, and it shows. This is not a house that has simply been decorated; it has been thoughtfully curated.
Entrance Hall
The moment you step inside, the full depth of the house reveals itself — a long, considered view drawing the eye straight through to the sun-filled garden. Ceilings soar, and the walls are boldly split: Mylands Blackout below the dado rail, Blackened above, a contrast echoed in the patterned floor tiles below. A discreet WC sits beneath the stairs alongside useful additional storage, practical without interrupting the elegance of the space.
Living Room
Accessed from the entrance hall or through Crittall-style glazed doors from the dining area, the living room is a warm and inviting retreat. Period features are celebrated rather than hidden, set against a rich Mylands palette and pale, limed-oak effect LVT flooring laid in a wide herringbone pattern. A new double-glazed sash bay window fills the south-facing wall with natural light, while the open fireplace provides a focal point and real warmth during cooler months.
The separation from the main reception space works particularly well for families — older children can occupy the living room independently — yet with the glazed doors open and the flooring running continuously throughout, the ground floor reads as one generous, connected whole.
Kitchen, Dining and Family Room
This is the heart of the home, and it makes an immediate impression. Created by extending into the side return and out into the garden, the footprint more than doubled the original kitchen — and the result is outstanding. Farrow & Ball's Setting Plaster warms the walls and ceiling, already flooded with light through an oversized window, a run of skylights and a full wall of bi-folding doors opening onto the garden.
The kitchen itself is sleek and considered: off-black, handle-free cabinetry paired with dark quartz worktops in a rich Marquina marble pattern. A central island seats three and anchors the space socially, while the same marbled quartz rises as splashback behind the integrated appliances — washing machine, dishwasher, fridge freezer, drinks fridge, dual ovens and a five-ring induction hob — so everything is in place and ready from day one.
A banquette by the window doubles as a workspace, and pendant lighting defines the formal dining area beyond. In summer, the garden becomes a natural extension of the room; in winter, energy-efficient glazing and tall column radiators keep it comfortable and inviting year-round.
Garden
The outdoor space has been landscaped with the same care as the interior. A curved rendered wall, contemporary slim-line fencing and a slate patio form the structure, while raised beds overflow with shrubs, climbers and seasonal planting. Artificial grass keeps maintenance manageable without sacrificing the look. Unoverlooked to the rear, the garden feels genuinely private, and the open westerly aspect ensures sunshine well into the evening throughout the warmer months.
First Floor — Bedroom Two & Bathroom
Stair carpet with antique brass rods rises to the first-floor galleried landing. The family bathroom, positioned to the rear, combines period charm — original stained-glass windows — with a thoroughly contemporary finish: metro brick tiles, geometric floor tiles and a black-framed industrial-style shower screen around the bath, complete with a rainfall shower head in matt black. Blackout woodwork and Setting Plaster walls keep it firmly within the palette of the rest of the house.
Bedroom two sits quietly alongside, a generous double with leafy garden views, a traditional built-in wardrobe housing the combi boiler, and the same bold, confident use of colour found throughout.
Principal Bedroom
Spanning the full width of the front elevation, the principal bedroom is a genuinely impressive room. A deep south-facing bay with new double-glazed sashes creates a natural dressing area, while a casement window opens onto the Juliet balcony. The original floorboards have been sanded and finished in warm honeyed tones, and the walls and ceiling are colour-drenched in a deep inky blue — enveloping, restful and beautiful. Despite a king-size bed and freestanding furnishings, the floor area remains generous enough to accommodate a future en suite, should a new owner wish to add one.
Second Floor — Bedrooms Three, Four & Five
The upper floor offers two further spacious doubles and a comfortable single — perfectly suited as a home office. The rear bedroom already has plumbing via an existing hand basin, lending itself to a potential en suite conversion, and there is real scope to reconfigure the floor to create two doubles each with their own bathroom, without compromising the views that make these rooms so special.
And those views are something else entirely. From this elevation, the rooftops and treetops of the city give way to the rolling South Downs behind, while a ribbon of sea sits just visible above the chimney stacks of the terrace opposite — framed by vast, ever-changing skies.
Vendors’ Comments:
"Extending the house transformed how we live in it. The teenagers can take over the living room while we entertain in the kitchen, and when we open everything up, it all flows together beautifully as one space. The area really is wonderful — Fiveways has every amenity you could want, and there's a real sense of community here that's hard to find. The Preston Park Tavern down the road is a favourite, and our neighbours have become genuine friends over the years. We'll miss them, but we're staying in the city — just moving somewhere a little smaller."
Education:
Primary: Balfour Primary, St. Bernadette’s RC
Secondary: Varndean and Dorothy Stringer, Cardinal Newman RC
Sixth Form: Varndean College, Newman College, BHASVIC
Private: Brighton College
Good to Know:
Fiveways is one of Brighton's most cherished neighbourhoods with a distinct village-within-a-city character that residents adore. It offers an exceptional collection of independent shops, cafés, delis, restaurants and wine bars — the kind of everyday amenities that make life genuinely easier and more enjoyable, without ever needing to venture further into the city.
For green space, the neighbourhood is exceptionally well provided. Preston Park is moments away, offering open lawns, tennis courts, a velodrome and a café, and hosting some of the city's most loved annual events. To the north, Hollingbury Woods opens out onto the golf course and then the sweeping expanse of the South Downs beyond. For dog walkers, runners and anyone who values easy access to open countryside, it is an extraordinary asset to have virtually on the doorstep.
For those who need to travel further afield, the transport connections are excellent. Preston Park Station is within comfortable reach and offers fast and frequent services into Brighton's main station, with onward connections to Gatwick Airport and London Victoria — making it equally viable for the daily commuter or the occasional city visitor. The A23 and A27 are also easily accessible for those who prefer to drive, connecting the city swiftly to the universities, the motorway network and beyond.
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