Laleham Road, Margate, CT9

Laleham Road has some proper houses on it.

Big, handsome semi-detached homes, believed to date from around the late 1920s, with imposing frontages, generous gardens and the sort of proportions that newer houses simply don’t seem to bother with.

This is one of those.

Officially it’s a four-bedroom semi-detached house, although the current owners are using the dining room as bedroom number five, which gives you some idea of the space available. There are also two bathrooms, plenty of living accommodation and a genuinely good-sized plot.

The kitchen, bathrooms, central heating and windows have all been updated relatively recently, with servicing kept up to date where required. Useful things to have taken care of when you’ve already got enough going on.

Now, with a couple of older children still living at home, a few rooms have developed what we can only describe as their own slightly chaotic swagger.

So yes, confession time: we’ve used a tiny bit of AI housekeeping in a couple of the photographs. Nothing structural, nothing added that isn’t there. We’ve basically just asked the computer to tidy up after the teenagers. Frankly, it was quicker.

What you have here is a substantial period semi in Margate, with big rooms, four proper bedrooms, two bathrooms and gardens that give you genuine space to spread out.

Location-wise, it makes plenty of sense for family life. Cliftonville, Palm Bay, Drapers Mills and Northdown primary schools are all within walking distance, along with a local special needs school. There’s a bus link on the doorstep for getting around Thanet, with a direct service to Canterbury, too.

The owners put the beach, Margate town and Westwood Cross at around ten minutes away. School, sea, shops. The family logistics are looking fairly civilised.

And you can saunter down towards Cliftonville, which has changed enormously in recent years.

Geek recently had its first proper night out there and, somewhat embarrassingly, we were completely blown away. Great little bars, restaurants, interesting people everywhere. On a warm evening it genuinely felt a bit like being somewhere on the continent.

So there’s something here for the children. And, mercifully, something for the people paying for them.

A big, handsome Margate house. Proper family space. A generous garden. And plenty of reasons to get out and enjoy what’s around you.