East Street, Wareham, BH20

You turn onto East Street, and there it is.

You've probably spent enough years looking after a big house.

The endless jobs. The rooms you rarely use. The garden that everyone admires but has no idea how much work it takes to keep it like that.

Maybe what you're looking for now is something a little easier, but you're not quite ready to give up having space around you.

That's where Auctioneers House comes in.

A modern detached house, right in the heart of Wareham, with a garden, parking and enough room for family to come and stay.

You don't need to drive to reach it. You can walk.

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Who's this house for?

Well, probably someone who already knows and loves Wareham.

Perhaps you've lived here for years and don't want to leave the area. Your friends are here. You know where to buy the best bread and where to go for a walk.

You just don't necessarily need the big family house anymore. This feels like a natural next step.

There's plenty of room for two people to live comfortably, but you're not buying a house that's only going to work for two. There are three bedrooms, so the grandchildren can stay, friends can visit and you can still have a room that's just for you.

One of the bedrooms is on the ground floor. It's called future proofing. Ready for whatever the future brings, or simply a room you don't have to explain.

This is a house for people who want less to look after, not less life: a smaller footprint, a quieter routine, and everything they value about Wareham still within reach on foot.

What does Saturday look like here?

No car required. Nip out to the Italian Bakery for croissants and a sourdough loaf for lunch. Getting home takes ages, because you stop to chat and catch up with everyone in town. Take in an afternoon film at the Rex, and a fish and chip tea from the Chipperies on the way home. Sunday can be a family day, with lunch at home, an after-lunch walk along the river and a cream tea at The Priory to round the weekend off.

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THE PROPERTY

Before you've even put the kettle on...

One of the things we really like about this house is that it doesn't feel like a compromise.

It's a modern home, built in 2021, but it's within the walls of Wareham. You'll probably already know your neighbours. A modern, comfortable home inside, and all that is comfortably familiar around you. That's quite a nice combination.

The name is no accident. Cottees Place was built on the former site of Cottees House, bought by Samuel Cottee in 1926 and run by three generations of the family until it finally moved locations in 2015. This house takes its name from the trade that shaped the ground it stands on. The development was designed to fit in with the traditional character of East Street, rather than looking like it could have been built anywhere.

Where do you actually relax?

The living room is made for switching off, somewhere to stretch out with a book. But when everyone comes round, it’s an elegant room without feeling precious, and it’s the sort of room you’ll be rather pleased to show off.

And then there's that vaulted ceiling.

It's one of those things that gives you a little pause when you first walk in. In fact, the vendors said it was one of the things that gave them their 'wow' factor when they first saw the house. There's a lovely sense of height and space, but it still feels comfortable and easy to live in.

The house was designed for modern life, so the rooms aren't overly formal and the flow is intuitive. They're there to be used.

Put your feet up. Have friends round. Read the Sunday papers. Make the space your own.

Who's cooking tonight?

There's a lovely simplicity to having a kitchen that works for everyday life.

The kitchen at Auctioneers House was designed with good-quality shaker-style units, quartz worktops, integrated appliances and plenty of thoughtful touches such as soft-close drawers and under-counter lighting.

So whether you're cooking for two or suddenly find yourself with a house full of family, it works.

And, of course, being in the centre of Wareham means you can always decide that tonight you're going out instead.

Who gets the best bedroom?

The principal bedroom, obviously.

There are three bedrooms altogether, which gives you something that's surprisingly difficult to find when downsizing: choice.

Two are upstairs, both with en suite bathrooms and built-in storage.

The other is on the ground floor, with doors that open onto the south-facing patio. There is also a bathroom on the ground floor.

So if the family come to stay, you don't have to put anyone on the sofa. Or, in time, it's simply a ground-floor retreat if the stairs are ever one flight too many.

Where do you work from home?

The study is at the front of the house that gives you a proper space for a desk, separate from the rest of the living areas. Somewhere to keep the accounts, write letters, or get on with your hobby projects, with a window onto the central courtyard so you're never short of something to watch.

What's going on outside?

A private, south-facing garden, big enough to matter, small enough not to become a chore. Two car ports sit to the side of the property, with gated access through to the rear. This is a garden to enjoy, rather than a garden to manage.

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LOCATION & LIFESTYLE

What's outside the front door?

Everything, on foot. You're not near Wareham, or a short drive from it. You're actually in it.

The independent shops, the supermarkets, cafes, restaurants and the Rex Cinema are all within walking distance, along with the quay on the River Frome. The Purbeck Hills are close enough to walk to, and the beaches at Studland, Lulworth and Swanage are a short drive for the days you want a change of view. Wareham station is a good walk, with a direct route through to London Waterloo.

Who are your neighbours?

A town you already know, seen from a quieter corner of it. Cottees Place is a select development of nine individual homes around a shared courtyard and communal garden, echoing the old bullring it was built on. The property sits within the Wareham Conservation Area, surrounded by listed buildings on East Street and St Johns Hill, in a setting that won't change much around you.

Directions

What3Words: ///sizing.tunnel.seatbelt

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MATERIAL INFORMATION (REQUIRED)

*The boring bit (but we're legally obliged to include it)*

Tenure:Freehold

Service charge: Managing Agent: Woodley & Associates - responsible for the communal areas, including the drive, planting and front garden. £682 p/a (£341 paid every 6 months)

Council tax band: E

EPC rating:B

Utilities:
- Gas: mains gas
- Electric: mains
- Water: mains

Heating: Gas boiler, underfloor heating to the ground floor and radiators upstairs, with time and temperature zone control

Broadband / mobile coverage:
- Broadband: standard 19mb/s, superfast 66mb/s, ultrafast 1800mb/s available (BT and Sky, no Virgin Media)
- Mobile: good indoor signal reported across O2, EE, Three and Vodafone

Parking: Two car ports to the side of the property

Flood risk: Very low (rivers, seas, and surface water — Environment Agency)

Planning permissions / restrictions: Property sits within the Wareham Conservation Area. Restrictive covenants apply.
Structure covered by a 10-year Premier structural guarantee. Expiry 2031

Any known material issues:*None currently disclosed

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Why are you still reading this?

Because downsizing doesn't have to mean downsizing your life.

You can have fewer things to look after, and the convenience of town.

You can still have family to stay, you can still have a garden, you can still have parking.

And you can still have four walls that feel like your home, rather than a stepping stone to somewhere else.

Perhaps it's simply time to make life a little easier.

Come and have a look. You might walk through the door and think: "Yes. This could work."

Book the viewing.

TAUK — Property Sold Properly