Grade II in Gloucestershire is our HOT PICK of the week!

Today we've a rather charming three bedroom property in Gloucestershire to check out, and it's well worth taking the time as this one has plenty going for it. It's for auction with Tayler & Fletcher on 27th June.

Now, this one's Grade II Listed folks... which tends to catch my interest as the listed properties to in general tend to be a little bit extra special. Undoubtedly, it's the exterior of this one that shines brightest as a stunning example of Cotswold stone. I can't help but adore the way this one has been designed and created. I don't know enough about the materials used to confidently say how unusual or common that wonderful yellowish hue is in the stone that frames the features of this property, but it's something I'm personally in awe of as I've not seen one quite like this before.

I actually ended up reading a little about Cotswold stone after being so enamoured with the colour of the stone used to create this property's eye catching appearance, and it seems that the yellower hue I'm so drawn to is stone from the North part of the Cotswolds. Further south is where the stone has that grey tone I'm more accustomed to seeing cross my path. I cannot help but agree with a description of North Cotswold stone as having a rich honey colour... in fact I far prefer that to my attempt to describe it as a yellow hue! Honey, that's the ideal way to describe the stone surrounding the windows, doors and edges of the walls :-)

Another surprise was discovering that these properties usually are of an entirely stone exterior with even stone slates on the roof. I'm not going to even pretend to be certain of the roof being 60 degrees in angle, or of those traditional stone slates... but that being said, it is a Grade II Listed property, so most likely it will be all those things.

I may be no expert, but you don't need to be to appreciate how beautiful the exterior of this property is, and I was in awe to see the size of the large stone that stretches across the top of the fours ground floor windows on the rear face of the property. It appears to be a single stone running almost the full length of the building, and perhaps there is some invisible seam I'm unable to spot in these images, but either way it's an amazing look that's echoed by the same framing of the two second floor windows above. It's a lovely contrast with the way the front windows are each individually framed by the honey stone in a stepped pattern. The rear elevation is of much simpler design, and yet it's the rear wall I personally love the most thanks to the wow factor of that single enormous stone lintel piece that almost entirely divides the property in two horizontally.

Right, I'm thinking it makes sense to check out the rear garden next, especially since we've already covered so much of the exterior of this wonderful building... and it's a fantastic space on offer that is extremely well enclosed by high beech hedges that provide an excellent feeling of privacy. There's plenty space to relax and entertain on the terraced seating area, and I love the little bird bath on the lawn area. The flower/plant borders are well cared for and maintained... it's a lovely garden that doesn't look too difficult to maintain for the average person, though it definitely feels like it's had a bit of knowledgeable and a more experienced hand to create it.

The garden really does have the best of both worlds really, and even benefits from a small lawn to the front as well. I've no idea what the plant is that's growing by the front door of the property, but I suspect it may be some kind of climber/rose. If so it will be a lovely sight(and probably smell too) in the summer months, and what a lovely welcome that is to have to your home!  There's a lovely balance between hard surface and greenery here... enough green space to bring in nature and softer surface for perhaps kids to play on, but it's done without being overwhelming to the less experienced when you take in those hedges and the flower beds. There's lawn to both front and rear, yet it looks just small enough for one person to easily maintain in a day with time to spare for relaxing afterwards :-)

Ok, enough about outside... it really is time to find out if this one is as charming on the inside too! While there's certainly not enough images to show us every room in this property, there is plenty to give a good sense of the atmosphere and style throughout. With exception to the kitchen, all other images display a neutral palette has been used throughout. Perfect for buyers that love to put their stamp on a place, and also for investors looking to snap up a property for rental since this neutral feel perfectly suits those needs as well. We don't have any image for the bathroom, so there's no way to know if it's neutral as well, or perhaps it may be a small splash of colour amidst the pale tones like the kitchen has proved to be in a beautiful bold blue colour.

Speaking of the kitchen, yup it's not looking the biggest being more of a narrow galley shaped room in the image, but don't be too quick to write it off for that. The floor plans do also show there's some things to the left of that image, and my best guess would be that a fridge and possibly some kind of storage unit(s) are also in there but didn't fit into the image. They've been smart to grab they angle used though, as it definitely covers the biggest features on show... in fact I can't quite decide what I love more, that belfast sink, or the amazing thick wooden work surface stretching end to end across the whole length of the room! It's also impossible to ignore those quirky windows that sit a little lower in the walls than you'd find in the average modern home, leading to small sunken areas behind the work surface.

The windows themselves are delightfully quaint with their tiny glass panes and pretty wooden frames... I'm not sure if they present the ideal place for displaying maybe plants or some kind of ornaments in the little dipped windowsill areas, or if it's simply the ultimate curl up and snooze spot for a cat or two, something worth bearing in mind if you have kitties and don't like them on your kitchen worktops, as you'd need to plan a solution in advance for that scenario before it's claimed by your feline friend(s)! The great news all round is that there are some other windows that appear to present a place for cats/people to sit and enjoy the view, or for furballs to sun themselves while avoiding a telling off for jumping up in the kitchen... but that said, the kitchen ones are still what my own feline companion would stubbornly choose, so as cat lovers out there will already know, you may have to pick their battles here! 

As in a lot of listed properties, the rooms throughout this property don't feel really big, but regardless the living room area is a really good size here. There's also at least two fabby feature fireplaces on show here, and the upstairs is showing some brilliant use of roof space to get added head height and an overall feeling of more space on offer in those upper rooms. Admittedly the upper window shown is pretty small, but is that really a big issue if it's a room you sleep and get changed in? Well it certainly wouldn't bother me when the living areas are so bright and light, and the outside area is so well enclosed.

From the lovely arched front door to that amazing stone lintel at the rear, and from the well maintained lawns up to the rooms in the eaves... this is a well loved listed property that's ideal to live in immediately and make your mark on later. Each room seems to have at least one funky feature on show, and despite the neutral tones almost everywhere and empty rooms throughout it still feels very homely. This is a property easy to fall in love with, and must have been difficult to part with, but only one person can walk away from auction with this one folks. The big question now is, will that be you?

 

Now, before I vanish I've one more thing to show you. It's off to Devon for this one though, and it's most certainly not been shown much love like the property above has clearly had over the years... in fact this one is entirely derelict!  It's for auction on 5th July with Countrywide South West by the way.

Yup, I don't usually write about plots of land. Often there isn't a lot to write about them unless it's got something pretty unique on there, and that is where this one caught my attention. We see some unusual things from time to time (there was even a crypt for sale a couple of years back!), but this is my first former cider press barn, and that piqued my interest. The first thing I did was look at what some intact ones would have been like, and there's some stunning examples out there of ones that have been maintained or restored to their former glory, used as features or as a bit of history frozen in time.

This one has been allowed to go into complete disrepair, the plot is overgrown, and you can't actually see a lot of the building left... so why am I bothering to mention it? Something about it calls out to me though; it's a property that could have another lease of life of shown a little of that love and tlc instead of being left neglected for nature to reclaim. The suggestion with this one is to create a work space or storage.... in fact I'd even suggest a work studio perhaps? Seems a lovely natural setting for being creative and artsy as well to me. Who knows if that history might even inspire... especially if you go to cut back the overgrown plot and discover that some of the past life of this building might still reside in there under the carpet of plants/weeds that have taken over what remains.

I think that's what drew me in, wondering if any of the past might be hidden under all that greenery. It's certainly got some strength in what remains of those walls or nature would have destroyed them long ago, and that's a starting point for creating something new, or restoring what it was before. Either way it's a great little spot to get creative methinks!