4 bed detached house for sale

Withdean Crescent, Brighton BN1

Sitting on a substantial plot in the prestigious and leafy environs of Surrenden, this beautiful, detached house has generous room proportions and versatile layout making it the ideal home for families with children of all ages. It houses four/five double bedrooms, three bathrooms and two exceptional open plan reception rooms leading out to a south-west facing sun terrace and rear garden. It has been a welcoming and happy family home for the last 21-years and has been well-maintained in this time, where many original 1930s features have been retained while contemporary features have been added. It is clear the current owners have an eye for colour and interiors, creating spaces which balance home comforts, family time and entertaining in style.

Within the last decade, the ground floor reception room was opened and extended to span the rear of the building allowing for uninterrupted views over the verdant vista of Preston Valley. Earlier, the lower ground floor was excavated and extended, transforming the space and almost doubling the overall footprint to create a stunning second reception room which has evolved with the family over time as a games room, party room and self-contained annex.

This property is ideally located within catchment for some of the highest achieving schools and colleges in the city, both state and private, and transport links by train or car are excellent. It is incredibly well-connected to the social and cultural centres of both Brighton and Hove, with the beach and city centre shops accessible in just 10-minutes by car. For commuters, Preston Park Station is a 15-minute walk or the A23/A27 are accessible in minutes. The South Downs National Park can be reached on foot, and there are several beautiful parks nearby, with Withdean and Preston parks being firm favourites for dog walking. With so many stand out qualities, this beautiful home is a highly attractive and exciting prospect for any growing family wishing to live in luxury between the countryside and the coast.

Exterior:

Set well back from the road behind a neat brick drive and a mature front garden, this house is archetypal for the 1930s era with a steep pitched roof, gables and wide bay windows to maximise the light. These have been modernised using double-glazed aluminium frames to both the front and rear of the property. While the driveway leads to a garage, this is now a utility room, but it has the facility for EV charging and motorbike/bike storage alongside appliances and other storage solutions.

Study/Bedroom Five:

Stepping inside to the welcoming entrance hall, the original sitting room sits to the right, now repurposed as a generous home office and spare bedroom. The original floorboards have been sanded and varnished and a contemporary wood burning stove warms the space during the cooler seasons. This versatile room has evolved over the years as a double bedroom, workspace and sitting room during renovations, but could have any number of uses depending on need. With tranquil views over the front garden, it is the ideal space for one or more family members requiring space to work from home.

Kitchen, Dining Room & Family Room:

Entirely transformed by the current owners, this room, spanning the rear of the house is the heart of this home and the space where the family spend the majority of their time. It is breathtaking in scale with exquisite views from a full wall of glazed sliding doors framing the leafy vista of Preston Valley to the west. These doors open completely to the sun terrace which becomes a wonderful extension of the home during spring and summer, where the views are ever changing with the seasons. Engineered walnut wood flooring flows throughout the space which has clearly defined areas for formal dining, relaxed seating and cooking at the Corian topped island.

Streamlined and modern, the handle-free kitchen cabinetry offers a wealth of storage solutions. It has been cleverly designed so as not to dominate the space, but to create a separate social area allowing guests and family to chat to you as you cook the evening meal. While the dishwasher is integrated, the range cooker has been seamlessly fitted within the island and space has been left for a plumbed American fridge freezer. Vintage glass pendant lighting – the originals from the house, sit above the kitchen and seating areas and will stay. Throughout the house, built-in Sonos speakers set the mood and another generous wood burning stove brings warmth and atmosphere to the entire room during winter.

Lower Ground Floor Reception:

Built into the hillside, the house has a lower ground floor to the rear which looks out level with the garden. During early renovations, the current owners excavated the cellars of the house creating a magnificent room offering over 780 sq. Ft. Of versatile living space. Oak parquet flooring flows throughout the living and sleeping areas which can be divided using a bi-fold screen. With so much space, it has been used as a self-contained annex room with sitting room area and a beautiful bathroom with a rainfall wet room shower and a separate freestanding roll-top bath. Within the under stairs cupboard, plumbing has been retained for a kitchenette, so for long-term living family members, au pairs or both long and short term lets – this space is ideal.

As with the terrace above, the entire westerly wall opens to link the house with the upper lawn of the garden, creating a wonderful sense of flow during the warmer seasons.

Garden & Sun Terrace:

Stepping out from the dining area onto the decked sun terrace, you are perfectly positioned to catch the last of the summer sunshine for drinks and dining alfresco. A treat for the senses, you can sit out here as the sun goes down listening to birdsong while the scent of herbs and flowers fills the air.

The main garden is accessed via the lower ground floor to a large area of lawn surrounded by well-established trees and shrubs. Wildflowers pepper the lawn inviting wildlife and there is ample space or children’s play equipment or ball games. It is not overlooked in the slightest due to leafy borders at both the upper and lower levels where a sunken trampoline and a sweet pond can be found. Deep planting boxes sit at the far end of the garden for growing fruit and vegetables which thrive due to the south-westerly aspect and an open position on the hillside.

First Floor Bedrooms and Bathrooms:

Striped carpeted stairs rise up to a generous galleried landing where the original balustrade and internal doors have been retained. All four bedrooms on the first floor are double with two facing east looking out over the peaceful street which has very low traffic and is tucked away from both London and Surrenden Roads. All four rooms have wood floors and double-glazed windows to ensure a warm and restful night’s sleep. Bedroom four enjoys the leafy vista over the valley, and all have easy access to the main bathroom from which you can also enjoy the views as you shower.

Principal Bedroom Suite:

The largest of four bedrooms on the first floor, the principal bedroom also benefits from French windows opening to a Juliet balcony allowing warm summer breeze, birdsong and uninterrupted views into the room...all of which are a joy to wake up to. Even with a king size bed and several pieces of bedroom furniture, the floor space is not compromised, while the en suite shower room is on trend with large scale Terrazzo flooring and burnt coral oblong wall tiles bringing Mid-century modern style.

Vendors’ Comments:

‘We have lived here for 21-years, raising our family and enjoying the space which has evolved so much in that time. This was the ideal family home for us as we chose the location specifically for the schools and the family friendly neighbourhood. It is a fantastic house for entertaining as the entire ground and lower ground floors and garden have a sense of flow and we have loved the unique position on the hill where you have maximum light but also maximum privacy. As the children became teenagers, it was ideal having two reception rooms and they gained independence with buses and trains into the city close by.

Here, you are perfectly positioned between the city, the sea and the countryside, so you get the best of all worlds, and as a commuter for many years, it was perfect having the station just 10-minutes away on foot. We simply no longer need the space, but it will be a huge wrench to leave.’

Education:

Primary: Balfour Primary, Westdene Primary
Secondary: Varndean and Dorothy Stringer, Cardinal Newman rc
Sixth Form Colleges: Varndean 6th Form, bhasvic, Newman College
Private: Brighton College, Lancing College Prep.

Good to Know:

Surrenden and Withdean are among the most prestigious areas to live in the city; characterised by substantial homes, surrounded by mature trees and greenery. Much of it was built up during the 1930s and 40s when there was an emphasis on creating big bright homes with the family unit in mind.

This elegant home enjoys easy access to local green spaces, with the South Downs on your doorstep and both Withdean Park with its puppy park and Preston Park nearby, hosting an array of events during the Brighton Festival and throughout the summer months.

The city centre shopping districts and beach are also within easy reach with several buses stopping on both Surrenden Road and London Road, plus the A23 and A27 are fewer than 5-minutes by car with direct and fast access along the South Coast or to the airports and London. Preston Park Station is also within walking distance with direct trains into London Bridge and Victoria for the London commute.