Porterstown's winding country roads and green fields are just five miles from the city centre and houses in the area don't come on the market very often. Ashleigh House, a five-bedroom, detached bungalow surrounded by an acre-and-a-half of landscaped gardens is, as a consequence, attracting a great deal of interest. One of 20 individually designed and detached houses which make up Homeleigh, a 25-year old enclave off the Porterstown Road, it's to be auctioned on October 26th by Douglas Newman Good, which is guiding £950,000. The garage has been converted to a self-contained studio flat, which should add to the property's appeal for those with teenage offspring.
Given that one of its neighbours, a smaller house owned by broadcaster Ronan Collins, recently went for £850,000, it seems a safe enough bet that Ashleigh House will fetch over the £1 million.
Originally L-shaped, a large extension to the kitchen has given Ashleigh House something of a T-shape. The kitchen/ breakfastroom (at 33 ft long) is now one of the largest spaces, as well as one of the brightest, thanks to the partially glass ceiling. Wood predominates - the extensive range of units are in oak, the floorboards of polished pine and the ceiling timber panelled. A centre island has a wine rack and storage, and a deep bay window with seat has a curve which matches that of the patio outside.
Off the kitchen/breakfastroom, there is a utility room - as large as many a working kitchen - with red and white tiled floor. It has a door to the rear garden and guest shower room and lavatory off. The conservatory, also at this end of the house, has a ceramic tiled floor and opens into the patio.
To the front, there's a livingroom with marble fireplace and lattice windows overlooking the front garden. Sliding glass doors to the side open on to the patio and an arch leads to the diningroom. The family room, through a door from the diningroom, can also be reached via doors from the kitchen and hallway. It has a long, low marble fireplace and patio doors to the conservatory.
The five bedrooms are off a corridor to the right of the entrance hallway. The main bedroom, at the far end, has a blue-tiled en suite with bidet, lavatory, wash-hand basin and bath with shower.
There are two banks of wardrobes in the bedroom, one of them mirrored, and both will remain. Two of the other bedrooms are to the back of the house, two to the front. All have built-in wardrobes and two have shelving. Aqua coloured tiles cover the family bathroom, which has a large hot-press, wash hand basin and bath with shower attached.
The studio flat to the side has parquet flooring, electric storage heating and a lavatory with wash hand basin.
The gardens are immaculately maintained and cared for. Hedging of trimmed conifers reach to about 12ft with, behind them, old trees adding to the feeling of privacy. To the rear there are a couple of mature ornamental prunus and two acerplatanoides. The front garden, alongside which there is parking for a half dozen or more cars, has weeping willows, Pampas grass and beds of roses. Heating is gas fired and there are security lighting sensors and lighting throughout.
