WowHaus

Always a popular group of properties, so great to see this 1960s Ducketts Mead modern house in Roydon, Essex hit the market.

I have mentioned these houses in the past and when I do, there’s always a surge of interest. These are modern houses that went under the radar for a long time and only now are starting to get the attention they deserve.

This house is part of a group of five ‘stilted’ houses built in the late 1960s, appealing in both architecture and in terms of location. If you want to see the other two that have been offered for sale in recent years, then have a look here. They rarely come up for sale.

As you can see, it is a rather striking location on the edge of the River Stort in the village of Roydon. A lovely country location but also just over half an hour from Liverpool Street station. So with commuter appeal too. Did I mention the opportunity of fishing rights and mooring? Both of those can be arranged too.

But for me, the main appeal is the architecture. A bold 1960s design that is very much of its era, but also a house that works well in the modern era too.

After all, open spaces and large windows are what people want and desire in the 21st century too. Throw in some wonderful views, plenty of space and some original details and this is quite the package.

Not entirely original of course. That would be a big ‘ask’ over 50 years on. But the owners have done a great job updating the house without taking away the appeal of the original 1960s build.

The staircase, the room divider/fireplace, internal doors and the general layout and of course, the main architecture are all still faithful to the 1960s.

Beyond that, it’s a largely neutral finish, with updates in places you would expect, such as the kitchen and the bathrooms, as well as various fittings. If you want something contemporary, it lends itself well to that.

But if you want to go back to the 1960s, it works on that level too. Just add in some midcentury modern shades and a few choice furnishings from that era and you’ll have your very own retro pad. It’s your call. If you buy it – and I suspect there will be no shortage of takers for this house.

It’s actually a sizeable house too, both inside and out. Yes, you get the river scenery on your doorstep, but you also get your own garden too. More of that in a moment. In the meantime, let’s talk about the internal space.

An entrance hall with a tiled floor has a staircase to the first floor, as well as access to a utility/laundry/garden room with full-width glazing to the rear of the house. Also on this floor is a cloakroom/WC.

Head up that wonderful staircase for the main living space on the first floor.

Here you will find the living/dining/family room, bright and airy space with a sliding patio door to the rear and of course, the feature brick fireplace with a stove at the centre of the room. Head through the sliding doors and access the balcony, with too, for a table and chairs if you fancy eating out in the sunshine.

Beyond that is the kitchen, which is fitted with modern units and modern appliances, as well as room for a large American style fridge/freezer. A larder cupboard too plus a recessed storage cupboard.

The bedrooms are headed up by the master, which has a picture window to the front, storage and an en-suite shower room. An inner hall takes you to the rest of the bedroom space.

Three further bedrooms, in fact, one of which could be used as a study if you do a bit of home working. Beyond that is the main family bathroom. That’s about it for the inside space, but the outside offers plenty too.

The front is described as ‘generous’, with a well-tended front garden set behind manicured hedging that is mainly laid to lawn. A driveway too, with plenty of parking space and an undercover parking area.

The rear garden is also well maintained and has a large paved patio/seating area, plenty of lawn and flower/shrub borders. A large timber garden shed finishes things off.

Fancy moving in? It has just gone on the market and is unlikely to be around long. If this is your kind of house, the guide price is £767,500.

Images and details courtesy of Oliver Minton. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.