WowHaus

Featured in the past, the 1960s John Floydd midcentury modern house in Sandgate, Kent, seems to change each time it hits the market.

In fact, I have just been checking the archive. This one was first spotted way back in 2011, when it was pretty much an untouched relic.

Fast forward to 2014 and the house was back on the market, tidied up and updated as you might expect. The in 2016 the house came back on the market for a third time, again with more tweaks and a higher price, but still keeping the key selling point of the character in place.

It was last on the market in 2019, again maintaining the all-important midcentury modern period charm. Without it, the house would lose most of its appeal.

To be fair, each of the past owners has added value. The last time it was up, it was just after it had a renovated kitchen and bathroom, as well as a new heating system, upgraded windows, new insulation and some rewiring. All without taking away the charm of the original 1964 John Floydd design.

Looking at this latest listing, nothing seems to have changed massively, outside of some layout tweaks. The most obvious thing is that the house looks empty. That’s a good thing because it does emphasise the space available. But houses always look better furnished.

The agent has used some CGI images (see the later photos) to give you an idea of the house with furniture in place – or look at those past listings to get an idea of that. Or book a viewing if you are a potential buyer – nothing replaces the need to see a house with your own eyes.

The architecture is still as striking as ever. This is one of my favourite midcentury modern designs, both in terms of the build and the setting.

A bold design, this house on stilts has a steel frame and is clad in aluminium and timber, with some red concrete tile hanging and a monopitch roof.

It offers the perfect weekend retreat with its sea views and a short walk to the beach, as well as being a super-cool place to live all year round if that’s your intention. Especially with past upgrades to the heating and insulation. Note that there is air conditioning in place now too.

The exterior still looks well maintained, but not radically different and the interior is still very much inspired by midcentury Scandinavian design. Wooden floors, walls and ceiling, open living space and numerous period details and fittings.

Certainly no time capsule though. As I hinted at earlier, work carried out over the years has ensured that this is a modern-day living space. But one that hasn’t lost its character over the years. The right MCM furnishings and this will be the perfect ’60s dwelling.

As for space, that’s over two floors, with entry via a carport and opening into a hall with glazed double doors to a side terrace and front garden. The ground floor has a study, a shower/cloakroom, and the first of the bedrooms, which I believe was once a workshop.

Head up the first floor via a rather lovely period staircase for the main accommodation, dominated by the open-plan, triple-aspect living room, dining room and fitted kitchen with large picture windows for the all-important sea views.

Also on this level are the three bedrooms to the rear overlooking the garden, a study/bedroom 4 with sea views to the front and the family bathroom.

Outside you have the security of double gates, a carport and a ground floor courtyard area. The tiered rear garden has steps to an elevated decking area that looks out to sea. That’s described as a ‘serene oasis for relaxation or al fresco dining’ – the kind of space that comes into its own on long, hot summer days.

The asking price has pushed up since it was last on the market, but not massively. This time it is up for sale for £795,000.

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