The Toft, Andover, SP11 6LY

Key Features

Summary

Want to wake up to bird songs? Open your curtains to a pretty view of your garden? Give the children space to explore and grow? If you’re craving a countryside location, within a great neighbourhood, then this is a unique opportunity to obtain a wonderful 4/5 bedroom family home with a long spacious garden, which is a wildlife haven. A gem at the heart of the village, changing hands for the first time in 22 years, we expect this property to sell fast. A well maintained detached house and extensive grounds that has been a much loved home for over two decades, during which time significant improvements have been made. The most recent being new uPVC triple glazed windows on the north and east facing windows this year. With 4 bedrooms upstairs and a couple of versatile rooms downstairs, this may be an excellent proposition for a family where working from home is a regular feature of modern life.

Downstairs compromises:

Entrance Hall:
Entry via new secure front door into solid oak floored entrance hall with 3 built in cupboards. Plenty of space for coats, shoes, hats and bags to be stored away neatly. The immediate view on entering the hall is through the welcoming kitchen/diner to the back garden. Stairs with dark wood balustrade lead to the upper floor.

Kitchen Dining area:
This light, double aspect space has been designed by Saxon Designs with family get-togethers in mind and has been the beating heart of the home. It is well equipped, with modern oak cabinetry, Ubatuba granite worktops and upstands, glass splash back in taupe as a highlight colour and integrated NEFF and Miele appliances, including useful warming drawer. An inlaid NEFF induction hob with extractor “chimney” and an inset stainless steel one and a half bowl sink. There’s a cosy breakfast bar area with a large triple glazed light to the side of the house. There are plenty of well-designed storage solutions and features in this kitchen, including a magic corner cupboard, a pan drawer, and a built in wine rack. There are two large radiators at either end of the room. The floor is insulated and laid with light ceramic tiles. Double glazed French doors lead to the large terrace for summer dining. Current layout is with an extra-large table for extended families to eat together, however an alternative layout would leave room for an island to be added, if preferred. Door leads to..

Utility room:
Equipped with a sink and drainer, a filtered drinking water tap, power, hoses and space for a washing machine. The oil fired boiler is about 7 years old, and the most efficient condensing boiler available at the time. There is more storage space for stores and a broom cupboard, drying space above the boiler and a new external door leads to a paved passageway, giving access to the garage and a gateway to the front.

The Lounge:
Door from the hall, a light, spacious room with solid oak floor. Double glazed sliding patio doors, occupying most of one end of the room and offering a wonderful view of and access to the back garden, great for entertaining. There’s a wood burning stove for cosy winter evenings, as well as two large radiators to keep the room at a comfortable temperature whatever the weather.

Office:
Next to the lounge and accessed from the entrance hall, this room is currently used as a study for working at home. It also has a solid oak floor and a large triple glazed window to the front of the house, with a full length radiator underneath.

Downstairs cloakroom:
Olive-green toilet and handbasin suite, with river-stone splash back. Satin finished triple glazed window hinged at the top for privacy. Radiator and dark green rubber tiles matching the colour of the front and garage doors.

Gym:
This is a flexible space, it has been a playroom snug , a bedroom and with it’s dark green rubber tiled floor, this now makes an excellent gym. The current owners have contemplated putting a ground floor bathroom here for multi generational living. It has views to the front from the triple glazed window.

Upstairs compromises:

Master bedroom with substantial en-suite bathroom:
These rooms have been redesigned by Saxon Designs, for modern living. There is a full length radiator below a large double glazed window which looks out over the pretty garden, with mature trees and shrubs, which provide screening all year around. The fitted wardrobes and drawers giving plenty of storage and hanging space. This is complimented with a large en-suite tastefully tiled in mocha and cream, finished with a wavy frieze. The white Roca suite consists of a double length shower with curved surround, toilet and sink each set in fitted oak cabinetry. A velux window set in the sloping roof lets in plenty of light and air, and there’s plenty of space to dress, stretch or sit comfortably. A heated towel rail keeps the room and your towels cosy, ready for use.

Bedroom 2:
A double bedroom with fitted cupboards going far back under the eaves, and still space for a desk and shelves. There is a full length radiator below a large double glazed window with view to rear as previously described.

Bedroom 3:
A further double bedroom similar to the previous, with a radiator below a triple glazed window with views over the front garden toward the road. A large, fitted cupboard gives ample storage space.

Bedroom 4:
This has been the perfect nursery in the past, but is now set up as a study, with a double glazed window overlooking the rear gardens, with views up to the Ox Drove meadow. A great place to watch the birds. There is a fitted wardrobe under the eaves and a good sized radiator under the window.

Family bathroom:
A satin finish for privacy on the triple glazed window, a white suite comprising toilet, sink and modern shower unit with power shower and light and ventilation above. Light coloured Antico flooring makes cleaning easy. There’s a good-sized radiator under the window and a heated towel rail.

To the front of the home there is a the pleasant, gated drive area with parking space for at least four cars is laid to paviors, with a pretty hedge and mature rowan and euonymus “green and gold” partially screening from the road. There’s a lawn area immediately next to the drive with flower beds and gates. There’s room for a neatly stacked log pile by the new dark green front door and a pretty flower bed, under the study window that welcomes you home. There is a new scrolling garage door gives secure access to a large double garage. You will find space for a workbench, light and plenty of storage in the rafters. There may be potential to extend into this attached garage space, mirroring the successful extension of the next door property, Hawthorn House, subject of course to planning.

To the rear there is a terrace next to the house for summer dining with a planted wall looks over a lawn area large enough for badminton knockabout's! With well stocked beds either side, the next area is the 3 tier ponds, with working pump and waterfalls through the surrounding rockery. We have recently seen newts and tadpoles. The lawn and paths flow around this area, continuing up the hill past the crab apple, and apricot trees, with a mix of rhubarb, peonies and other perennials. The next section is the wildflower garden with it’s chalet style cabin, currently used as an observatory for star watching. There are mature shrubs and beautiful rose bushes, and we have had hedgehogs living under the cabin! Behind this is a tap and water harvesting area and a shed, tucked away. There is light and power in the cabin. There are also another couple of vegetable beds currently planted with potatoes. At the top of the garden is the bluebell wood, with mature trees providing screening. A mix of hazel, silver birch, holly and yew provide cover for the wildlife, and we have been lucky enough to be visited by dormice, which we can tell, as they have a particular way of gnawing the hazelnuts.

The Toft is conveniently located in Picket Piece - just over an hour’s train commute to London, or about twenty minutes to Basingstoke or Salisbury, from either of the two local stations: Whitchurch about 4.5 m or Andover 2 m. There’s a regular bus service to town from outside the door. And it’s handy for either the A34 or A303 if you’re driving. Andover has a leisure centre with swimming pool, shops, pubs and coffee shops, night clubs and a small but active theatre, The Lights, with a variety of shows and workshops. In walking distance there are football local leagues at Picket Twenty, a driving range at the Wyke Down and there is a skate park the other side of Augusta Park. For young children, Finkley Farm park and Jungle Jungle indoor play provide great active entertainment within walking distance. The Toft sits two doors down from the actively used Sports and Social Club. There is an allotment and local neighbourhood gardening club just starting up. Picket Piece has several play parks, places for everyday walks and opportunities to be in touch with nature, very close by include the Ox Drove wildlife meadow. For longer walks, at Picket Twenty, the historic Ladies Walk (1785) gives access to open countryside at the listed Iron Bridge and Clatford or Harewood Forest beyond; while the Brenda Parker Way, Andover to Aldershot can be picked up from Derry Down (purple waymarks). The Test Way, (green waymarks) runs from Inkpen hill to Totton running just past the top of the hill, near the thriving Wyke Down Pub, allowing pub walks to many surrounding villages, such as Longparish, St Mary Bourne, or Hurstbourne Tarrant, through picturesque Hampshire landscape. (A photographic record of our recent Test Way Walk is on the coffee table in the lounge, with book marks of the local section, if you would like to take a look.) Locally you’ll find a One Stop convenience store, and opposite the house a Post Office, cafe, salons are among the local businesses run from the Commercial Centre.

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