The property sits in mature landscaped gardens of up to nearly an acre with extensive views over the countryside

There's something quite charming about a thatched roof cottage which makes you feel like you've stepped back in time.

This unique period farmhouse on Mill Lane, in Legbourne, near Louth offers a truly idyllic escape to countryside.

Entering the grounds via wrought iron gates and the sweeping gravel driveway, the main solid timber door has beautiful stained glass windows to each side.

Once inside, there are timber beams to the ceiling and a truly stunning ornate Elizabethan staircase and balustrade to the galleried landing.

Timber is the dominant feature of this delightful cottage, with latch doors and beamed ceilings in many of the sizeable rooms.

The reception room offers the best space, perfect for entertaining all year round; with French doors opening out onto patio seating areas.

Each of the decent-sized five bedrooms has a part sloping ceiling with some having decorative leaded windows.

The property sits in mature landscaped gardens of up to nearly an acre, with extensive views over the countryside and has a wealth of space both inside and outside.

Finally there's a triple brick garage with two electric remote controlled doors and one manual.

To find out more about this Louth property, on the market for 730,000 - contact Hunters Turner Evans Stevens Estate Agents, or why not view our dedicated property channel on GrimsbyLive for further inspiration.

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This thatched-roof cottage has a stunning Elizabethan staircase - Grimsby Live

WATCH: Play up your home's Autumn garden colours to boost sale appeal.

You dont need a home stylist to increase your property appeal. In fact, the features that most impress potential buyers might surprise you.

According to Rated Peoples recent Home Improvement Trends Report, six of the top 15 features that make buyers more likely to buy a property are external, with a garden lawn, security system, paved patio, outdoor lights, bi-fold doors and decking all working to increase the number of potential buyers for a property.

And inside? The big buyer attractions are functional additions like a downstairs toilet, built-in storage, a separate shower cubicle and underfloor heating.

Who'd have thought clever storage solutions could sell your house?

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The floor plan de jour for the past few years has moved towards open plan, but interestingly, the survey reveals that having separate living spaces is more popular with prospective buyers.

Forget open plan. Buyers are looking for separate living spaces now.

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Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People, says although some of the most attractive home improvements may look like bigger, more costly jobs to complete, there are clever and cost-effective ways to achieve similar looks, which could in turn increase the value of your home. When it comes to selling, its a good idea to stay up to date with the features that buyers are looking for because the trends that were adding value just two to three years ago might now be devaluing properties.

The research is taken from a wider study into renovation and interior design trends and other surprising buyer turnoffs.

Outdoor lighting and lawned gardens are a big selling point.

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Here, the top 15 home improvements that attract the most buyers are:

(Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report: 2020 ranked by the percentage of homeowners who said each feature would make them more likely to buy a property).

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15 Features that will sell your home - Better Homes and Gardens

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PUBLISHED: 15:31 29 March 2020 | UPDATED: 15:32 29 March 2020

Sarah Burgess

Andy performs for residents behind glass doors. PHOTO: Park House Care Home

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One of Park Houses favourite entertainers, Andrew John Hayes, has been using his one hour daily outing to maintain residents routine as social distancing measures are tightened.

By pitching himself on the patio on the other side of the glass windows, complete with amp, microphone and guitar, residents are able to have their regular entertainment from the safety of their armchairs.

Park House manager Sara Pearce said: Andy has been coming to sing at Park House for a number of years. He usually comes on a Friday.

Over the years he has grown very fond of the residents and has been deeply saddened when we have unfortunately lost any of our Park family.

He is especially fond of a lady called Olive, and helped us to plan her 104th birthday, coming in to sing for her on her big day,

He brought his drum kit so that she could play it, as drumming is one of her favourite things to do when music is playing.

He was devastated to learn that the pandemic was going to affect his time with the residents - so weve worked it out in a way that means he can still come and residents can still enjoy their time with him.

Olive said the through-the-window performance was brilliant and that Andy was her trusted friend.

Another resident, Joyce, said: It was such a lovely thing to do in these difficult times, I do prefer it when you can see him with no window though.

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Coronavirus in Norfolk: Care home residents entertained with 'through-the-window' live performance | Latest Norfolk and Suffolk News - Eastern Daily...

Oliver Leech Architects, a young specialist studio based in Wandsworth, has transformed a wisteria-clad mid-terrace Victorian house in Camberwell with ground-floor, side and rear extensions, using a palette of raw, natural materials exposed brickwork, timber and concrete that respect the patina of the original house, creating a sympathetic relationship between old and new.

The light-filled ground-floor extension stretches into the garden, blending indoor and outdoor space.

Here a scrappy, paved patch has been turned into a trellis-lined, urban oasis, set with a garden bench and planters of lavender.

To be honest, Im not hugely green-fingered, admits the owner, Max Taylor, an advertising executive. But it looks and smells great and it is low-maintenance.

When Max bought the two-storey house in 2015, it was in poor condition, with little natural light and a cramped kitchen.

I was looking for something with character that I could do up in a few years time. Dad gave me some good advice. He said, You should live in a house for all seasons before doing work to it, to see where the light catches and what spots you want to be in.

After living in the property for three years, Max knew he wanted to redesign the house to provide new cooking and eating spaces facing out on to the garden.

I noticed the old side return got amazing light in the summer, so when I was speaking to Oliver, I said, When we build the kitchen extension, we must keep this area open to catch the evening sun.

He also wanted to maximise open-plan living to provide more usable space and a calm atmosphere. Work began in September 2018.

Max moved out for six months while the house was stripped back to a shell, extended and internally rebuilt.

Leechs aim was to maximise the height of the new extensions and introduce large glazed openings.

Natural light is a very easy and inexpensive thing to make the most of, he says.

Light-filled: pitched skylights in the side extension let the evening sun pour in (Juliet Murphy)

The side extension provides extra width to the previously narrow kitchen, with pitched skylights overhead.

White oiled Douglas fir was combined with pale buff bricks to provide a subtle contrast with the existing London brickwork.

A rear extension with a high ceiling projects slightly further into the garden, framing a set of white-oiled Douglas fir bi-folding doors across a low-height window seat that has pull-out drawers for extra storage.

The bespoke seat, formed in cast stone, is flexible, in that the bi-fold doors fully retract and you can sit facing the kitchen, or with your legs lolling into the garden.

The bespoke-built kitchen, designed by the architects, continues the use of exposed raw materials, with a polished concrete countertop and sink to match the grey microcement kitchen floor.

Domestic touches warm up the pared-back design. No true whites have been used on walls and ceilings. Rich green units with circular handle detail run along the left side of the kitchen.

The green band of the planting in the garden continues through the kitchen, says Leech.

Theres underfloor heating, while Tala pendant lights hang over the long wooden table in the side extension.

The materials used for the extension continue through into the patio, with buff clay pavers laid in herringbone bond, surrounded by white-oiled timber boundary screens.

We got rid of the steps to the garden and made it all one level, says Max.

In the reception areas at the front of the house, original timber floors have been sanded back and oiled, and a muted colour palette employed on walls and ceilings.

The dark, narrow hallway has been opened up to expose the original wall structures, which creates extra light.

We kept the old timber studwork to retain some of the history of the house, says Leech.

An urban oasis: the trellis-lined, low-maintenance garden is planted with lavender(Juliet Murphy)

The front room has been turned into a chill-out space, with sofas, rugs and a film projector to screen movies. This leads into Maxs reading room.

Max told us he wanted a space to hand-write letters, says Leech.

Upstairs there are new windows in Maxs bedroom. In the bathroom, he now has a cast-iron bath in front of the window and a walk-in shower.

Plastered walls were left exposed and sealed to create a textural finish.

Maxs brief was that he wanted a contemporary home, but he didnt want to lose any sense of comfort and warmth, says Leech, who founded his studio, specialising in small to medium-scale residential architecture, in 2016.

Max says he loves living with the seasons.

You hardly need the lights on in this room, even at 10pm. I enjoy just sitting in silence in the space thats been created.

He has hung photos and artworks, but at certain times of the day the sunlight creates beautiful graphic patterns on the wall.

The way the light hits the timber beams in the kitchen, and then refracts around the extended kitchen is amazing.

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How to maximise light:inside a London terrace house after total overhaul led by the changing light of every season - Homes and Property

Heres an impressive property in a superb location and with three acres of grounds that include a swimming pool and pool house.

Braithwaite was built in the 1930s and is located in a quiet country lane in the village of Crook, between Windermere and Kendal.

It is full of charming original details, such as the oak front door with fanlight, polished wood floor and oak staircase in the reception hall, a feature Lakeland slate fireplace and galleried landing.

The spacious layout includes a playroom filled with light from with two west facing windows, a large picture window and part-glazed door to the front of the house and an open-plan sitting room with study/music area.

This spacious, south-facing room has three windows and two sets of sliding patio doors opening to a terrace offering uninterrupted views over the garden and surrounding countryside.

The first floor has a fabulous master bedroom suite with sliding patio doors to a roof terrace, fitted furniture and an en-suite bathroom.

Three further bedrooms are served by a shower room.

The second floor has the final two bedrooms and a cloakroom and there is also an attic.

Outside the grounds contain a double garage and driveway providing ample parking and turning and gardens with lawns, terraces, mature trees, conifers, shrubs and fruit trees.

Braithwaite in Crook, near Kendal, is for sale at 1.25m from Hackney & Leigh, tel. 01539 729711.

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Impressive 1930s house in Crook, between Kendal and Windermere, has charming interior and three acres of grounds including swimming pool - The...

The radio alarm burst into life at 7am, the news headlines providing a sudden reminder that this was the start of a working week like no other.

Usually Id wake at 6.30 but I had allowed myself the indulgence of an extra half hour due to the fact that, well, I didnt have to travel far. Just to the kitchen to be precise.

At 15, my eldest was supposed to be sitting his National 5 exams this year. Hes now gutted that my endless nagging at him to work harder during his prelims fell on deaf ears the landing zone for pretty much all my advice. Annoyingly for him, sometimes (though not often) Im actually right.

Most impressively considering his age, he didnt ask for a lie-in. He wanted to get into a routine and be at his bedroom desk for the start of school, ready to begin the day as normal. A part of him was excited to see how this new home schooling thing would work out. Badly, if the first half of the day was anything to go by.

His first message came at 9am telling him the Firefly system of sharing tasks wasnt coping and to await further advice.

My 13-year-old was less keen to get up, the thought of maths at home just as unappetising as learning it in class, so I set it as his first lesson theres no point pussyfooting around in times of national crisis.

With my eldest hanging about waiting for his first task to be assigned, I seconded him into assisting his brother. Leaving them to it, I ran downstairs to make my first call of the day. It started with what has now become my default opening line. Just to let you know my teenage sons are working upstairs so if you hear any sudden shouting, banging or possibly even fighting, please dont be alarmed.

To be fair, they made less noise than my husband the previous week who, on attempting to fix the garden fence, fell off our back wall when I was on a conference call. He could be heard in the background moaning loudly as he struggled to stand. I took immediate action of course, by swiftly shutting my patio doors.

Monday morning with the kids passed in a blur of running up and down the stairs to assist with their work, break up arguments and play-fights, keeping the younger one on task and providing snacks including to the dog who had piled in on the act.

Any thought of regular office hours is out the window now. You work when and however you can, including in the evenings.

By lunchtime I realised I needed to come up with a new pattern of working where I could be on hand to help in the morning making calls and answering emails when I can then allowing the younger one to break for a few hours so I can get through my to-do list. Any thought of regular office hours is out the window now. You work when and however you can, including in the evenings.

Those times when I connect with colleagues through video calls have become the highlight for me. For my first one last week, I linked up with five other colleagues and it was fascinating to see their home set-ups in the background. I started oohing and aahing over one of the teams new wallpaper in her lounge so she gave us a tour of the room.

Things then moved on to a more professional note until my chocolate Labrador, Daisy, started barking outside setting off one of my colleagues dogs. Once they piped down we continued and I was just getting into full flight on my team briefing when my youngest son passed behind me in his Mario onesie.

Unlike those times where you have to work from home when your kids are sick and you are pretending on work calls that everything is normal when really chaos is unfolding all around you, at least now everyone is in the same boat.

This is small beer compared to a clip that has gone viral on social media of one poor homeworker overseas who is presenting via videoconference when her husband appears at the bottom of the stairs behind her in his underpants. So panicked is he that he then bumps into the wall before stumbling backwards in a daze prolonging the exposure. The clip finishes with her holding her head in her hands. It will be a familiar pose to most of us over the next weeks and months just dont touch your face.

No, none of this is pretty, but unlike those times where you have to work from home when your kids are sick and you are pretending on work calls that everything is normal when really chaos is unfolding all around you, at least now everyone is in the same boat. Theres something about that I have to say I find liberating.

Right now we are all just trying to find a way through this overwhelming and fast-moving situation. There are challenges around every corner. But I think, I hope, that maybe, just maybe, we can make it work (ish).

Lots of us are finding ourselves working from home for an extended period the first time, and it looks like that might be the case for some weeks to come.

Of course, many others do work that cant easily be transplanted from an office to a home, but even if yours can be, it can be an odd and difficult experience especially now.

You can, though, learn from the home-working pros! One writer and author who has worked from home for many years looked at our current situation and decided that his best contribution was to quickly write a book, sharing the wisdom that not only he has learned, but his friends and colleagues across the world too.

Its called Take Control of Working from Home Temporarily, and its available for free from Take Control Books

Its author, Glenn Fleishman, also joined the host of one of our sister podcasts, Pass It On to talk about what you can do to understand how you arrange your working space and your life if you or someone you know finds themselves working from home for the first real time. Just search for Pass It On tips wherever you get your podcasts.

None of the advice in the free book or on the free podcast is preachy or patronising. Its all really pragmatic stuff from how you indicate to family or flatmates when youre busy versus interruptible, making sure youre being kind to yourself, and not feeling guilty about the second re-watching of Frozen II if you just need to get a solid hours work done when looking after your kids.

Download the free book for Kindle, iBooks, PDF and more from http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/working-from-home, and listen to the podcast by clicking here or searching for Pass It On tips wherever you get your podcasts.

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Yes, working from home is hard. But relax we're all learning as we go along - The Courier

The contemporary colonial house at 22 Flower Farm Circle sits at the far end of the cul-de-sac on a gated and level property of 2.46 acres.

The contemporary colonial house at 22 Flower Farm Circle sits at the far end of the cul-de-sac on a gated and level property of 2.46 acres.

Photo: SR Photo, LLC All Rights Reserved

The contemporary colonial house at 22 Flower Farm Circle sits at the far end of the cul-de-sac on a gated and level property of 2.46 acres.

The contemporary colonial house at 22 Flower Farm Circle sits at the far end of the cul-de-sac on a gated and level property of 2.46 acres.

On the Market: Colonial blossoms on former flower farm site

WESTPORT Thoughts of past agriculture that occurred in Westport and surrounding communities usually brings to mind the onion farms that once proliferated there.

Less well-known is the large flower farm that once existed in the Turkey Hill neighborhood of Westports Greens Farms area. That sweeter smelling farm is long gone, replaced by a street named Flower Farm Circle. What has sprung up in the farms place is a bouquet of upscale houses, all built about two decades ago, including the contemporary colonial house at 22 Flower Farm Circle, a private road.

This 10-room, 5,944-square-foot blossom sits at the far end of the cul-de-sac, on a gated and level property of 2.46 acres. Its privacy is enhanced by the abundance of trees that border this property and its placement far down the long driveway.

Yet, this house is only minutes from the Post Road (Route 1) shops and restaurants in one direction, and the Greens Farms train station and local beaches in the opposite direction.

Built in 1997, this taupe-colored clapboard and red brick house features custom, stacked windows and multiple sets of French doors to the private grounds, which include a bluestone patio lined in Belgium block.

The builder clearly anticipated the modern lifestyle people live today. The house has spacious rooms, an open floor plan, and a first-floor master bedroom suite that would allow its owners to age in place or invite aging parents to move in. The dark hardwood flooring throughout the house adds dimension to the fresh and airy style.

A bluestone path leads past shrubbery and perennial flowers to the covered front entrance, which is framed by fluted pilasters and tall sidelights.

The door opens into the sizable two-story entry foyer, to the right of which is the office and to the left is the formal living room. The office features a tall vaulted ceiling and is separated from the foyer by French doors. The entrance into the living room has sophisticated millwork and molding. From the living room there is a wide entryway into the formal dining room, which has wainscoting on the lower walls.

The white eat-in kitchen features a two-tiered center island with seating, granite counters, built-in desk area, and double ovens. The eat-in area has sliding doors to the patio and yard.

In the two-story family room, there is a floor-to-ceiling stacked stone fireplace, an interior balcony and two floors of windows the custom stacked windows mentioned earlier, and French doors to the patio and yard. A pass-through area is perfect for setting up a bar when entertaining. A large mudroom contains a number of built-in cubbies, and provides access to the laundry room and the attached two-car garage.

ABOUT THIS HOUSE

STYLE: Contemporary colonial

ADDRESS: 22 Flower Farm Circle

PRICE: $1,299,000

ROOMS: 10

FEATURES: 2.46-acre level and gated property, located at the end of a cul-de-sac, bluestone patio, proximity to Greens Farms train station, short drive to local beaches, easy commute to Post Road (Route 1) shops and restaurants, wood shingle roof, one fireplace, attached two-car garage, homeowners association, central air conditioning, zoned natural gas heat, public water and sewer connections, full finished basement, attic, five bedrooms including first floor master suite, three full and one half baths

SCHOOLS: Greens Farms Elementary, Bedford Middle, Staples High School

ASSESSMENT: $1,215,200

MILL RATE: 16.86 mills

TAXES: $20,488

HOA: $750, paid annually

This house has five bedrooms. The master suite is complete with custom closets - including a walk-in, a tall tray ceiling, a huge master bath with a jetted tub, shower, double vanity, and water closet, and a separate sitting room with French doors to a side yard. The remaining bedrooms are on the second floor, where there are two full baths, as well as large storage and linen closets.

On the finished lower level, there is flexible space; plenty of room to accommodate a media room, gym, and a recreation or play room.

For more information or to make an appointment to see the house contact Judy Michaelis of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage at 203-247-5000 or Judy.Michaelis@coldwellbankermoves.com.

Read more:
On the Market: Colonial blossoms on former flower farm site - Westport News

The dormers and mansard roof all signal Victorian, but beyond the cheery yellow double doors, this circa 1900 Brookline Victorian is a synergistic mix of modern and period styles.

Offering four bedrooms, two full baths, one half bath, and 4,269 square feet of space, 91 Francis St., our Luxury Home of the Week, has hit the market for $3,250,000. Benna Lynch Rondini of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Commonwealth Real Estate has the listing.

Hardwood flooring and spectacular Moooi ball lighting add warmth and drama to an interior that is sleek with clean lines, statement tile, tall baseboards, and crown molding under ceilings that reach up to 13 feet. The black-and-white cement tile in the kitchen sets a playful tone other spaces in the home emulate. The kitchen which shares an open layout with a dining area that has built-ins boasts a quartz-topped, 14-foot-long island at its center that seats five, smooth-front cabinetry, a door to the mahogany deck, and a pass-through with glass shelves to the family room. A wall-to-wall workstation offers an unobtrusive place for children to do homework within view and earshot of the kitchen.

The dining area opens into a family room with a new wood-burning fireplace and exposed dark beams a pleasing contrast to the white walls found throughout the home. Natural light pours in through a myriad of windows. All of the windows in the home are new, as are the staircases, baths, and the plumbing, heating/cooling, and electrical systems. The floors in the kitchen, baths, and mudroom have radiant heat.

A stairway with oak treads and rails and glass sides leads to the second floor, which houses all four bedrooms. Neutral cement tile offers a blank canvas in the master suite. The walls of the adjoining bath are clad in white subway tile; the flooring, however, is a gray-and-white cement tile with a design that may be a nod to the Southwest. The space also features a floating dual vanity, a shower with a frameless-glass door, a soaking tub, and a water closet.

The second bedroom also has an en-suite bath, but this one is accessible from the main hall. The third bedroom offers a loft that can accommodate a queen-sized mattress.

A spiral staircase leads to a walkout lower level with doors to the patio.

A 650-square-foot space that has a separate entrance has been plumbed and is ready to finish, Rondini said. That square footage is not included in the main tally.

The yard of the 0.22-acre property boasts no-maintenance synthetic turf and off-street parking for five vehicles.

See more photos of the home below:

Take a virtual tour.

Subscribe to the Globes free real estate newsletter our weekly digest on buying, selling, and design atpages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter@globehomes.

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Luxury Home of Week: Brookline Victorian with synthetic turf yard - Boston.com

Classy and Casual describes the look and feel of this ranch home in the Fieldstone Neighborhood! Popular split bedroom design with 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and great entertaining spaces inside and out! Features include 9 and 10 foot ceilings throughout with transom windows, crown molding and tray ceilings in DR and Master bedroom. Beautiful new hardwood floors throughout the living & dining room! You'll love the granite counters, heated tile floors, stone/gas fireplace, covered deck off the master bedroom, Trex Transcend (no maintenance) deck off the nook, 5' tile shower and jet tub in master. Downstairs you'll enjoy the family room with a large wet bar, home theater, exercise nook, and pool table area. The LL also features 9' ceilings, daylight windows, two additional bedrooms and a bathroom. The outside is impressive with extensive landscaping, large trees for privacy, brick patio/fire pit, irrigation system and pond-less waterfall. Other high lights include the insulated 3 stall garage with epoxy floor and hot/cold water, extra garage under the deck, central vacuum, Anderson Windows, Heat Pump and 95% efficient furnace, solid core 3 panel doors, pantry, and great drop zone with lockers! So much to love and enjoy here!

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2 of the Most Expensive Homes for Sale in the Waterloo and Cedar Falls Area - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

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