A breeze through…

 

Shoreham-By-Sea was established by the Norman conquerors towards the end of the 11th Century, and due to its location and proximity to Normandy, it made a logical place to improve facilities for travel and trade.  Popularity grew when the railway was introduced to the area in 1840 and this was further aided as Shoreham is located between the popular seaside destinations of Brighton and Worthing.  Shoreham rapidly grew as a Victorian sea port with several shipyards and active coastal trade.  Unfortunately, some of Shoreham’s charm was lost during the Second World War as the converted railway carriages, used as summer homes, were cleared for defences.

Nowadays Shoreham grasps the attention of both locals and tourists with its natural beauty, clearly obvious through the South Downs, The River Adur, the beaches and of course the amazing structure that is Lancing College.  With annual events such as the Shoreham Airshow, The Annual Bath Tub Race, The Adur Festival, Beach Dreams and The Adur Real Ale Festival it’s no wonder why people return regularly.

Driving along the A259, Bridges Bank was easy to find with colourful AA boards directing me towards the development.  Many of these well constructed new homes have already been finished whereas others are still undergoing work.  With construction vans coming and going, I thought it would be much easier (and less dusty) to park opposite the development at the conveniently located Swiss Cottage pub.  I crossed the busy Old Shoreham Road and followed the sales office signs to reach a well presented sales cabin, full of options and information.  I entered through the sliding door where a smiling sales negotiator greeted me and talked me through the site using the scale model.  After the quick run through, she opened the door towards the show-home (the sales cabin will be turned into a double garage once the property has been purchased).

We entered through the integral garage door into the home and after a quick explanation of the downstairs, I was left to wander the town house unaccompanied.  Straight ahead was a large, light oak veneer door.  Behind this was a large utility room, with a toilet, kitchen style units and work surface plus enough room to fit a washing machine and hang up coats.  The last room downstairs can be used as a multi-purpose room, adequately named as the “garden room” with sliding doors opening onto the oblong landscaped garden.  It was a very well presented and thought-out garden and I loved that they integrated the “easy living” features such as the stylish sun-screen canopies with a hammock underneath – definitely my taste!

Walking back into the home and up the cream carpeted stairs, the first room my eyes fall upon is the study; a light box room decorated with only the essentials preventing the everyday distractions, perfect for those looking to work from home.  To the left of the stair case is the large lounge which covers the whole of the double garage underneath.  It is decorated in creams, browns and lime greens giving a super chic yet relaxing feel with black and white pictures adding to the ambience.  A large family sized corner sofa fills much of the initial view with two further brown leather arm chairs which sit under the East facing windows with a North facing Juliette balcony which helps provide further light. 

Walking back along the hallway I entered into the well-sized and brightly decorated kitchen.  At one end, the six seater dining table and crockery cupboard and at the other the black and lime green kitchen cupboards, black worktops (with subtle sparkle) which appeared to be a granite compound, stainless steel gas hob with a chimney hood extractor, stainless steel sink and integrated fridge/freezer.  A feature that I liked was the ability to overlook the garden through the large windows near the dining area which allows for a lot of natural light.

I climbed the stairs once more to the second floor, and entered into the second double bedroom. I was impressed with the available space and the deep fitted wardrobes.  It seemed that this bedroom had more available space than the master bedroom, however the master has an en-suite with a deep shower cubicle.  The third bedroom was a single room but well-sized - I would have preferred to have larger windows to make it feel more spacious but it was bigger than many of the other developments third bedroom.  The bathroom and en-suite were fitted with white Roca sanitary ware, pale coloured tiles and had an Asian undertone incorporated.

What you get for your money:
Prices from £299,995 - £345,000 for a three bed townhouse

Location, location, location:
Around a 10 minute walk to the centre where there are a variety of shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, Shoreham train station a few minutes walk away, easy access to A259 and A27, short drive to the Holmbush Shopping centre, yachting and watersports within close proximity and recreational flying at Shoreham Airport.

Best feature:
Spacious, light, easy access to transport links, good location

Worst feature:
On a main road – noise pollution during the day, could be a problem for those with young children?  Land to the East is earmarked for future development.

Contact the sales office: 0870 752 4380 - open daily 10 till 5

Location:   7 of 10 (Easy access by roads and to amenities)
Product:       9 of 10
Sales Negotiator service: 6 of 10 (smiled, well spoken, didn’t run through any specs, didn’t ask my status or details) 
Value for money:             Good for family homes or commuters