South Down seclusion …

Ferring is a friendly village three miles West of Worthing town centre where there has been evidence of settlers dating back to the Bronze Age.  There are both new builds and traditional bungalows which are beginning to become more popular with young families wishing to take residence in a calm seaside village.  There is a sense of strong community spirit within Ferring’s beautiful surroundings which comprises of the beach, the South Downs and the river rife.  But what can this new development offer? 

Driving along a tree lined road, I entered the close-knit village of Ferring, passing old cobbled buildings with the Church and library on the northern edge.  It was easy to find Brook Lane however with no signs to the development I thought I had taken a wrong turn.  Once reaching the end of the compact road, I saw the bright Symonds & Reading board signifying the new builds, all of which are tucked away along a newly bricked lane.  It made me wonder how anyone with no previous knowledge of the site, or indeed much familiarity of the village, would be able to locate it.  I parked my car outside one of the semi-detached homes and waited for the estate agent to arrive. 

I gazed around the small development of just five two and three bedroom homes and was intrigued by their design – some were in keeping with the village’s character and had a cobbled frontage whereas others were pushing more towards a contemporary theme.  I was slightly dubious with regards to the front doors, especially their handles which were rather small.  Once the smartly dressed estate agent arrived, he introduced himself and we entered the first property.

I was informed they had a “show-home” opening on 23 August (a week before I visited) so when I entered the three bedroom home, I was quite taken aback as this did not appear to have “show-home” quality.  The first thing that “caught my eye” were wires still hanging out of the wall.  I then began to take in the rest of the surroundings where there was no furniture or pictures that would normally be found in a show home.  The available space and light on the ground floor, however, over-ruled my urge to leave the property and I continued my way through the semi-detached home.  The kitchen was decorated with white splash back tiles, light cupboards and dark worktops – in my opinion, after viewing many show homes, it seemed that the worktops were installed on a tight budget.  The kitchen comes with an extractor fan, oven, hob and fridge freezer. 

An attribute that I was very happy with was the separate cupboard space where a washer and dryer could be kept; out of the way behind a door which would hopefully disguise the noise of a busy machine.  Carrying on through, towards the North, we entered the lounge/dining room which had an open plan integrated conservatory.  This allowed for a lot of natural light due to the large windows and glass doors opening out onto the back garden.  This room offers the finest views of High Down Hill.

We walked back into the hall to climb the stairs to the first floor.  The first room at the top of the stairs was the third bed/study.  It seemed unlikely that much more than a small single bed would fit in, which perhaps is why there was a small cupboard space outside this room.  Unfortunately, the views of the South Downs cannot be fully appreciated as the windows to the two North facing bedrooms were small.  I was also not very keen on the two wall lights in both the master bedroom and second bedroom; these could be easily broken by children and limit the layout of the room.  The bathroom was a convenient size and I liked the “p” shape bath that enables enough room to shower comfortably or to have a relaxing bath.

Location, location, location:
A short walk to the main high street where the local pub can also be found, bus stops a short walk, Goring-By-Sea train station about 1 mile away, Blue Bird Café 1 mile away, short walk to the village green and play ground. 

Best feature:
Ground floor is spacious with great views to the South Downs, in a quiet area, good access to transport links.

Worst feature:
Small windows on the first floor, third bedroom small, front door handle

Contact the sales office: 01903 502121

• Location:   7 of 10 (Easy access by roads and to amenities)
• Product:       5 of 10
• Sales Negotiator service: 2 of 10 (didn’t bring any information with him, didn’t know the exact prices, was unsure on specifications)
• Value for money:             Good for young family

Overall: Ferring has some good transport links, is a quiet and friendly village …