Will the Northampton housing market collapse in 2022
Is the market in danger of freefall?
There’s no doubt 2021 was a bumper year for house prices. According to the latest ONS House Price Index, prices increased by nearly 11% year on year. The UK property market was buoyed by low interest rates, the Stamp Duty holiday and changing work habits. But will house prices continue to rise in 2022?
Many experts in the industry believe that house prices will finally begin to fall this year.” That would be welcome news for first-time buyers and upsizers.
Let’s take a closer look at the outlook for house prices in 2022, and reveal the experts’ predictions.
If you were shaken by the inflation figures from the Office for National Statistics, showing the Consumer Price Index in March was up seven per cent year-on-year, I am afraid I have to warn you that there will be more bad news in store next month. City predictions are that it will climb to around 8.8 per cent before falling back a bit through the summer. The number for the retail price index, the traditional measure, was even higher at nine per cent.
But there was another inflation figure published by the Government yesterday, which generated rather less attention. It was higher still: 10.9 per cent. That was the rise in house prices in the year to February. The fact that there was so little apparent concern says a lot about public attitudes to inflation.
Rationally, the amount we have to pay for somewhere to live is just as important as the amount we pay for other necessities such as food and fuel bills. We are ambivalent about house price inflation because for the people who own their homes, rising prices are rather a good thing. Some 65 per cent of households in the UK are homeowners, down from a peak of 71 per cent in 2003. But for most people home ownership would be the tenure of choice.
In 2014 the British Social Attitudes Survey found that given a free choice, 83 per cent would like to own their homes. On the other hand, there was strong push-back against home building, with 45 per cent of people opposing new homes being built in their area. In the south of the country that proportion rose to 50 per cent.
A mountain to climb for young people
There is the problem. We want to own our homes but we don’t want new ones to be built. You don’t need to be an economist to appreciate that if you restrict supply in the face of rising demand, prices are likely to go up. And so it is with homes in the UK. The average price for an existing property is now £266,669 and £352,909 for a newly built one. The average first-time buyer paid £230,593, up 10.1 per cent on a year ago, a sum that for many young people who don’t have family help is a mountain to climb.
So what happens next? Much will depend on the Bank of England and its path of interest rates. They are already on the move, and rose again to 1% yesterday, We will get its quarterly Monetary Policy Report then and that will give us more of a feeling for the future both of inflation and of interest rates. Incidentally, it used to be called the Inflation Report. They changed the name in November 2019, just before inflation began to take off, a shift that looks pretty silly now. I think they should eat humble pie and change it back.
Present surge expected to tail off
But there won’t be much about house prices. What will happen to them? Well, a new set of forecasts have just been published by experts, and the message there is that the present surge will start to tail off from now on.
Many in the industry think the average increase this year will be about five per cent, falling to one per cent in 2023 and two per cent in both 2024 and 2025, then climbing by three per cent in 2026. There will be regional variations, with the East of England and the East Midlands doing rather better than London or Scotland, and these are averages, so there may be some local declines.
It appears that three things stand out. One is that nobody is predicting a crash, such as took place after the banking crisis and subsequent recession of 2008-09. The second is that there will be a couple of years, maybe longer, where house prices will rise more slowly than overall inflation. So homes will become more affordable, relative at least to goods and services, and almost certainly to income too. And third, even with this quite sober outlook, prices in 2026 will, at least on average, be 13.6 per cent higher than they are now. This may not be a great time to buy a home, but it is not a dreadful one.
These are brave forecasts from industry experts who deserve credit for their work. The overall message is that buying and selling homes will not bring easy profits, as that has for many people over the past few years. People won’t be boasting that they made more from their house than they did from their jobs. That’s a good thing, for in broad social terms to have homes become more affordable for young people must be right. But a crash would do no good either. I think and hope Knight Frank is right on that one too.
Further thoughts
We’re not expecting a crash in house prices because while interest rates have to rise, they are not heading into the double digits, or anything close, as they did in the 1970s and 1980s. The overall demand for housing in the UK will continue to rise for two main reasons.
One is that the population is increasing and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The other is that people need bigger homes as a fair proportion of us will continue to work from them, at least part-time.
What might destabilise the market, overriding these two demand factors, would be distress sellers: people who have to sell fast because they have lost their jobs or because mortgage rates have risen too fast. As yet there is zero sign of the job market going into reverse. We learned this week that unemployment at 3.8 per cent is the equal lowest since 1974-75 and the number of unfilled vacancies at 1,288,000 the highest ever.
The labour market will cool eventually, but that will take time and borrowers will therefore have time to sort out their finances. And as for mortgage rates, the very fact that there is so much debt around means that rates don’t have to go so high to curb inflationary pressures. So a plateau in house prices as wages gradually catch up seems more likely than a sudden fall.
Young central bankers not experienced enough
But it would be right to end with a warning. It is always tricky to end a boom without pushing the economy into a slump, and the present generation of central bankers have no experience of coping with runaway inflation. They are too young. Andrew Bailey, the current governor, joined the Bank of England in 1985, five years after the US Federal Reserve had famously increased its interest rate to 20 per cent, thereby knocking inflation on the head – but causing a recession.
The present generation – and this is not to get at the Bank of England in particular – have allowed the worse inflation for 40 years. The question is, do they have the judgement to curb it now without triggering another recession?
Conclusion
It is unlikely that prices will head south in a significant way, although there will definitely be a correction and isolated minor falls in prices, overall, the market will remain strong. Rents have been increasing, which will ensure they keep pace with rising house prices and only one third of UK homes are mortgaged, with another third being owned outright and the other third being rented. Of the third that are mortgaged, many of them are on fixed deals which should see them through this year and in to next year, by which time the current rises in prices will begin to fall of the RPI, provided that inflation does not spiral out of control, the risk of anything dramatic is negligible.
A step-by-step guide to selling a home in Northampton
You’re ready to make the leap to somewhere new. So how do you get started with the whole selling process and how long does it all take?
Key points
Find out how much your home is worth and start prepping for viewings with a good deep-clean and de-clutter
Choose the right estate agent for you and find a good solicitor early on in the process, so they can get cracking as soon as you go under offer
Selling a home takes around 25 weeks, from the moment it’s first listed until completion
How much it all costs will depend upon the value of your property, as estate agent fees work out as a percentage of your sale price
1. How can I get started with my sale?
The first thing you’ll want to know before putting your home on the market is how much it’s worth.
At Northamptonshire Luxury Homes, we can tell you that in an instant. Our valuations are based on powerful market data and even shows you your home’s sales history.
We can also let you know what similar properties in your area have sold for, to give you a good idea of market rates. Because knowledge is king.
But nothing beats having an estate agent come to your home to have a proper look around for an accurate property valuation.
They’ll be able to see all the work you’ve done to your place while you lived there – and calculate how much value it’s added to your property.
They’ll also be able to take in how well looked-after it is, learn about its best features and then highlight them to potential buyers.
Springtime is the best time for marketing your home.
Between February and June, the housing market bursts into action as buyers start looking for somewhere new.
The next best time is autumn, between September and October, as people hope to get settled into a new place in time before Christmas.
The quietest times of the year for the housing market are in the summer, from July to August, when everyone’s holiday, or just before Christmas, from November to December.
If you put your home up for sale in a quieter time, it could mean it hangs around for a while.
That in turn may mean buyers might think there’s something wrong with it, so it’s good to aim for a time when lots of buyers are looking for somewhere new.
5. How long does it take to sell a house?
Once you’re on the market, the first few weeks are the most crucial time for your home to go under offer.
‘That first four to six weeks of marketing a property is so important.
‘You are fresh on the market and it’s your best moment to capture the maximum number of eyeballs.’
The whole process of selling a home, from the moment it’s first listed to the moment you hand over the keys to your buyer takes around 25 weeks on average.
However, selling a home is dependent on many factors and the process can take anything between 17 and 34 weeks in total.
Coming in at between 1% to 3% of your home’s sold price, estate agent fees will be the biggest cost you incur when selling a home. The key here, is not to opt for the cheapest agent, they are under pressure to complete sales as quickly as possible and cannot devote the time needed to get the best price. Even so, we are not suggesting you instruct the most expensive agents, but a good agent will probably cost you less, because they will work harder to get the a higher final selling price.
Next up it will be your conveyancing fees (£800 – £1,800)
Then your removal costs (£420 – £1,800)
Your remortgaging fees (£1,000+)
And finally the costs for any paperwork expenses, such as the Energy Performance Certificate (£60 – £120)
7. What documents do you need in place to sell a house?
When selling a home, you’ll need to have the following documents available:
An Energy Performance Certificate. A legal requirement for sellers since 2008, an EPC will tell buyers how well your home uses energy
FENSA certificates for windows and doors
A Boiler Safety Certificate
Gas Safety Certificate
Electrical Installation Certificate
Planning approval for any major works
Your solicitor will also ask you to fill out further forms about the property itself and what you’re planning to include from it in the sale, such as curtains and appliances.
8. What if I’m selling and buying at the same time?
If you’re looking to buy a new home at the same time as selling yours, the best thing you can do is to get all of your professionals lined up early.
Have a solicitor or conveyancer in place who’s ready to get cracking the moment you go under offer.
And make sure you have all of the relevant documents and paperwork ready for your solicitor in advance.
Delays in the conveyancing process are one of the biggest hold-ups in the buying-and-selling-a-home experience.
You’ll want an efficient, on-the-ball professional and you’ll need to respond to all queries from your buyer’s solicitor pronto, so that everything moves along smoothly.
How to buy and sell a home at the same time
9. How do I sell a Shared Ownership, Help to Buy or Leasehold home?
The rules around selling Shared Ownership, Help to Buy or leasehold homes are slightly different.
Topics you may wish to research:
How do you sell a Shared Ownership home?
How to sell a Help to Buy property
How do you sell a leasehold property?
Also, if you’re selling a home in Scotland, the process works in a different way to in England and Wales.
How is selling a home different in Scotland?
10. Different reasons for selling a home
Sometimes the reasons for selling a home aren’t always straightforward.
If you’re selling a home because you’re separating from your partner, you may be wondering what your rights are – and if they differ according to whether you were married, co-habiting or have children.
We explain how the law works in our guide: What happens to our home if we break-up?
If you’ve lost your partner and there’s still a mortgage on your home, we explain what happens next in our guide: What happens to our home if my partner dies?
You may be thinking about giving your property to your children. So let’s take a look at how inheritance tax works in that situation.
11. You’re under offer! So how do you manage your chain?
Once the joy of going under offer subsides, you may find yourself in the dreaded property chain.
This is the part when the surveys start happening and the solicitors get busy with all of the relevant searches they need to conduct on your property.
This phase can take anything between several weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the chain and the properties involved.
Here’s how to push yours along and keep everything moving.
12. Let’s get moving!
You’ve exchanged and the deal is sealed! It’s time to organise the removals.
Are you going to go for the full shebang packing-and-unpacking removal service?
Or is this going to be a DIY job with mates?
The cheapest way to move home is to hire a van and do it yourself.
This may be manageable if you’re a young professional living in a studio or one bedroom flat, less so if you have five kids and 30 years worth of stuff.
If you’re planning to use a firm, removal costs can vary from between £420 for a one-bedroom flat to £1800 for a four-bedroom house.
If you have any questions or if you would like advice on selling or finding you dream home, Get in touch.
Market Update Executive Homes in Northamptonshire NN14 April 2022
The state of the market in NN14 this month?
In the past year, NN14 has seen a lot of activity, with a total of 519 properties progressing through to completion within the last 12 months.
Properties in NN14 had an overall average price of £301,871 over the last year.
The majority of sales in NN14 during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £409,955. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £234,011, with terraced properties fetching £200,269 and flats at an average of £116,773.
Overall, sold prices in NN14 over the last year were 18% up on the previous year and 31% up on the 2015 peak of £230,949.
There is a total of 615 properties on the market, of which 430 are SSTC, with only 186 available. However, when we look at luxury property, starting at £500,000, the availability drops significantly.
Northamptonshire has benefitted from strong growth over the last 18 months, with NN14 being at the forefront of the market. With rolling countryside, easy access to arterial road networks and an abundance of beautiful villages, it remains a favourite for those looking to move to a quiet location, with easy access to rural and urban locations.
As with many other parts of the country, there is a significant fall in available property on the market, which continues to ensure that NN14 clearly remains a seller’s market.
However, as the market stabilises, the figures suggest that the market will gradually settle down, ensuring that property prices will continue to remain strong, well in to the Q1/Q2 2023.
Bright Ideas for Awkward Attic Spaces in Northampton
Attic spaces can do so much more than store holiday decorations and sports equipment. They often have low, sloped ceilings that are tailor made for cosy, private environments. We take a look at how clever designers and homeowners made use of their attic’s full potential, from guest bedrooms to home offices.
The first step is to get all the structural work out of the way, most loft floors will need reinforcing to take the added weight of additional flooring and furniture. Get professional advice, if this is not done properly, you could face serious problems further down the line.
Beautiful roof windows with wardrobes thoughtfully fitted to take advantage of the space.
Do you have a musician in the house? If so, this could be for you, perhaps with suitable soundproofing?
With more and more people working from home, even for two or three days a week, a loft could make a bright and peaceful office.
This loft was converted in to a very tasteful bathroom.
This loft was converted to take advantage of the layout, with windows to the side, making a very comfy additional family room.
An additional guest room with en-suite or somewhere for growing teenagers to have their own space.
A feature wall and three roof windows really set this spacious room off.
The wooden floor with boards running lengthways from the window, puts the natural light to best use.
This conversion has taken advantage of all the space to maximise storage and light.
The wooden floor is complemented by the Pine furniture.
This loft has been converted in to a very tasteful self contained apartment, with Wooden floor and exposed Brick walls which adds character.
With natural light from three sides, this large bedroom, finished in light natural shades has a wonderful feeling of space.
The exposed beams set against the white timber creates a very tasteful additional family room.
Things to consider
If your home has a modern Trussed roof, that does not mean that you cannot convert your loft, but it will be more expensive, as you will need to replace the entire roof, to one that is engineered to allow for the open space within.
Always check with planning first and do not proceed with any work until you have consulted with a professional.
Windows looking out on to other property will probably be refused by your local planning authority and your neighbours would not appreciate it either.
Weigh up the cost of moving, as compared to adding space with a loft conversion. Although the cost could be put towards a larger home, depending at your relevant price point, the stamp duty alone could contribute to some, or even all of the cost of moving.
Contact a reputable Estate Agent, to get an opinion on ‘GDV’ or ‘Gross Development Value’ once your project is completed. Once again, factor in the cost of moving, so even without all the costs being covered by the additional value added to your property, you could still be financially better off converting a loft, instead of moving home.
Aldwincle (sometimes Aldwinkle or Aldwinckle) is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, with a population at the time of the 2011 census of 322. It stands by a bend in the River Nene, 4 miles (6.4 km) to the north of Thrapston. The name of the village means “Ealda’s nook”.
Aldwincle (sometimes Aldwinkle or Aldwinckle) is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, with a population at the time of the 2011 census of 322. It stands by a bend in the River Nene, 4 miles (6.4 km) to the north of Thrapston. The name of the village means “Ealda’s nook”. Aldwincle has a mixed population of 350, with a high proportion of retired people. Those in employment mainly commute to towns such as Peterborough and Kettering, or further afield to Cambridge, London or Birmingham. There are a number of small home-based businesses, a garage and a village shop, as well as a couple of farms.
There is a highly regarded voluntary aided primary school in the parish, Trinity CE Lower School which is now part of the 2 tier system which was in place for September 2016. The school now caters for Reception to Year 6, with a current roll of about 150 pupils.
Aldwincle Village Hall has been extensively refurbished, including a catering standard kitchen. It has good resources for village events and is available for private hire.
The parish church, dedicated to St Peter, is an attractive and well-maintained building. There are two Sunday services each month, one of them being a Family Service. There is a Baptist chapel and also a second Anglican church building (dedicated to All Saints and shown above), though this was declared redundant several years ago, and is in the care of the Churches’ Conservation Trust. This was one of the first churches to introduce “champing”, and has proved popular with walkers and canoists using the nearby River Nene. The original village rectory was the birthplace of the poet, John Dryden.
All Saints Church Aldwincle Northamptonshire in Focus
Aldwincle Northamptonshire in Focus
History of Aldwincle
The parish, covering nearly 1120 hectares, consists of an irregular triangle of land, extending N.W. of the R. Nene at 100 ft. above OD, over a broad and generally flat interfluve some 260 ft. to 290 ft. above OD and then down the S. side of the Lyveden valley, here 200 ft. above OD. Except around the village, which lies on river gravel, the greater part of the parish is on either Boulder or Oxford Clays. There are still extensive woodlands on the higher parts.
¶The parish is noteworthy for the large number of Prehistoric and Roman sites found in it; this has been the result of chance discovery rather than the presence of those physical features which were especially attractive to settlement. The major complex at Henslow Meadow in the S. of the parish was uncovered by recent gravel-workings, and detailed excavation by D. A. Jackson for the Department of the Environment has enabled a long sequence of sites to be recorded. These include the Neolithic mortuary enclosure (1), and a number of barrows and ring ditches (2–7). An Iron Age settlement, Roman settlements, a pit alignment and a Roman bridge (8–11) have also been discovered. Another major Roman settlement and some undated enclosures (12–17) elsewhere in the parish have been discovered by fieldwork and air photography.
In the extreme N. of the parish two medieval moated sites (19) and (20) are part of the extensive remains of now-abandoned medieval settlement in the Lyveden valley (see p. xxxix and Fig. 12), which may have been organized economically on an extra-parochial basis.
Lyveden New Bield Lyveden Northamptonshire in focus
Elizabethan lodge & moated garden
Tucked away in the heart of the Northamptonshire countryside lies a mysterious house and garden, a remarkable example of Renaissance design and craftsmanship. Begun by Sir Thomas Tresham in 1595 but never completed, Lyveden is a wonderful survivor of the Elizabethan age and a rare example of late Tudor landscape design. There are tranquil moats, viewing terraces and an Elizabethan orchard to explore, as well as an enigmatic garden lodge covered in religious symbols. Sir Thomas intended his garden and lodge to symbolise his devotion to the Catholic faith, but the full extent of Sir Thomas’s symbolic design remains unexplained to this day.
One man’s creative impulse born of social and political upheaval, religious persecution, and personal faith will be revealed through a programme of restoration, recreation and reinterpretation. With new facilities at Lyveden Manor, visitors will be able to delve deeper into how and why Sir Thomas Tresham created the garden and lodge at Lyveden, and to explore the relevance of his story to our modern world.
Lyveden is a poignant and dramatic example of one man standing up for his beliefs in dangerous times, through an act of quiet and creative rebellion.
Tresham’s story is one of a private, yet public, expression of his own vision of identiry, belief and commitment, and how one man showed resistance in the face of persecution. His experience demonstrates how one man showed resistance in the face of persecution. As a Catholic in Protestant England, Tresham found his loyalty and status as a member of the English gentry called into question. The hardening of Elizabeth’s stance towards religious conformity in the 1580s as the threat of Catholic invasion increased at home and abroad imposed legal restrictions on the practise of Catholicism in England. In the 1580s, Tresham made the decision to assert his faith and religious identity and, as a result, found himself subject to legal questioning, imprisonment and heavy fines.
During his time under house arrest, and imprisonment, Thomas Tresham came up with the designs for Lyveden; a journey of discovery and a contemplative walk from his manor house hidden at the bottom of the hill up through an elaborately designed water garden to the garden lodge above.
Lyveden New Bield Lyveden Northamptonshire in focus
Lyveden is one of the most important, unspoilt and unique Elizabethan gardens in England. Sir Thomas Tresham designed and constructed Lyveden as a testament to his Catholic faith. Every element of Lyveden is designed to symbolically convey Tresham’s own spiritual journey as he struggled to reconcile his faith with the changing Elizabethan world. It’s a deeply personal story centred on Tresham’s individual belief, but it would also have been shared with others who suffered similarly, shared his thinking, and understood the meaning of the symbols.
Lyveden New Bield Lyveden Northamptonshire in focus Clouds
Lyveden not only represents one man’s individual response to the world changing around him, but also a shared human response to change. The peace and tranquillity of this carefully, crafted landscape provides an opportunity for visitors to delve deeper into the mental world of Tresham, to explore the broader historical context of Lyveden, and to find resonance with their own modern lives.
Lyveden New Bield Lyveden Northamptonshire in focus Aerial
Lying just south of Northampton this beautiful canal village offers a wealth of interest to any boating enthusiast or any country lover. Two and three storey brick built cottages line the banks of this delightful stretch of the Grand Union Canal, whilst in the village itself, most of the properties are of a lovely, honey coloured, local stone.
There are pleasant canal side walks, and you can follow the towpath down the flight of seven locks. Trips along the canal are on offer providing the opportunity to explore picturesque waterbeds and river wildlife in a haze of tranquillity from the comfort of a narrow boat. The Boat Inn, welcoming canal side watering hole, has been in the same family since 1877 when it was a haven for the men and women working on barges trawling the Grand Union Canal. It extends the same warm welcome to today’s boaters.
The small Northamptonshire village of Stoke Bruerne is famous for its association with the Grand Union Canal, which runs peacefully right through the village. On the south bank of the canal is the Canal Museum (also known as the National Waterways Museum Stoke Bruerne).
The museum tells the story of life on the canal and the building of the Blisworth Tunnel, a short distance outside the village. A short signposted walk leads along the canal towpath to the Tunnel, where a section of the original tunnel support system is preserved to view.
If you fancy a longer walk, the Grand Union Canal Walk path leads along the canal in both directions.
You can take trips along the canal from the Boat Inn, situated directly opposite the museum, and watch boats going through the lock. There is a paid parking lot behind the museum, off Chapel Lane.
Exploring this lovely place is a great joy, there is so much to see and do. There are many other interesting market towns and villages in the area with the larger town of Northampton being just a short distance away.
Housed on two floors of a historic corn mill, the country’s first canal museum provides an overview of the history of Britain’s canals. It offers a fascinating insight into the rich waterway heritage of Stoke Bruerne, the Grand Union Canal and the people that lived and worked on them.
Stoke Bruerne Museum, housed in a restored cornmill, offers a fascinating insight into the life and times of over 200 years of inland waterway history. Displays cover the importance of canals to the industrial revolution, right up to the present day, when mostly these beautiful waterways are used for the sole purpose of leisure and pleasure..
Stoke Bruerne Brick Pits
This reserve is an old brickworks started after 1792 by the Grand Junction Canal Company to provide material for the canal locks, walls and the Blisworth tunnel. The demise of the brickworks has left a site of considerable variety, with a reed bed, rough and damp grassland, a number of ponds and the redundant side arm of the canal.
As well as a variety of plant life, the ponds provide an important habitat for invertebrates, and a number of dragonfly species occur on the reserve. White-legged damselflies have been recorded here, a species which has a very limited distribution in Northamptonshire.
The grassland provides cover for a range of small mammals, which also makes it an ideal feeding ground for barn owls.
Brixworth is a large village, about 5 miles north of Northampton. It has a population of around 5,000 people and is surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside and located next to Pitsford Reservoir, (built in 1956) which is a beautiful place for families, walks and cycling.
The place-name ‘Brixworth’ is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Briclesworde. The name means ‘Beorhtel’s or Beorhthelm’s homestead or enclosure’.
A lengthy article about the history of the parish appears in the Victoria County History for Northamptonshire, volume 4, which was published in 1937. Its text can be consulted at British History Online.
The main road from Northampton to Market Harborough passed through the village, where a number of inns served the needs of travellers for refreshment, lodging and a change of horses. The buildings of two present-day pubs in the village date back to the era of horse-drawn transport:
“The George Inn”
“The Coach and Horses”
In 1819 Sir Charles Knightley purchased land between Spratton Road and Kennel Terrace, where the Pytchley Hunt then erected kennels, providing a fresh source of local employment at a time of agricultural depression. The Hunt remained in the village until 1966, after which the site was developed for housing.
All Saints’ church is one of the oldest, largest and most complete Anglo-Saxon churches in the country. It was founded circa 680 AD and was called “the finest Romanesque church north of the Alps” by Sir Alfred Clapham.
The Northampton and Market Harborough railway through the parish was opened in 1859, passing 0.5 miles (800 m) west of the village. British Railways closed Brixworth railway station to passenger traffic in 1960 and closed the line to freight traffic in 1981. The trackbed of the former railway was reopened in 1993 as the Brampton Valley Way.
From the 1960s onwards, a large amount of new housing has been built at Brixworth, mainly on fields to the south of the original village. A by-pass on the east side has diverted traffic travelling between Northampton and Market Harborough away from the built-up area.
The Historic England website contains details of a total of 17 listed buildings in the parish of Brixworth, all of which are Grade II apart from All Saints’ Church, which is Grade I.They include:
All Saints’ Church, Church Street
Brixworth War Memorial, All Saints’ Churchyard
Coach and Horses Inn, Harborough Road
Cross, Church Street
Home Farmhouse, Church Street
Mint Cottage, Church Street
Steps Cottage, Silver Street
The Firs, Saneco Lane
George Inn, Northampton Road
The Granary, Church Street
The Grange, Kennel Terrace
The Lodge, Northampton Road
Manor House, Harborough Road
Old Vicarage, Church Street
Pound House, Northampton Road
Some of the most beautiful character homes in the county
Cottages remain one of the most loved types of property in the UK. They represent the quintessential image of English life and despite the fact that they may not be the best performing Energy-Efficient homes, or that they frequently need more attention than newer homes, they are still many people’s ideal home.
Here we have a selection of stunning cottages, that are for sale in Northamptonshire today.
2 bed cottage Main Street Slipton, Kettering NN14
* Detached Thatched Period Cottage
* Sought – After Village Location
* No onward Chain
* Two Double Bedrooms, first floor bathroom
* Farmhouse Kitchen/ Dining Room
* Spacious Dual Aspect Reception Room with Inglenook fireplace
* Oversize Garage with Plumbing Shower W/c and utility area
* Oil-fired Central Heating Double Glazing
* Well presented and maintained property
* Freehold Tenure
* Potential Home office (above the garage)
* Potential for Annex conversion STPP
* High speed broadband available within the village (Gigaclear)
* Private and enclosed Cottage Garden to the rear and attractive front elevation lawn Garden
* Gated Driveway laid to gravel – accommodating multi-vehicular parking.
Key features of the property:
*Detached Stone Cottage* Village location * Annex Conversion Possibility (subject to planning permission)* Farmhouse Style Kitchen* Triple Aspect Windows*Two Double Bedrooms* Reception with Inglenook Fireplace* Private Gardens* Ample Drive Space* Garage/Workshop and Home Office potential* Delightful, Characterful Property. * Early Viewings Recommended. No Onward Chain.
Summary
A wonderfully impressive and characterful detached thatched cottage of stone construction circa 1800’s. This picturesque cottage is arranged over two floors offering two double bedrooms with full oil-fired central heating and full double glazing to the windows. In addition, this property retains many original features including inglenook fireplace and exposed ceiling beams. Natural light is enjoyed throughout with triple aspect windows to most of the rooms. A generously proportioned farmhouse styled kitchen/ dining room offers good quality solid wood wall and base units and Belfast sink, triple aspect windows to the gardens. The sitting room features a classic deep recess inglenook fireplace with lpg gas living flame styled wood burner, and windows to three elevations. To the first floor, a family bathroom and two double bedrooms the master benefits from double fitted wardrobes. A theme of character features throughout the property includes exposed beams to the ceilings, solid oak wood internal doors and delightful window seating.
Situated in the much sought-after village of Slipton, the property benefits from pretty corner plot location offering an attractive mainly lawn front garden, bounded by a dwarf stone wall with four bar gate leading to a sweeping gravel driveway. To the rear is a fully enclosed garden with split level patio and attractive timber summer house with power. Gravel infill adds practicality in all
weathers and raised decorative planting areas are arranged to add charm and colour to this pretty cottage garden. A secure personal gate provides access to the front elevation and garden. To the side of the property is a detached stone garage currently used as a workshop and utility room offers base kitchen units. A sink with window outlook and space and plumbing are provided for washing machine and dryer and to the rear, of the garage there’s a connecting w.c and shower room. A door leads to an office/store above via a fixed and fully enclosed staircase with plentiful natural light coming from the roof profile windows and a decorative portal window to the front elevation. To the rear of the garage is a useful timber tool shed.
The Accommodation
Upon entering Pepys cottage via the timber main entrance door, is a welcoming hallway with stone tiled flooring and a window to the rear elevation. A return leg staircase offers storage cupboard below. Connecting doors lead to the ground floor accommodation comprising: A cosy yet well-proportioned sitting room – with windows to front and rear and side aspects incorporating fixed window seating. Exposed beams to the ceiling compliment the Inglenook fire-place recess and feature wood burner style lpg gas fired stove. The kitchen is also accessed from the main entrance hallway, comprising several good quality solid wood wall and base cupboards and wall display units, recently updated range style cooker. Welsh dresser. Matching woodwork surfaces complete the theme a classic farmhouse style kitchen, A Belfast sink has a mixer tap over. There is ample space for a freestanding table and a large recess easily accommodates the recently updated range style cooker which is included in the sale. The kitchen benefits from excellent natural light from three windows to the surrounding gardens and additional down lighting to the ceiling. To the rear elevation a door leading to the patio and private garden. To the first floor, a small connecting landing is accessed via the central staircase. Doors lead to a family bathroom with a three -piece suite comprising bath with mains shower over and glass folding screen, low level w.c and wash hand basin. The bathroom has window seating.
Both double bedrooms feature triple aspect windows with window seating and the master bedroom features built-in wardrobes and cupboards over plus a further shelved airing cupboard. Bedroom two has access to the loft via a ceiling hatch with drop down ladder to a fully boarded loft space.
This home represents a rare opportunity to acquire an idyllic cottage in a corner plot village setting, being both fully detached with private gardens front and rear with the benefit of a detached garage/ outbuilding. The Timber Summer house to the rear garden is also included in the sale and external power points serve both front and rear aspect gardens. Pepys Cottage is presented in our opinion to high standard, therefore early viewing is highly recommended to avoid disappointment.
5 bed cottage Park Lane, Harpole, Northamptonshire NN7
Beautiful stone detached village home in peaceful location with good size landscaped gardens
This fine individual detached family home dates back to the 17th Century, constructed of Northamptonshire sandstone with modern sympathetic extensions and stands in beautifully landscaped gardens within a quiet back water of this popular village. Extending to 2,901 sq feet, the property has retained much of its character with strip pine internal doors and floors and a fabulous former barn that has been converted into a modern family room with contemporary features overlooking the gardens.
The entrance hall has a useful cloaks cupboard with a doorway into the fabulous fitted kitchen having a vaulted breakfast area with French doors leading to the gardens, underfloor heating and further access to an inner hall providing access to the other reception rooms. Off the kitchen is a useful utility room with an adjacent cloakroom and access to the gardens. The sitting room has a wood burning stove and timber floors as does the dining room with further access to the lovely sitting room having large picture windows and sliding doors overlooking the gardens with oak herringbone flooring and modern column radiators. From here there is a bedroom, store and full bathroom suite which all could be used as a possible self contained annex if required.
On the first floor, the main bedroom has an en suite bathroom with windows to the front and rear, three further bedrooms and a four family bathroom.
There are modern conveniences such as double glazed windows and gas radiator central heating with traditional wood burning stoves all of which makes this a very comfortable and adaptable family home. Outside
A particular feature of this property are the landscaped gardens that extend to 0.3 acres having been subject to much imagination and improvement by the current vendors to include borders and maturing trees. With good size patios for entertaining, boundaries made up of stone walls and timber fencing, the whole area offers a good degree of privacy with a sunny southerly aspect.
Through electric double leaf timber gates is a large gravelled parking area enclosed by stone walling having steps up to the house and patio areas. There is a timber summerhouse and a useful timber garden shed.
4 bed cottage Vicarage Lane, Podington, Wellingborough NN29
4 bed cottage Vicarage Lane, Podington, Wellingborough NN29
A charming thatch and stone built detached cottage standing centrally in mature gardens on the edge of this sought after North Bedfordshire village. The house offers neutrally decorated and well-proportioned accommodation over two floors, the property offers oil fired radiator heating system, fitted kitchen with integrated cooking appliances and refitted bathroom and ensuite. The accommodation comprises, a large entrance hall leading to a guest WC, sitting room with inglenook style fireplace, dining room and kitchen/breakfast room. There is also a study/snug off the main sitting room. The first floor offers three large double bedrooms, one with ensuite shower room, a single bedroom and family bathroom. The gardens offer an alternative driveway access to the rear and possible modest building plot (STC)
Timber entrance door leading into the entrance hall.
Entrance Hall
Dog-leg staircase with exposed turned and stained bannister and spindles rising to the first floor landing, deep silled windows to dual aspects, radiator, cloak/storage cupboard, thermostat, wall-light points, panelled doors allowing access to the guest cloak/WC, kitchen/breakfast room, dining room and sitting room
Guest Cloaks/Wc
Fitted with a two piece suite in white with tiled splash areas, radiator, obscured window to the side.
Sitting Room (15’3 x 14’10 max (4.65m x 4.52m max))
Two deep silled windows incorporating window seat overlooking the garden and further window to the opposing side, radiator, feature inglenook fireplace with facility for open fire, canopy, exposed stone work and timber lintle above, TV point, wall-light points, radiator, exposed timber work, double opening panelled doors leading through to
Study/Snug (13’11 x 11’10 max (4.24m x 3.61m max))
Deep silled windows to three aspects overlooking the garden, radiator, feature corner stone fireplace with facility for open fire, wood mantle shelf above, wall-light points, feature timber work to ceiling.
Dining Room (14’8 x 12’2 max (4.47m x 3.71m max))
Window to dual aspects overlooking the garden, radiator, wall-light points, built-in storage cupboards
Kitchen/Breakfast Room (12’2 x 12′ max (3.71m x 3.66m max))
Fitted with a range of wood fronted base and eye-level units with roll edged work surfaces above, inset single bowl, double drainer stainless steel sink with mixer tap, ceramic hob, eye-level oven to the side, plumbing and space for dishwasher, integrated fridge/freezer, tiled splash areas, space for table, radiator, tiled floor, windows to two aspects and door leading to the rear porch and driveway.
First Floor Landing
On two levels with three windows, radiator, wall-light points, built-in storage cupboard.
Master Bedroom (14’2 x 9’10 max (4.32m x 3m max))
Window overlooking the garden, radiator, built-in storage cupboards, further panelled door allowing access to
Ensuite Shower Room.
Fitted with a three piece contemporary suite including low-level WC, vanity wash hand basin wit storage beneath and large walk-in shower cubicle with multi-jet shower fitting and glazed door, tiled splash areas, towel warmer, radiator, Velux style skylight, tiled floor.
Bedroom Two (15’3 x 13’2 max (4.65m x 4.01m max))
Deep silled window to rear, radiator, built-in storage cupboard.
Bedroom Three (16’3 x 12’2 max (4.95m x 3.71m max))
Window to front, radiator, built-in storage cupboard.
Bedroom Four (9’3 x 8′ max (2.82m x 2.44m max))
Window to the side, radiator.
Family Bathroom
Re-fitted with a white including bath with panel to the side, mixer tap and ‘Mira’ shower above, tiled splash areas, linen store, housing lagged hot water cylinder and further laundry cupboard with plumbing and space for washing machine, shelf and space for condensing tumble drier above, deep silled obscured window to the side.
Outside
The property is approached from the lane via driveway with timber five bar gates, the driveway is laid to a combination of tarmac and gravel. Access may be gained from the driveway via steps to the kitchen door and also to the attached garage.
Garage
Double opening timber doors, power and light connected.
Gardens
The gardens surround the property on all sides and are predominantly laid to lawn with a large number of mature trees. A more formal garden exists to what is traditionally thought to have been the main entrance door to the house with areas of paving, gravelled pathways and planted borders. Beyond the laurel hedge in front of this area of garden is a gated further strip of land to that leads up to a private driveway over which we are informed access rights exits for the property back to Vicarage Lane. This could form a new more formal entrance/driveway to the house allowing the orientation and approach to the house to be altered.
The Workmans Cottage’ Situated in the desirable small village of Barton Seagrave is this beautifully presented semi detached thatched cottage, built in 1672, offering an impressive footprint of approximately 2426 square feet and equally impressive surroundings including conservation fields to the rear of the home. With many nearby amenities, great sized accommodation overall and four double bedrooms this property would be ideal as a family home. The original stone built property has been extended to the rear with a spacious conservatory that could function as a further reception room if desired. This stunning accommodation benefits from a spacious living room, dining room, family room, kitchen, conservatory, downstairs WC, four double bedrooms, a family bathroom, a double garage with a fully converted upstairs loft room, off road parking for up to four vehicles and a great sized rear garden with incredible views.
The desirable village of Barton Seagrave is located approximately 1.5 miles south-east of Kettering town centre and is within commutable distance of both Kettering and Corby town centres. Barton Seagrave offers a local post office, shops and a full range of schools as well as beautiful sightseeing opportunities including the Norman Church, Barton Hall and Wicksteed park being just a stones throw away.
This is just a small selection of stunning Cottages for sale in Northamptonshire, if you would like help finding your dream home, we are able to source property that is off-market and not visible on any portal. For further information, get in touch using the contact form below.
Plans to demolish site and build 342 apartments to regenerate Abington Street
Council’s £70m scheme to develop empty M&S and BHS stores in Northampton town centre could take TEN YEARS to finish. The former M&S building in Northampton could be demolished and replaced with homes, shops and cafés by Spring 2025, detailed plans for the town centre show. The building at 41-45 Abington Street has been an eyesore for some time after the store closed in 2018.
In September 2020, Northampton Borough Council finalised the purchase of the building for £1.45 million.
Now they want it demolished to make way for 192 “high quality homes” over small start-up business premises, shops and cafés.
Councillors, local MPs and business owners have come together to form the Northampton Forward Board which is bidding for £37 million from the Government to pay for 12 projects aimed at rejuvenating the town centre – one of which is the plan for the ex-M&S building. The re-purposing of that site would need £5.5 million from those fund as well as £39 million from outside investment or borrowing. £1 million has already been given to Northampton Borough Council from national government to begin work on the removal of asbestos from the building, which will then allow development to start immediately, as long as the funding can be confirmed.
Cllr Jonathon Nunn, leader of Northampton Borough Council, said that buildings like this need to be repurposed because they are “not suitable for modern use”.
“The building’s age means there’s a lot of asbestos, but also that it’s simply not suitable for modern use,” Cllr Nunn said.
“It’s impractical to have such huge retail spaces. Businesses aren’t looking for that anymore. Our proposal is for a residential development, with a mixed use ground floor. But it has to be high quality, we need to make homes that people will be proud to live in.
“We have to be honest, and the high street, especially because of Covid, is never going to be the same as it was. We need to adapt to what businesses need.”
The building has been empty for almost three years, and part of Northampton Forward’s plans are not only to redevelop these areas to promote business and community living, but also to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour often associated with empty buildings. Martin Mason, CEO of shoe firm Tricker’s and a Northampton Forward board member, said that the building is “depressing” to see and that it needs to change.
“It’s quite depressing walking down Abington Street and seeing big buildings like the former M&S one empty, as well as a dozen or so other units not being used,” he said.
“Big retail stores like that are like dinosaurs now. High streets were in decline when the Northampton Forward Board was established in 2019 and covid-19 has just accelerated the inevitable.
“Local people tend to think that it’s just Northampton that is experiencing these struggles, but it’s everywhere.
“That’s why we want to redevelop these places and make them more attractive to small businesses and independent shops. We want Northampton to become one of those places you would go to just for a specific independent shop.”
Concerns have arisen around the fact that the proposed development of the former M&S building will include high quality apartments, and there are worries that these will price out local people and gentrify the area.
“I would not want any local people to think that we are in any way gentrifying the area,” Cllr Nunn said.
Northampton is in serious need of updating. Buildings with a combination of luxury residences, combined with offices, smaller shops and smart cafes, could see the historical town burst in to life.
