SELLER INSIGHT

I fell in love with this house as soon as I saw it,” says the current owner of Alma House. “Like a child’s drawing of a house with the door in the middle and windows on either side, it felt like home right away. Since moving in, we have put our own stamp on the property with sympathetic renovations throughout, aiming to restore the original Georgian architecture whilst creating a comfortable family home. Where previous owners had covered up period features, we brought them out into the light again. For example, we revived the deep sash windows at the front of the house and commissioned a joiner to install panelling which would bring back the initial character of the interiors. Our children now love to sit in the window and read a favourite book.”

Renovations have also made the most of bright, airy spacious rooms to spend time together as a family or with friends. “Everyone tends to gather in the kitchen,” say the owners, “sitting around the large island or at the table, enjoying the warmth of the range cooker. The back door leads from the kitchen to a York stone courtyard with al fresco seating, where we have enjoyed many a birthday cake and barbecue. Surrounded by bamboo, roses and wisteria, the courtyard is a real suntrap and is not overlooked by any neighbours. Steps lead from there up to wraparound lawns with different areas including a children’s play area with trampoline; a hammock to relax in the sun; and raised beds and a vegetable patch. At the front of the house, a path leads from the original Georgian gates, through the middle of lawns edged with rhododendrons, to the front door right in the centre of the façade, so that coming home is always a pretty picture to behold. The sun rises at the back of the house, lingers in the rear garden all day, then sets at the front, so on sunny days there is always some part of the garden that is bathed in warmth and light.”

The setting of the property has much to recommend it, too, offering the best of both worlds. “A gate in the stone wall at the bottom of the garden leads out onto the lane,” the owners say, “so you can walk right up into the rolling hills from our door. It is so peaceful and idyllic here, yet we are only 10 minutes from the vibrant town of Glossop and just 25 minutes from central Manchester by train for all the excitement of city life.”*

* These comments are the personal views of the current owner and are included as an insight into life at the property. They have not been independently verified, should not be relied on without verification and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agent.