Bargain country houses for sale

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Kent: was £3 million, now £2.65 million Jetwells, Goudhurst 9 bedrooms, indoor and outdoor pools, 5 acres Savills (01580 720161) After 22 years, ‘our children have spread their wings and it’s time to move on,’ says chartered surveyor Giles Ballin. ‘We like it because, as a Queen Anne house, it’s architecturally unique in this area, where many of the period houses are heavily timbered. It’s been fantastic for entertaining and we’ve held lots of successful 18ths and 21sts.’ The house falls within the Cranbrook School catchment area.

Norfolk: was £1.15 million, now £985,000 The Manor House, Old Buckenham 5 bedrooms, stables, 1.1 acres Savills (01603 229229) Gary and Janet Iceton have moved to their house (spotted in Country Life) closer to the coast. ‘We’ve owned The Manor House for 25 years, and decided to move out of London entirely four years ago, when we completely modernised the house,’ says Mr Iceton. ‘It works incredibly well for the City as Diss has trains leaving every 30 minutes.’

West Sussex: was £2.95 million, now £2.65 million The Old Rectory, Rusper 7 bedrooms, cottage, pool, 86 acres Savills (01737 230200) This Victorian house is loc-ated on the fringe of a charming village straddling the Surrey/West Sussex border. The equestrian faci-lities include a sand school and a recently constructed stable block, which has five loose boxes, a tack room and a feed store.

Essex: was £5.5 million, now £4.6 million Mountains Farm, Philpot End 8 bedrooms, indoor pool, annexe, 6.3 acres Strutt & Parker (020–7629 7282) This exceptional country house is located at the end of a no-through lane. ‘It was formerly an old pig farm, but when a local farmer showed me the site, it just seemed perfect for a country house,’ says owner Graeme Stephens. He’s created a full-height basement, which houses a home cinema, gym and games room.

Northamptonshire: was £995,000, now £895,000 Whitehall, Weedon 7 bedrooms, 2-door Aga, 7.6 acres Bidwells (01604 605050) With an easy commute into London Euston from North-ampton, this 18th-century farmhouse would suit owners who work in the City. Kept in immaculate condition by the current owners, the outbuilding could provide a development project for the next incumbents.

Northamptonshire: was £1.68 million, now £1.49 million Braunston Manor, Braunston 7 bedrooms, 4-bedroom cottage, 10.4 acres Knight Frank (01789 297735) Braunston has been in Howard Thompson’s family for about 100 years. Today, it’s run as a small hotel, but the house lends itself to rev-ersion to a family home. ‘We host lots of small weddings, christenings and birthday parties here. It’s a wonderful setting, with the canal at the end of the garden,’ says Mr Thompson.

West Yorkshire: was £4 million, now £2.995 million The Mansion, Kirkburton 9 bedrooms, orangery, 12½ acres Carter Jonas (01484 842105) This Georgian mansion was rescued from near dereliction by Peter and Wendy McQuilkin in 2001. ‘It was in a very sorry state, and we had to strip everything back to the bare stone before starting again,’ explains Mr McQuilkin. ‘We’ve done absolutely everything and now that the grounds have been resurrected by my wife, we both think it’s a fabulous house with a glorious aspect over the countryside.’

Suffolk: was £1.35 million, now £1.225 million Wixoe Mill, Wixoe 5 bedrooms, 3-bedroom cottage, four-door Aga Carter Jonas (01787 882881) This Grade II-listed house is well located for many attractive Suffolk villages, with Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds offering extensive services. Owner Catherine Winser recommends it for its peacefulness. ‘It’s very quiet and the village is tiny, but it’s only half an hour from Cambridge and Stansted Airport.’ The annexe, which has three bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen, would work well as a holiday let.

Cornwall: was £1 million, now £975,000 Leat Farm, Launceston 3 bedrooms, single-bank fishing, 97 acres Strutt & Parker (01392 215631) This farm has a lovely southerly position with views down to the River Ottery. ‘Our children and I have all enjoyed fishing on the river, but it’s the location the views and the feeling of space I shall miss most when we leave,’ says Erin Williams. ‘There are neigh-bours, but it’s very secluded.’ The old coach house has a studio/gym on the first floor and there’s planning consent to extend the farmhouse.

Lincolnshire: was £699,950, now £600,000 Lawn Hall, South Kyme 5 bedrooms, outbuildings, 2.3 acres Savills (01522 508908) ‘I can’t praise this house enough,’ says owner Carmel Norman, who, with her husband, has lived at Lawn Hall for 23 years. ‘It never went on the open market when we bought it: my husband had a connection locally. But now I’m missing my family, who have pretty much all moved away. It’s been well loved and well used, but it’s now just too big for us and it’s time to move on.’

Cornwall: was £2.25 million, now £1.75 million Trist House, Veryan 5 bedrooms, 3-bedroom cottage, pool, 4½ acres Lillicrap Chilcott (01872 273473) Brenda Salmon moved to Cornwall from West Sussex 15 years ago. ‘The house is lovely, but the setting is extra special: we’re in the centre of the village, but have a shelter belt of trees, so it’s completely private.’ The village, which is just one mile from the beach, ‘is very lively, with a players group, fêtes and dancing on Sunday night’.

Cornwall: was £625,000, now £575,000 Chycoose Vean, Truro 4 bedrooms, 2-door Aga, 1.7 acres Jackson Stops & Staff (01872 261160) The cottage, which is just a mile from Perranwell station, has been meticulously renovated by the current owners. ‘We’ve tried to use local craftsmen as much as possible to ensure the restoration was as sympathetic as possible to the original house,’ says owner Linda Nicholson. ‘The garden is lovely, and I’ll especially miss the sound of the stream when lying in bed, it’s very reassuring.’