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THIS WEEK: Wonderful homes by the water, including this lovely Lake District pad, where you can revel in...
WATER is good for us – and not just for drinking. According to research, being near rivers, lakes and the sea makes us happier and healthier – and it’s certainly good for house prices too.
‘People are attracted by the lifestyle of living near water,’ says Christopher Bailey, of estate agents Knight Frank.
He says that so-called ‘blue space properties’ benefit greatly due to their rarity.
‘Properties with direct water frontage and their own slipway or jetty are incredibly scarce. They are once-in-a-generation finds.’
Storrs Holme on Windermere, half a mile from the Cumbrian town of Bowness, has a waterfront of 140ft, as well as two jetties and two boathouses. The five-bedroom house has been home to Leslie and Marilyn Gorton for almost 40 years, and Leslie says that living by the water has had a ‘magical effect’.
‘Whether it’s waking up to see the water or sitting in the garden watching the sun set over the lake, it’s the tranquillity that water induces,’ says the retired car dealer. ‘And, yes, it does help one’s health. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a lake, a river or the sea – it makes one feel happier and healthier.’
Leslie, 71, has a 1930 classic Windermere motor launch and a 17ft Windermere class yacht, which he races 20 times a year. He also has an 1895 locally built rowing boat and uses it to row out to the couple’s yacht, kept on a swinging mooring.
On the market for £3.3million with Hackney & Leigh estate agents, Storrs Holme was constructed in the early 20th Century by local Arts & Crafts builder G.H. Pattinson. The house features two reception rooms, three bathrooms and a stained-glass window.
‘Sadly, it’ll be too much for us when we get to 80 so we are selling while we are still fit and able,’ says Leslie. ‘It’s been a privilege to live here. But we’ll try to find somewhere else connected to water.’
Azaleas, rhododendrons, Japanese maples and hydrangeas abound in the half-acre garden, and they thrive in the west- and south-west-facing location.
The gently elevated site of the house means it has never been flooded and allows panoramic views over a wide stretch of Windermere to the north and south, and across to Ramp Holme Island.
‘The closer to the water you get, the higher the premium,’ says Jonathan Cunliffe, head of UK waterfront properties at Savills. The company’s own research shows that while the average premium for waterfront properties in general is more than 15 per cent, some ‘ultra prime’ areas command premiums of 100 per cent. Hackney & Leigh, hackney-leigh.co.uk, 01539 444461