GO WITH THE FLOW

THIS home for sale in Llandaff, north Cardiff, is in such a popular location and refurbished to such a high standard that it may already be sold – to the estate agent who is selling it! Mike Baillie, director of the Llandaff branch of estate agents Hern and Crabtree, explains: “I’d love to live here, it’s a wonderful home and in such a desirable spot with lovely neighbours too. I said to my vendor that I’ve already sold it for her as I sat down to chat on the valuation! However, I also said that I need to buy a few more lottery tickets first!”

The £725,000 home is situated on St Michaels Road which, according to Mike, has always been “the” street that everyone wants when they come to look for a house in Llandaff.

Mike says: “This has to be down to the location which is made up of traditional ’30s and ’50s houses, usually with beautiful traditional features, good size rooms and generous gardens.

“It’s only a short distance away from Llandaff High Street with its boutique cafes, shops and independent restaurants and is on the doorstep of Llandaff Cathedral School and Howell’s School which helps beat the morning traffic!”

So that’s the very popular location explained, but what is it about this home that has captivated Mike?

Having visited the property, Mike was struck by the way the vendors have extended and decorated the four-bedroom home to make the most of the light and space and to create a seamless flow to the layout.

The grand finale to the property’s modernisation is the new vaulted dining room extension which connects the property to the landscaped garden via double doors and is Mike’s favourite room; no wonder he almost made an offer while relaxing in this space.

Mike adds: “When I first went to the property I spent time with the vendor sipping my black coffee in the sitting area looking out across at the gardens, it is such a lovely sociable space.”

The connectivity between the rooms is further enhanced using a consistent neutral colour palette throughout the property, with accents of grey and blue, that give the home a contemporary feel.

The cool, light décor is given depth by the addition of warm honey coloured wood furniture and textured textiles, including chunky knits and soft fleeces. Sadly, they don’t come with the sale of the home.

Whilst refurbishing their home, the vendors retained as many of the original features as possible including the wood parquet flooring in the lounge and entrance hall. New additions, such as the radiator covers, were chosen for their traditional character features.

Downstairs the new owner has a choice of reception space to watch the great British weather unfold outside. The lounge, at the front of the property, stretches the entire width of the house.

Mike adds: “This room has a cast iron wood burning stove which makes it a great room snuggle up in during those snowy days.”

At the rear there is a family room with doors out into a sitting area, and the large vaulted extension with gloss white kitchen, dining and seating area.

Finally, there’s a utility room and downstairs toilet located off the contemporary kitchen.

Upstairs the sleeping arrangements are spread over two floors. The first floor offers sleepy heads a choice of three double bedrooms, one of which is classed as the master bedroom with an en-suite.

The accommodation potential of this family home has been realised with the conversion of the loft into an ensuite double bedroom. No need for a new owner to worry about the stress of building work, the current owners have been through the hassle for them. The hassle for a new family moving in will be to decide who gets which bedroom.

So once Mike finished his coffee, he explored this home’s garden and he can report the following: “The garden has been tastefully landscaped with a large patio which is great for summer entertaining and BBQ’s and benefits from the late afternoon sun.

“There is a large lawn area too with borders that have been well stocked for plenty of colour.”

An added bonus is the discovery of a detached garage that can be accessed via the garden, somewhere to store the patio furniture and BBQ when the rain begins.

This Llandaff home is on the market for £725,000 with Hern & Crabtree, call the Llandaff branch on 02920 555 198 for further details and to book an appointment to view the property, which launches from Saturday April 7.