Waterside Cottages, Wendlebury, OX25

Superb renovation of an elegant three double bedroom cottage with two receptions, a good size garden, and a sizeable outbuilding suitable for conversion as an outside office, in the centre of the village. Also unusually energy efficient! NO CHAIN.

Wendlebury is a quiet and established village featuring a 13th century church and 17th century public house that is highly regarded for great food. While the village is tucked away it offers exceptional access to many places via both road and rail, especially Bicester with its 40 minute mainline London service as well as world-renowned retail outlet at Bicester village. The community is vibrant and diverse with a wide mix of residents including local families and commuters. The strength of this community is amply demonstrated by the variety of events and activities available - go to www.wendlebury.org.uk for more information.

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Waterside cottages is a small terrace of delightfully traditional village houses dating back, we suspect, to the early Victorian era but certain aspects indicate they may be somewhat older. Number 3 may have originally been two houses, such is the layout. When our clients bought, the house had gone through many decades of neglect. As specialists in the building trade, their eye for the detail in renovating this has been beyond reproach. Every aspect of the renovation is how we would wish it to be: simply elegant, taking nothing away from the original but ensuring it is thoroughly practical as well as irresistibly charming. And the practicality really is a surprise - three double bedrooms with two useable receptions, and a 21 ft kitchen you can breakfast in, and in addition there's a large outbuilding that could easily convert to a home office. For lovers of character property it really does offer everything you could need.

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The bright front porch is a great and handy space for boots and coats. It opens into the first of two receptions, which feels bright and positive s there is light flooding in from all sides - not usually a feature present in a cottage. The chimney breast is a lovely focal point, and next to it the owners have fitted a useful store cupboard above which are shelves. The tiled floor is a clever addition, redolent of a timber surface without the inherent issue of the upkeep that usually requires. Moving round to the left the second reception is carpeted, reflecting the fact that - equipped with a wood burner and out of the main entry line from the porch - it will almost certainly suit best as a cozy and cosseting living room. A door to the rear feeds into a surprisingly large and practical kitchen, with a door leading on the left to the garden. Units running down front and rear walls provide acres of storage as well as preparation space, and the high quality fittings are just so elegant! Timber work surfaces contrast perfectly with simple Art Deco style tiles to the walls, with farmhouse-style units. And the fixtures are all required, from a fridge/freezer and dishwasher to a double oven and washing machine. To the right the units end, allowing a practical space for a breakfast table, and from here a large window provides a perfect view through to the rear garden.

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Upstairs impresses on a similar level. The landing leads off to all rooms. Starting to the left, the first of the three bedrooms is a well proportioned double, and is has the added advantage of two alcove spaces that would appear to lend themselves very well to building in large wardrobes without compromising the space. This room also overlooks the front garden. Next door another double room is a little more slender but also a very good size and practical; it too faces the front garden. Then there is the bathroom. Beautifully finished - and cleverly keyed in with the same tiling, flooring and timber tops as the kitchen - it is a lovely room. It is also large hence all the units, including the bath with its thermostatic soaker shower overhead and sink with vanity unit, are well position to allow very good floor space. And a good sized window to the rear brings in good light. Moving past the airing cupboard on the landing, the last of the three bedrooms is next door. Overlooking the rear garden, it is another great space, and features another alcove ideally positioned for fitting a wardrobe.

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Outside, there is more to enjoy. The house is very peaceful, sitting far back from the lane outside, with trees along the lane giving way to a rain water gulley in front of your front garden. You approach it via Church Lane to the right, and turn onto a pretty path that runs in front of the four front gardens, and up a path past your own front lawn to the porch. At the rear of the house, there is pedestrian access onto Church Lane, ideal for moving in and out bins, garden waste, wet dogs or whatever! behind the kitchen a resin-sealed pea shale terrace is a perfect surface for sitting out and dining in sunshine. Beyond it a length of lawn culminates in a really quite sizeable outbuilding with power, which could easily be converted to provide a very valuable office/games room space - or just kept as a significant storage space.