“THE big thing about this house,” says Mark Johnson, “is that is a social house – it’s very family-friendly, very party-friendly… we have had a lot of good parties here.”

Friendly seems the right word. This is a house which, if you are given to flights of fancy, has a smiley, welcoming face.

Or it somehow seems that way as we arrive, rolling around a corner to find it sitting in all its double-fronted, three-storey splendour, sparkling in the late afternoon sunshine.

It’s to be found in a lofty position in Whitelands, a tucked away cul-de-sac on an upmarket, exclusive development at Earswick, between Huntington and Strensall.

Mark and his wife Emma came here some four years ago, delighted not just by the positioning of their new home but by its size and scope.

Oh, and a real wow factor hit… which we will come to very shortly.

First, a little more about the location. Built around 15 or so years ago, this was always intended to be an exclusive community – estate might be technically accurate but in reality feels a little, well, uncouth.

“It has lots of green areas,” as Emma says, “and a big village green which is a great social space where you can meet other people but because the houses are not on top of each other you also have plenty of privacy.”

Mark adds: “It couldn’t be in a better location because you can get into the centre of York very easily – we are only three minutes walk from the bus stop - yet you can come home to somewhere that is really quiet and peaceful.”

And, as we said earlier, very welcoming… So, to the house itself, this big and imposing property with its dash of green lawn to the front, parking space and garage to the side.

We come in through the front door, into a hallway with front rooms to left and right.l From Page 1 We come in through the front door, into a hallway with front rooms to left and right.

The first might at one time have been a formal dining room but – as we will discover – it is not needed in that capacity.

Instead it has become a cosy snug, “the play station room as someone who came to view called it,” says Emma. It’s a good extra room for whatever you want to use it… home office, television room or simply a get-away-from-it-all den.

Next, to the other side there is what Emma describes as “our cosy room”. It’s a good-sized living room with a window to the front and a feature fireplace with timber surround housing a ‘living flame’ gas fire.

“It’s particularly nice here in the winter,” says Emma, “really nice and warm. You can stretch out, put the fire on and feel nice and cosy.”

There are double glass doors separating this room from what we will now introduce as the real heart of this home.

I literally did utter the word ‘wow’ when Emma led me through to the kitchen/dining/family room which runs across the whole of the back of the house.

“That’s what we thought, too,” she says with a smile. “This is what really sold us the house.”

Frankly, it would sell any house… It’s a brilliant, much extended, space, created in a Scandinavian style with plenty of pine cladding on its high ceilings and deep walls, contrasting with the floor-to-ceiling run of windows and sliding doors which takes up the whole of the back of the room.

It’s a huge space – 30ft long and almost 19ft deep, an open space which includes a run of contemporary white gloss wall and base units, a double Range-style oven and five ring hob, integrated dishwasher and fridge freezer.

There is a wonderful, huge central island (island – it’s almost a country) which houses drawers and storage spaces and a microwave and is an ideal breakfasting spot.

From here the room flows into a dining area and then stretches itself still further into a sitting area.

“It is,” says Mark, “the ultimate entertaining room. It’s great for parties and we’ve had some fun barbecues with friends at weekends.”

Emma adds: “It’s a very sociable room. At Christmas we have had 17 people in here and there was plenty of room for everyone. It’s just a great space.”

Absolutely – a brilliant room that would be at the heart of any family gathering, big or small, an all-year-round room that can be thrown open to the sunshine in summer or tucked up against the cold of winter.

But, while this is the obvious heart of the home, there is still much more to enjoy in this house.

It’s time to trip up the stairs, to the first floor where we find the first of four big double bedrooms, the master bedroom with an en-suite with walk in shower cubicle, and with a fine range of fitted wardrobes (in fact four of the five bedrooms here have fitted robes).

There is a second bedroom with en-suite shower room on this floor and a fifth bedroom (which would also be ideal for a home office/den/computer room) Two further double bedrooms and a house bathroom can be found on the second floor. Both of the bedrooms here have added character thanks to sloping ceilings. (which, being purpose built that way, still have plenty of headroom for all but basketball players).

There is also, as Emma points out, plenty of storage space on both bedroom floors – while there is the practicality of a ground floor cloakroom and separate utility room below.

So it’s practical house as well as a beautiful one… We complete our tour with another peek at the kitchen/family space before stepping out into the garden, a pleasant space, dappled with sunshine, mainly laid to lawn and with flower beds and a raised decking area and a pergola providing a smart seating spot.

It is, admits Emma, going to be hard to leave (they have to move for work reasons).

“If I could I would take not just the house but the whole estate with me,” she says.

“It’s been a great place to live.”

 

At a glance...

Reception rooms: 3

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 3

Gardens: Lawns to front, hard parking and garage to the side, pleasant, private garden to the rear.

Wow factor: The stunning kitchen/family room

Price: £485,000.

Contact: William H Brown, Haxby. Phone: 01904 769991