THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR

Since out neighbours moved out several months ago the house next door has stood empty. Our cottage is a mirror image of the other both inside and out,they are very old and very picturesque and their charm is added to by the pretty cottage gardens and the leafy lane in which they are situated .


With all this in their favour you might suppose that there would be a queue of prospective tenants lined up in the lane waiting to view....not so. There is a down side to living in these properties not the least of which is the poor state of repair in which they are kept. Then there is the lack of any parking space and the fact that the nearest bus stop is half a mile away The proximity of the river could be said to detract in some ways although speaking for myself I love being able to walk a few steps and have the pleasure of the Thames in all its moods.

Inside our cottage has been left as it was with a large kitchen downstairs and a decent sized sitting room, upstairs a large bathroom and two bedrooms, a small double and a single complete the interior. Next door the inside has been much altered, all the lovely old fireplaces have been removed(our cottage has an open fire place in every room). The kitchen is tiny having been made smaller to give a separate dinning area,the alteration has not benefited the house at all.

Upstairs the bathroom is basic..I am being kind here,Spartan would be the best way to describe its facilities and the bedrooms are much smaller that the estate agent claims.
The house is described as having two double bedrooms and this is a joke,if you were foolish enough to try to squeeze a double bed in to the small if the two rooms-the foot of the bed would be under the window and the head at the bedroom door so that the only way to get in to bed would be to climb over the foot of the bed and then of course you would not be able to close the door.

The final nail in the coffin is the price a massive £1,800per calendar month which is outrageous. In this area you can lease a five bedroomed detached house for 2,000 a month with car paring ,fully fitted kitchen with appliances,

Recently the price was slashed to £1,500 which is still far too much and most people who have viewed have express their shock at the price ,the smallness of the bedrooms and have been angry at having their time wasted in the viewing of an obviously unsuitable property.


Of course it does have the benefit of very nice neighbours......us....and a steady stream of home made jams and crusty bread which has flowed between the two cottages for years.


The owner and the estate agents are foolish to try to aggrandise these charming little cottages,they are what they are,that is their charm and even with many of its original fittings removed the house next door is lovely.


We would love to have neighbours again,preferably some one with a cat,rather than a dog ,it would if the price was right make a lovely little home for a couple with child and there are some wonderful schools in the area and a huge green park across the road for playing in.

If anyone fitting this description is out there and would like too know more please do drop me a line.