A 1930s house on Histon Road, Cambridge with plenty of character
An appealing detached period property situated in a sought-after residential area within two miles of Cambridge city centre, this pleasant and tastefully unassuming home has undergone extensive improvement and refurbishment in recent times.
It has three bedrooms and established gardens, both at the front and the rear. The front garden includes a driveway providing parking space for several vehicles, while one of the principal and most attractive features of the back garden is a large pond with ornamental carp which, if required, can be included in the sale.
Nick Sharp has lived in the house for 13 years. On the changes he has made during that time, he said: “It’s mainly cosmetic, really. There was lots of 1980s wallpaper that needed to come off. I had to re-skim the ceilings because they were badly cracked – just bits of renovation here and there.
“It’s got nice 1930s doors and they all needed to be stripped and painted and have little repairs done, etc. There was an old Victorian fireplace that I took out, stripped and made it look nice again.”
Though it is a 1930s house which still maintains a lot of original touches, the bathroom and the kitchen are quite modern.
“The bathroom was done around eight years ago,” said Nick, “but the kitchen had been done before I moved in.
“It’s a good quality kitchen – all solid wood, which does tend to stay looking good if you look after it.”
The subject of the rather striking fishpond was raised. “Yes, that was here when I moved in,” recalled Nick. “It’s a koi pond and I’ve maintained it. There’s about half a dozen or so koi carp in there.”
Asked what else initially attracted him to the property, Nick replied: “I liked the fact it was detached and it had a bit of character.
“I was living in a modern house in Cherry Hinton – on one of the big estates there – and it was nice to find somewhere that had a bit of character to it. That was the major thing.
“I also like doing DIY and leapt at the chance to make it my own.”
Nick describes his taste in interior design as “fairly neutral”. He said: “When I was renovating, I was more interested in bringing out the character of all the existing features, rather than making anything too bold.
“Keeping it fairly neutral brings out all those original features.”
Nick is selling his home to move in with his partner. The couple are looking to move out of Cambridge, though still within the county.
He cites the dining room with its light-welcoming bay window and old Victorian fireplace as his favourite room of the house.
What will he miss most about the property and the surrounding area? “There are lots of things I’ll miss, to be honest,” he said. “I put a lot of effort into it and got it how I want it. Because I’ve lived here on my own, I’ve made it mine, if you like, and the other thing is the location.”
He added: “It’s a brilliant location in Cambridge for work, shopping and I’m a keen cyclist, so if I can cycle somewhere I will. It’s brilliant for that.
“I’ll miss it in lots of ways.”
01223 633295
carterjonas.co.uk