There's a mistake that many of us make when buying houses: we forget that once they're bought, you spend the majority of your time inside and looking out, rather than outside looking in.
If any place serves as a reminder to take that into consideration, it's Fieldsend, near Sutton Green on the outskirts of Guildford, which is currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £2 million.
With an award under its belt for ‘excellence in architectural technology’, there is no doubting the credentials of this building. It's an innovative and modern open-plan home that is a shining example of energy efficiency, boasting ground-source heating, a high degree of insulation and photo-voltaic solar panels.
It's also angular, boxy, and about as far from the Platonic idea of the Surrey Hills country house as it's possible to get. Those used to being served up a diet of Georgian delights and Arts-and-Crafts wonders will be challenged, for sure. Yet it's a challenge that is worth investigating carefully.
The three-bedroom home makes the most of its south-facing aspect, with an almost entirely glass frontage that floods the reception areas, bedrooms and kitchen/dining area with natural light and allows potential owners to make the most of the views of the surrounding farmland.
All the windows are fitted with electric blinds, and the rest of the house follows with the same high standard level of fittings, with Miele appliances in the kitchen, Sonos in every room and lighting from Lutron Homeworks.
Set within secluded grounds, the part rendered, part zinc-clad exterior sits on raised grounds and offers a fresh approach to indoor/outdoor living with glazed sliding doors that open directly onto the south-facing terrace from the bedrooms and living space.
The gardens, which extend to about one-third of an acre, are mostly laid to lawn with some surrounding woodland, and feature a rainwater harvesting system used to supply a smart sprinkler system.
The location is also incredible convenient. The city of Guildford is about 4.6 miles away and Woking is just under three miles, both offering a broad range of shopping and recreational facilities. The area also benefits from several golf courses and miles of footpaths and bridle tracks.
A regular train service runs from Woking to London Waterloo, taking just under half an hour, and the A3 links up London and the south coast. Heathrow and Gatwick Airports are also within reach via the M25.
It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and no doubt some buyers won't be able to get past the initial appearance. Buying a house — especially in the £2m 'forever home' category — is, for most of us, more about dreams and expectations that about getting a high score on that little EPC chart thing. (Fieldsend, incidentally, scores, with a potential to hit 89.)
But for buyers keen to live in a modern, efficient, light-filled home, built to the highest standards whilst still being surrounded by unspoilt countryside? Well, this might just be the place for you.
Fieldsend is currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £2 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
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