The sun is out and therefore I am thinking about the beach. I therefore decided to type ‘Cornwall’ into my little property search bar, and have spent the past 30 minutes looking and sighing at nice houses by the beach. Without breaking the fourth wall too much, a lot of what you see and read on this website is decided by what kind of mood I’m in and where I’d rather be.
One place I’d rather be is Kai Tak in Polzeath. This ‘exceptional and striking’ five-bedroom home, designed with ‘flair and panache’ by Cassell Tarring Architects is on the market with John Bray Estates for £3.25 million and sits in the heart of this surfing paradise.
Set over 4,000sq ft, the only thing more striking than the property’s design is its views over the sea as a result of its elevated position on Dunders Hill. It’s even got an EPC rating of C, making it relatively sustainable to run.
Open-plan living spaces are the name of the game here, with a sitting room and kitchen/dining/reception room on the ground floor. On the lower ground floor, you’ll find a surf store (of course), tv room, gym, and spa facility. Four bedrooms, and another sitting room (with the best views) make up the first floor.
Terraces to the front and rear are perfect for outside dining and entertaining, while the gardens to the rear face south and are fully enclosed with low-maintenance planting. No garden these days is complete without a pizza oven, and Kai Tak is no exception. If all this wasn’t enough, the property has detailed planning permission approved for a one-bedroom, two-storey annexe.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Credit: The Country House Department
A five-bedroom home within the golden triangle of the Cotswolds that oozes cosiness and charm
Sarsden Cottage in Oxfordshire might be in one of the most desirable locations in the land, with easy access to
-
'Love, desire, faith, passion, intimacy, God, spiritual consciousness, curiosity and adventure': The world of Stanley Spencer, a very English visionaryStanley Spencer’s talent for seeing the spiritual in the everyday, his stirring sense for the wonder of Nature and his love for the landscapes of Berkshire and Suffolk shaped his art, as Matthew Dennison reveals.
-
Waldorf Astoria New York review: The Midtown hotel where Frank Sinatra once partied and the salad of the same name was invented emerges from a decade-long renovationOwen Holmes checks into the Waldorf Astoria New York hotel.
-
A vineyard for sale on the slopes above 'the best beach in Britain' is for sale at just £650,000In the beautifully unspoilt Devon village of Bantham, an award-winning vineyard is for sale. Toby Keel takes a look.
-
This spectacular 14th-century castle has had its price cut by £7.5 million. Here's whyThe art and science of being an estate agent is never trickier than when dealing with homes that are being sold for the first time in centuries — and Ripley Castle in Yorkshire provides the perfect example. Lucy Denton explains more.
-
A simply perfect thatched cottage in Devon, with charm, walled gardens and all the space you need for family lifeThatched cottages are often pretty, but pretty small — but Julie Harding finds one brings which blends cottage charm with the space of a country manor.
-
'A rare gem' of a country house, in 163 acres of the idyllic Colne Valley, just 50 minutes from the CityThe Regency-style Over Hall in Colne Engaine is a country house whose previous owner has spent 40 years getting everything just right. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
Five home offices so good that every work day will feel like a holiday (well, probably)Five years on from the Pandemic, millions of us are still working from home much of the time — and thus the appeal of a home office is as strong as ever. They don't much nicer than these.
-
A grand country house and 329-acre estate for sale at £1.89 million — and it's on the market for the first time in a quarter of a millenniumArabella Youens takes a look at the beautiful Monreith House and Estate on the south-west coast of Scotland.
-
A beautiful home on the outskirts of one of Scotland's prettiest market towns, and an easy commute to EdinburghArabella Youens looks at Kirklands House, a wonderful old home set in five acres of charming gardens near Melrose.
-
18 grand country homes, from £600k to £6 million, as seen in Country LifeOur regular look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week include a house in a charming seaside village and a 17th century farmhouse.
