As First World Problems go, looking for a space to park your six Jaguars is right up there with grumbling that your butler doesn't wax his moustache.
Yet what is this life if we only worry about that which is strictly necessary? And it is in this spirit this morning that we bring you the story of car nut Roger Learmouth.
Roger's passion for collecting beautiful old cars (and vans, and various other vehicles) prompted him to convert a barn at his home in Cuckfield, just off the A23 near Haywards Heath.
Roger's house, Old Deaks Farmhouse — for sale at £3.95m — is a Grade II-listed timber house which originally dates to the 17the century, though pretty much the entire structure has been tweaked, enlarged or renewed at some point over the last 400 years.
The character of the place remains very much original, however, with the building's timber frame ever present within the interior. Even the indoor pool is in a part of the house with a traditional beamed roof.
The main house has five bedrooms, three on the first floor and two more on the second floor, all accessed be beautifully-curving staircases.
Downstairs the house is arranged around the entrance hall and kitchen that sit in the centre of the floorplan, with sitting room, drawing room, dining room, breakfast room and utility room opening off from one or other of the two.
As well as the main farmhouse there are two other properties within the 67 acres up for sale: Old Deaks Lodge, a two-bedroom cottage on the same courtyard, and Little Cottage, a one-bedroom cottage with its own little garden. Then there are the extensive gardens, woodland and some farmland, all of which is within easy access of London (the A23 is close by and Haywards Heath, with its excellent train service, is a couple of miles away.)
There's also The Hall, a timber-framed party barn that offers a huge entertaining space.
The Hall also has two mezzanine rooms above — one used as a study, the other as a snooker room. It also has a separate kitchen and shower room.
And last but not least, immediately adjacent to the hall is the aforementioned garage, converted from what was once a granary, with generous space for seven cars plus room to work on whichever one/ones is/are currently in bits. Because that's just how it works when you keep classic cars.
Old Deaks is for sale via RH & RW Clutton at £3.95 million – see more details and pictures.
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
Jaguar XJ R-Sport review: 'The non-pareil for comfort and elegance'
On an annual pilgrimage to Scotland in pursuit of silver salmon, Richard Parker enjoys the many charms of the Jaguar
Credit: Richard Pardon
Jaguar's ice driving academy: Thrills, spills and (almost) taking out photographers under the Northern Lights
Learning how to drive on snow and ice could save your life. It's also bloody good fun, as Adam Hay-Nicholls
-
A Georgian farmhouse that's an 'absolute gem' in an ancient village on Salisbury PlainJulie Harding takes a look at the beautiful West Farm in a gorgeous Wiltshire village.
-
Can you guess the landmark from its gingerbread copy cat? Take our quizToday's quiz takes a detailed look at the gingerbread works on display at London's The Gingerbread City — and asks if you can guess which iconic landmark they are.
-
A Georgian farmhouse that's an 'absolute gem' in an ancient village on Salisbury Plain
Julie Harding takes a look at the beautiful West Farm in a gorgeous Wiltshire village.
-
It'd be crazy to buy this 500-year-old farmhouse just because of its utterly gorgeous Aga — so thank goodness that the rest of this place is also really nicePerry Mill Farm is an immaculate yet characterful four-bedroom dream home in the country at a price that will make city dwellers immediately start Googling 'working from Worcestershire'.
-
'A masterpiece of timeless elegance' for sale on the charmed Surrey estate once owned by Henry VIII and the Guinness familyThe Manor House in Burwood Park is a grand, enormous and undeniably impressive. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
-
A grand hall in Yorkshire with 400 years of historyCarlton Hall is a wonderful family home amid glorious gardens in a quaint village location. Penny Churchill looks inside.
-
Why don't more of us live in brightly coloured homes?It's not often that you see a home sporting the colour palette that you'd get if you hired a four-year old as your interior designer. But why not? The Blue House in Bethnal Green asks this and many more questions.
-
Five magnificent mansions, from a former monastery to an Art Deco wonder in the South Downs, as seen in Country LifeWonderful homes, including a superb beach home in Cornwall, all fresh on the market via Country Life.
-
A 14-bedroom 'miniature Downton Abbey' to call your own — and there's not a penny of Mansion Tax to be paidNorton Manor is an incredible period home that's on the market for £1.3 million.
-
The dream ski chalet for sale: Plan world domination and ski Japow at the same timeEach week, James Fisher fantasises about a dream ski chalet he'd like to buy, but can't — from architecturally striking marvels, to cosy mountain retreats, and everything in between. This week, we are off to the top of the Rusutsu resort in Japan.
