An attic room with a view and a family with big horizons

A new life down under is the only reason Toby and Joanne Thompson are selling their Edwardian-style, four-bedroom home in Bishop's Stortford.

The semi-detached property in Hillside Avenue has been their home since 2008, but now Australia beckons for the couple and their two daughters, aged eight and five.

Mr Thompson, a 40-year-old legal professional, and his wife, a social policy researcher, moved to the quiet cul-de-sac off the A1250 Dunmow Road, near the Hockerill crossroads, before the girls were born when the major plus point was the proximity of the railway station for commuting into London.

It has proved to be an ideal family home, with a generous garden that is great for entertaining.

One of the attractions, when they moved in, was the spacious loft conversion, and Mr Thompson said that panoramic views of St Michael’s Church and the rest of the town continue to be a great source of enjoyment.

While the house boasts a wealth of period features like open fireplaces, the Thompsons have added a modern touch with a bright and airy extension that is now the hub of their home – a generously proportioned kitchen diner.

“That’s where we spend most of our time,” he said. “We love the house – it’s a blend of the traditional and modern.”

Both girls attend All Saints Church of England Primary in Parsonage Lane, and one regret of moving abroad is missing out on the superb secondary education Bishop’s Stortford offers. Herts and Essex High School and Hockerill Anglo-European College are within easy walking distance.

Because the family are emigrating, the property is being sold with no onward chain.

It is on the market with Fordyce Furnivall, of Riverside, Bishop’s Stortford, at a guide price of £640,000.

Features

Covered porch

Entrance hall with wooden flooring

Cloakroom

Dining room with bay window and open fireplace

Sitting room with open fireplace

Recently refitted kitchen diner with natural stone-tiled floor and underfloor heating

Breakfast bar area

Three first-floor bedrooms

Family bathroom

Second-floor master bedroom with en-suite shower room and French doors opening onto a Juliet balcony

Front garden with mature shrubs and 60ft rear garden

Block-paved driveway with off-street parking for four vehicles