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Welcome to the early spring edition of the Fine & Country property update.

Such has been the demand, that Royal Mail are now distributing almost 30,000 copies for us to households and businesses throughout Cambridge and the surrounding villages meaning that we can share the latest property news and information with an extensive audience of prospective home buyers and sellers.

This month includes a selection of individual and period homes from around the area that are currently on the market for sale and we invite you to contact us for further information on anything that takes your eye.

Are you thinking of selling in 2015?

Fine & Country offers a free market appraisal on your current home without obligation as well as helpful suggestions on anything that might assist you in obtaining a quicker sale or a higher price. We have one of the largest and most experienced teams of valuers in the area; each specialising in particular areas of the city or surrounding villages meaning that they are completely in tune with the level of demand and buyer activity that will most effect the price you eventually achieve.

The volume of new enquiries for Cambridgeshire property remains very high indeed and includes numerous job relocations and lifestyle moves from London and other parts of the UK, as well as internationally. With over 300 offices around the world, Fine & Country are perfectly placed to provide extensive market exposure for any property that deserves extra coverage and promotion.

Fine & Country agents are then dedicated to assisting you at every stage of the selling and buying process from escorting prospective buyers on viewings, negotiating the best price and ensuring that all of the necessary details and paperwork are taken care of until the day that you actually move.

This intense level of personal service is only one of the advantages you will gain from dealing with Fine & Country. For further information or to arrange an appointment, please contact the office on 01223 363700 or email cambridge@fineandcountry.com

Enjoy moving home in 2015!

Mike Bidwellmike.bidwell@fineandcountry.com

An absolutely stunning, architect designed residence offering extremely spacious, versatile accommodation with magnificent contemporary additions. Benefitting from five double bedrooms, four excellent reception rooms, library/studio annexe, luxurious heated swimming pool with waterfall and terracing, ample parking and three garages. All set within wonderful mature grounds of approximately 0.6 of an acre with breath-taking views over far reaching countryside. EPC Rating C.

GREAT CHISHILL, CAMBRIDGESHIRE guide price £1,395,000

Fine & Country Cambridge

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This beautiful thatched four bedroom Grade II Listed cottage offers excellent ground floor accommodation incorporating charming period features and is set in the heart of this popular village only 9 miles from Cambridge. The property enjoys a plot of approximately 0.2 acres, a gravelled driveway with parking for up to three cars and a pretty cottage garden complete with a timber building that serves as a home office and incorporates a log burner. EPC Exempt.

HADSTOCK, CAMBRIDGE guide price £575,000

A comprehensively refurbished Grade II Listed three bedroom thatched cottage offering well-proportioned living accommodation with charming period features and occupying a generous plot. The first floor has been completely rebuilt within the last seven years and accommodates an impressive master bedroom suite and two further double bedrooms. EPC Exempt.

CASTLE CAMPS, CAMBRIDGE guide price £425,000

Directly access the lucrative London and international investor market through our head office and showroom on Park Lane.

Park Lane officeMayfair, London W1

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HILTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE guide price £1,000,000

Nestled between mature trees and overlooking the pond in the quiet backwaters of this sought after village is this spacious detached family home, with scope to extend and further improve. Offering three reception rooms and six bedrooms, the property further benefits from double garaging, ample parking and a large rear garden that backs onto open fields. EPC Rating D.

An architecturally important former Victorian School retaining many original features including crittall windows with original glass, panelled walls, wood block flooring, full height vaulted ceiling approaching 30 ft. and school doors. The property has been subject to meticulous upgrades within the vendor’s ownership, which include an outstanding kitchen/dining/morning room, resulting in this versatile village property with a separate self-contained annexe. EPC Rating E.

STUNTNEY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE guide price £750,000

KINGSTON, CAMBRIDGE offers over £300,000

A charming detached cottage located on a private no through lane and occupying a delightful position in the heart of this picturesque village with views over the village green. Offering extended ground floor accommodation, two double bedrooms, a private, enclosed rear garden and parking for two cars; all situated just 7 miles south west of Cambridge. EPC Rating F.

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A most impressive Grade II Listed, 17th Century part-thatched cottage occupying a prominent position within this popular village. The property offers a flexible layout and has previously been utilised as two dwellings. Further benefits include a vast array of original character features, ample parking, double garaging with a studio above and delightful, mature gardens of approximately 0.6 of an acre, fully enclosed and adjoining grazing land to the rear. EPC Exempt.

WEST WRATTING, CAMBRIDGE offers over £750,000

PERTENHALL, BEDFORDSHIRE guide price £650,000

DODDINGTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE guide price £585,000

A beautifully positioned family home set back off the main road behind double electric gates and surrounded by fields within approximately 3 acres of gardens and grounds. The flexible accommodation over three floors is of excellent size and offers three reception rooms, six bedrooms, four bath/shower rooms and triple garaging with possible office above. EPC Rating C.

This charming four bedroom Grade II listed residence occupies a large plot and is situated in a delightful rural location with far reaching views over open countryside to all sides and includes an outbuilding, perfect as a home office. This fine period home retains many original features including decorative roof cresting, open fireplaces and exposed beams. EPC Exempt.

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An outstanding single storey country residence formed by the stunning and imaginative conversion of an extensive range of 19th century farm buildings that were previously part of the Wimpole Estate and believed to have at one time comprised Shire horse stables. The original conversion dates back to around the millennium by highly regarded architect and developer Tim Poulson. Since that time the property has been further enhanced whilst making the best possible use of the excellent 7,500

sq. ft. (approx.) of internal space, tall ceilings and high degree of natural light to provide a superior, generously proportioned home offering versatile accommodation as well as an indoor pool and gym complex, a home cinema and a full size snooker room with bar. Included in the 12 acres of gardens and grounds is a 3,100 sq. ft. (approx.) barn incorporating 8 stables (including 6 by Hancox Equestrian Ltd) with power and water connected. EPC Rating D.

SHINGAY CUM WENDY, HERTFORDSHIRE guide price £2,350,000

FEATURE PROPERTY

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A Truly Unique Paradise

“We moved here eight years ago from a three-bedroom flat in London,” recall the owners. “We’d been immediately attracted by the incredible space, and the combination of the Victorian exterior and modern interior. The then owners had by that time added the pool complex and the five-bay cart lodge. They had landscaped the gardens with lawns and low-maintenance planting, and lovely features such as the wildlife pond and the brick-paved kitchen garden. They also created the charming Japanese courtyard garden at the front, which harmonises beautifully with the modern glasswork features of the building.”

“The internal layout wasn’t ideal for us though, so we engaged Tim Poulson and his team to carry out some further alterations, making the internal space much more open plan. The changes included adding a dressing room to the master bedroom suite and relocating and updating the kitchen. On one side of the building there were two self-contained flats – one is now a snooker room with a bar. The remaining flat is our guest suite but it could be used as a teen suite, for an au pair or elderly relative, or even rented out.”

“The cinema room has a sophisticated sound system, which can be used throughout the house. It’s the ultimate party house. For a significant birthday, we cleared the grand drawing and dining room and installed lots of small tables for dinner party guests.”

“The house is in an excellent location, as London is easily reached by car via the A1, A10 or M11, or by train from Royston station, typically just a 12-minute drive away. The surrounding villages offer all sorts of amenities; I used to cycle to the nursery school in Ashwell, where there is also a doctors’ surgery.”

“We will miss the peacefulness of living here, and being so self-contained – the pool, home cinema and snooker room and the garden space enable a younger or an older

family to be fully occupied – everything is here. It’s a wrench to leave.”*

*These comments are the personal views of the current owner and are included as an insight into life at the property. They have not been independently verified, should not be relied on without verification and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agent

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This versatile detached family home is set on a mature plot and occupies a prominent location within this attractive, popular and highly accessible village, just five miles from Cambridge city centre. The thoughtfully extended accommodation offers three reception rooms, a large hardwood conservatory, five bedrooms, double garaging and open rear views. EPC Rating D.

DRY DRAYTON, CAMBRIDGE guide price £575,000

MARCH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE guide price £424,995

A delightful 1920s double bay fronted detached family home, set in the quiet backwaters of this market town and offering a wealth of character and charm throughout, whilst benefitting from a contemporary twist. Offering three reception rooms, four double bedrooms, separate self-contained annexe with en suite, as well as ample parking and double garaging. EPC Rating E.

A unique opportunity to acquire an individual detached home with its own Grade II* Listed windmill. Offering numerous commercial interests to include stabling, manège, three cottages, workshop, manager’s accommodation and dance studio with bar, plus grounds of approximately 14 acres. The whole complex has been hired to facilitate weddings and parties. EPC Rating E.

MADINGLEY ROAD, CAMBRIDGE guide price £3,250,000

WEST WRATTING, CAMBRIDGE offers over £600,000

A thoughtfully constructed, individual five bedroom detached residence with four reception rooms occupying a superb edge of village location on a plot of approximately 0.25 acres, with far reaching views over open countryside and three garages. The property boasts immense character to include exposed timbers, Inglenook fireplaces and solid oak floors. EPC Rating B.

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“Mike and his team at Fine & Country Cambridge did an excellent job in handling the sale of our house in Duxford. Not the easiest house to sell – a pair of 16th and 17th Century barns converted and linked together, giving a lovely but long (33 metres) and narrow house with a courtyard and cottage garden. We really appreciated the professionalism and the personal touch that the team brought to the sale. Everyone pulled together, but I have to say that Gavin, in the sales part of the process was excellent. He kept us up to date with feedback and was always willing to spend time discussing how things were going and what viewers had said, so, even when things went quiet, we were confident that we would achieve a good sale. Once we had an offer, Donna was superb. She couldn’t have been more helpful, from being in the house with the surveyor, to arranging for the removal firms to get access to quote for the removal. Quite something, when we were 400 miles away at our new house in Scotland. She also kept us in the picture, and was readily available when we had queries. All in all, we’re very pleased with the way things have gone.”

- Mr H, a recent client

“What a refreshing change. An estate agent that actually wants to help me find a house. Having spoken to many estate agents over the last few months, Gavin Human from Fine & Country is a breath of fresh air and a credit to the much beleaguered profession. He is the only estate agent that bothers to ring either me or my husband with possible suitable properties. I have received phone calls at 8am in the morning and also at 9pm at night, so he certainly does go that extra mile for his clients. The Fine & Country sales brochures are by far the best we have come across and I look forward to receiving them. We actually met Gavin on Saturday and his enthusiasm for the property we were viewing was incredible. I did wonder if he actually owned it. His knowledge of the local area was first class, as he had persuaded my husband to view this particular house which was further out of our target area. I am not sure if the house is for us, as we consider a second viewing, but for the first time, as I was so impressed with Gavin, I thought I would type a review to show mine and my husband’s appreciation for such excellent and outstanding service. My husband is tempted to offer him a job, but I doubt with all his enthusiasm he would be persuaded to change professions. After writing this, I am also going to join twitter and follow him, as I have been told “it’s the thing to do. Well done Fine & Country and well done Gavin.”

- Mrs W, a house hunter in the local area

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A spectacular Grade II Listed Elizabethan manor house situated midway between Cambridge and Norwich with accommodation extending to over 10,000 sq. ft. and set in grounds of more than 40 acres. The main Hall offers four glorious reception rooms, eight principal bedrooms with en suite facilities plus a nanny/au pair flat. The estate includes magnificent walled gardens as well as a tennis court, equestrian facilities, a former coach house and a function room. EPC Exempt.

HOCKWOLD, NORFOLK guide price £1,975,000

An impressive detached family home occupying a superb position within this popular village and a plot of around half an acre that adjoins the organically managed Croxton Park Estate to the rear. The versatile accommodation offers five bedrooms and open plan reception rooms, with many rooms enjoying stunning views onto the garden and parkland beyond. EPC Rating C.

CROXTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE guide price £585,000

Fine & Country Head Office121 Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1K 7AG

Your property travels with Fine & CountryAdvertise your property to millions of potential buyers across the globe

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It has not gone unnoticed in the national press that there’s a new kid on the block in the world of online property advertising called ‘OnTheMarket’, made notable for the fact that it is part owned and run by estate agents and because it requires any user/investor to not only remove their properties from one of the two standout portals; namely Rightmove or Zoopla/PrimeLocation, but also any other property site that could be described as an aggregator of properties from the same location, such as local property newspaper websites.

There are plenty of cynics that suggest that this is all about estate agents trying to save themselves some unwanted advertising costs. Personally, I don’t subscribe to that notion because many of our respected competitors here in Cambridge have chosen to support OnTheMarket in place of Zoopla and PrimeLocation and I don’t believe that any of them are short of money!

I want to make it public, however, that Fine & Country Cambridge has decided to bite the bullet and stay loyal to the tried and tested, market leading property websites on the grounds that this is in the best interests of the people that matter the most – our clients and customers.

When you read that over 92% of people start their property search on the internet and, out of a recent survey of over 4,500* home movers, that 94% expected their property to be advertised on Rightmove, 68% on Zoopla and

39% on PrimeLocation, I believe that the argumentation to support this decision is overwhelming.

Hitwise says that OnTheMarket is, at the time of writing, only attracting 22,000 visits a day compared to Rightmove and Zoopla’s 1,500,000. Whilst Rightmove is the biggest site, Zoopla is most well known and used by Londoners and this is such an important source of buyers for us that the cost saving would be massively outweighed by the loss of potential sales.

Furthermore Zoopla also powers the property sections of websites such as The Times, The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph, each generating millions of visits every day.

Time will tell if this is the right decision in the long term but for now, I think that it’s very important that Cambridgeshire property sellers and buyers are aware that they do have a choice if they value the importance of ensuring that their property is given the very widest possible marketing coverage and exposure.

*Source: The Property Academy

Not On The Market

Lorraine Anderson, Regional Director (City of Cambridge)lorraine.anderson@fineandcountry.com

With the choice of online property portals a hot topic for debate at present, Lorraine Anderson, from Fine & Country Cambridge, discusses how to maximise exposure for your property.

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WEST COUNTRYLONDON & SOUTHERN HOME COUNTIESHEART OF ENGLAND & SOUTH WALESEAST ANGLIA & EAST MIDLANDSYORKSHIRE & NORTH EASTNORTHWEST & NORTH WALES

Call 01223 363700Fine & Country Cambridge3 Dukes Court, Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8DZ cambridge@fineandcountry.com

International Head Office119 Park LaneMayfairLondon W1K 7AG Tel: +44 (0)20 7079 1515Fax: +44 (0)20 7629 2329www.fineandcountry.com

Fine & Country Cambridge

Fine & Country is a global network of estate agencies specialising in the

marketing, sale and rental of luxury residential property. With offices

in the UK, The Channel Islands, France, Portugal, Spain, Russia, Dubai,

Egypt, South Africa, West Africa and Namibia, we combine

the widespread exposure of the international marketplace with the

local expertise and knowledge of carefully selected independent

property professionals.

Fine & Country appreciates the most exclusive and more expensive

properties require a more compelling, sophisticated and intelligent

presentation - leading to a common, yet uniquely exercised and

successful strategy emphasising the lifestyle qualities of the property.

This unique approach to luxury homes marketing delivers high quality,

intelligent and creative concepts for property promotion combined

with the latest technology and marketing techniques.

We understand moving home is one of the most important decisions

you make; your home is both a financial and emotional investment.

With Fine & Country you benefit from the local knowledge,

experience, expertise and contacts of a well trained, educated and

courteous team of professionals, working to make the sale or

purchase of your property as stress free as possible.

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