10 homes geared up for outdoor entertaining
The upside of living in a country with such unreliable weather is that we appreciate sunny days all the more – and for many people that means spending as much time in the garden as possible. If you love nothing better than throwing a summer party and are considering a move, finding somewhere with a well-designed outdoor entertaining area is bound to be a priority. All these for-sale properties fit the bill perfectly, you could be hosting a housewarming on your new patio sooner than you think.
1. Preston Brook, Runcorn, Cheshire, £400,000
You’re unlikely to be spending much time on your own in this extended three-bedroom period house, as it’s crying out to be filled with family and friends. Standing on a large plot, it has a spacious patio with a pizza oven, barbecue, lock-up bar, log burner and a timber-framed gazebo. There’s also a hexagonal Hobbit-style cabin, plus games and cinema rooms in the converted garage. Through Swetenhams.
2. Wakefield, West Yorkshire, £650,000
Three sets of bi-fold doors open onto the full-width patio of this contemporary house. It includes five ensuite bedrooms, an open plan kitchen/living/dining room, a study, sunroom and utility. A bar area and a raised deck reached via a spiral staircase nestle amongst foliage at the back of the garden. Contact Purplebricks.
Read more: 9 houses with great-looking gardens
3. Gors Farm, Pontyberem, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, offers over £675,000
Guests are well catered for in this five-bedroom house, with its large reception rooms and an impressive kitchen overlooking a heating indoor pool with its own exterior deck. The three acres of land include a chalet that can be used as overflow accommodation and a garage/workshop that the current owners have transformed into a full-scale entertaining area with an outdoor kitchen. For sale through Country Living Group.
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4. Great Abington, Cambridgeshire, £750,000
A charming grade-II listed thatched cottage with four bedrooms, three reception rooms and a host of character features. The garden is equally delightful – generously sized with a patio, mature shrubs, well-stocked borders, a pond, a summerhouse and a secluded terrace in one corner. Framed by a high wall, this terrace incorporates a barbecue, storage and a dining area and is next to a shrub-covered pergola to provide shade when needed. Find out more from Cheffins.
5. Chicklade Mead, Chicklade, Wiltshire, £795,000
Part of a grade II-listed 18th-century manor house, most of the five bedrooms here enjoy views over surrounding farmland or the parkland grounds, where you'll find a detached garden building with wifi and underfloor heating – ideal for use as an entertainment hub or office – and two terraces. Get in touch with Hamptons.
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6. Mynd House, Painswick, Gloucestershire, £1.375m
An attractive Arts & Crafts-style house looking out over the Painswick Valley. Along with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, two reception rooms, a kitchen, breakfast room and utility, it comes with a pretty two-thirds of an acre garden with a paved dining terrace accessed from the sitting room through wide glass doors. By Murrays.
7. The Woodlands, Earlswood, Warwickshire, £1.5m
Buyers who take socialising seriously are unlikely to find a home quite as well-equipped as this one. For, as well as over 4,000 square feet of accommodation in the main house – including five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a huge kitchen diner and two lounges – it boasts 5,000 square feet of outdoor entertaining space. There’s a decked outdoor kitchen with a barbecue and fire pit and an impressive covered area containing a bar, dining room and doorway leading to a spa, all linked to a Sonos sound system. Available through EB&P.
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8. Maypole Farm, Hawkinge, Kent, £2m
This Grade-II listed five-bedroom house is believed to date from the 1400s, but its outdoor living area could hardly be more contemporary. Connected to the open plan kitchen by a wall of sliding glass doors, the expansive terrace is zoned into different areas with a fantastic outdoor kitchen, a hot tub, planting and water features, all complemented by accent lighting. For more information get in touch with Strutt & Parker.
Read more: 11 fabulous farmhouses for rural bliss
9. Putney, London, SW15, £6.8m
Designed by award-winning Gregory Phillips Architects, this 7,000-square-foot house is spread across four levels. The west-facing garden was inspired by the Dutch designer Piet Oudolf and is planted with grasses and trees that appear to merge with neighbouring Richmond Park. Relax with drinks in the evening sun on the terrace outside the kitchen or enjoy the gentle sound of the waterfall when dining on the wooden deck over the pond. Available through Winkworth.
10. Hadley Wood, Hertfordshire, £9.75m
Pool parties are the order of the day in this new-build detached house, spanning four floors. Not only does it have a heated outdoor pool and several terraces, but there’s an indoor pool too – also heated – along with a cinema, games room, gym, sauna, 46-foot all-in-in-one kitchen, living and dining area, a separate living room, study and snug, all served by a lift. Contact Robert Irving Burns.
Watch: Couple's stunning garden in industrial heartlands springs into life.
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