2 Bed Cottage House For Sale Cross End, Bedford, MK44

Guide Price £400,000 - £450,000

Whether searching for your first property, a family home, or a place to downsize to, this cottage is calling, complete with internal renovation, external overhaul, and the most incredible outlooks.

The last five years have been nothing short of transformative, seeing the property from wreck to wow-factor. The current owners purchased it in 2019 as their first marital home, and have put in all the stress, cost, time and effort needed to turn it around. New owners are granted a gorgeous garden and a much larger plot, new windows, a new boiler and a new shower room, replastering and redecorating, and recent roof works. There’s still potential to be found, with the possibility to extend out the back (stp) for extra accommodation.

The house is believed to have been built in the late 1800s, and character blends beautifully with the contemporary feel the owners have introduced. This is particularly apparent in the kitchen, which features exposed ceiling beams, and is fitted in sage green cabinetry, marble-effect surfaces, and brick-tiled splashbacks.

The shower room upstairs is also modern, with white and chrome fixtures and fittings, and fully tiled in a wet room style. The downstairs shower room is handy for the morning rush, and has a useful cloakroom to the side, plus an airing cupboard. The hall has an alcove for fitting cupboards, and the landing is large enough for storage.

The lounge/diner and the adjacent snug/office are really cosy spaces, with sitting areas in front of log burners, and a dining area by bi-fold doors. You’re forever drawn to the fields behind the house, and the bi-folds give the widest aperture to appreciate this panoramic view, as well as to step straight outside on sunny days.

With a garden like this, you’ll want to be outside all the time. Once an overgrown grassy mound, the south-facing garden is now low maintenance, high enjoyment. The owners have undertaken extensive groundworks to create such tranquillity. Purchasing the land behind has given the plot loads of lawn, as well as those unobstructed outlooks, and the patio provides plenty of seating, with lighting around the edge for whiling away an evening. You’ll spot hares and deer, and you’ll hear owls and WWII planes. The garden is extremely private, perfect for showering under the stars and soaking in the hot tub. Birthday parties have been held here, with the gated gravel driveway providing parking for everyone. The driveway is handy for visitors, but also for vehicles such as a horsebox and a camper van. There’s scope to incorporate covered parking (stp) to protect cars from the rain, and the owners have installed a charger for EVs.

The cabin annexe was added too, and this is versatile self-contained accommodation for hosting or for hobbies. With a kitchen and a shower room in here, it’s an opportunity for older children to live independently, for guests to stay, or for a relative to live.

As for location, Thurleigh is in a convenient position between Bedford and St Neots, both riverside towns with lots to see and do. Milton Keynes and Rushden Lakes are a little further for comprehensive shopping and entertainment, and Keysoe International equestrian centre and Colmworth Golf Club are a few minutes away. For connection and commuting, the A1 is 15 minutes away, and London is a train ride from Bedford station. Cross End is on the edge of Thurleigh, within a short walk of the primary school, the village hall, the church and the sports club, and within a short drive of soft play at Twinwoods and further schooling. Plenty of pubs are available, including The Plough at Bolnhurst, featured in the Michelin Guide, and there’s also a café in Keysoe, and a garden centre and café in Milton Ernest. It’s no wonder this home is a destination for relaxation. Now imagine living here!