Entrepreneur lists luxury home with pool, stables and all his furniture for £4m
When Stephen O’Brien bought West End Farm five years ago, it was the realisation of a long-held ambition.
“I’d always envisaged, and had this goal of living in the middle of the countryside, in a little village, gravel driveway, electric gates, all that type of stuff,” he says. “A bit of land, you know, a few horses, everything else.”
Stephen, 57, had been living in Burley-in-Wharfedale before selling his company, Pure Technology, in 2021. The sale gave him the opportunity to act quickly when the property in Galphay, near Ripon, came onto the market. “I jumped on it straight away and bought it immediately,” he says.
Although the five-bedroom house was already in good condition, 18 months ago he embarked on an extensive £1m redesign, moving out for seven months while the work was carried out.
“I commissioned Richard Grafton Interiors to do an internal and external landscaping job of the property in three quarters of the house,” he says. “It was a vast project.”
The aim was to transform the feel of the interiors. “It was very dark inside previously, and it had a number of internal walls that were blocking out this amazing view over six acres of land,” he explains.
“They removed a couple of walls, changed the layout, and lightened up the spaces within the house.”
The kitchen was a priority. “I love kitchens because I like cooking,” he says. “So one of the big things was to have a space to cook and chat.”
The principal bedroom was also reworked. “The master bedroom was completely transformed into a master wing with an enlarged dressing room and bathroom,” he says.
Elsewhere, he created more defined living areas. “The snug space was an area that wasn’t really getting used,” he says. “We put some doors on there to try to make a proper snug, so if you want to go put Netflix on you can do that and close the doors behind you.”
Other features, including the swimming pool and cinema room, were already in place. “There was nothing really to do there other than a new heating and maintenance system in the pool,” he says.
Outside facilities including paddocks, a ménage, five stables, a tack room, horse wash, and even a heated dog kennel.
The property also includes a large garage building, which he transformed into a games room. “That actually is a 12-car garage,” he says. “We put a gym in there and a sort of cinema room for the kids but it could be turned into a bungalow because it’s got all the utilities going into it.”
When he moved in, Stephen was living there with his two children, now aged 27 and 25. Since then, family life has changed. “The dynamics have changed over the past five years,” he says. “Children have left and gone to live in other parts of the world.”
At the same time, his own lifestyle has shifted towards international travel and investment, including a possible overseas move.
West End Farm, offered fully furnished with no chain, is on the market for £4m with Fine & Country fineandcountry.co.uk.