Picture perfect village home with period charm and all mod cons

Turning her dream home into reality took an enormous amount of effort but Lisa Hardisty was determined to make it happen.

She and her husband began by selling their newly-built starter home and then renting while searching for a property in need of renovation.

“I really wanted a period property in a village, a characterful one-off, and the only way I was going to get it was by finding a project,” says Lisa.

The couple found Greystones, a property with its roots in the mid-1700s, in the sought-after village of Stutton, near Tadcaster. The house was derelict but that didn’t deter them. They spent all their spare time and energy on bringing it back to life, helped by Lisa’s brother, a respected builder, who owns Duncan Construction.

“We were very hands on. We helped with everything from roofing to pointing and fitting the kitchen,” says Lisa.“All our holidays and weekends were spent on the house. We lived in one bedroom and didn’t have a kitchen for a year. In fact, that Christmas we cooked the Christmas dinner on a barbecue.”

The privations have paid off. The tumbledown property, which they bought ten years ago, is now a beautiful, no expense spared family home. The four-bedroom house retains its period charm and features but now has classic contemporary interiors and modern amenities, including a Sonos sound system and Cat 5 cabling.

The ground floor has a dining room with a stone- flagged floor, a sitting room with rustic brick fireplace and wood-burning stove, and French doors opening out into the garden. The kitchen has granite worktops and a central island/breakfast bar. There is also a utility room, internal access into the garage and a guest cloakroom. The first floor has a main bedroom with en-suite shower room, two double bedrooms and a house bathroom. The second floor has a galleried landing, study/playroom and a double bedroom. Outside, the property has a driveway/parking area and a single garage. There is a lawned garden and gravelled seating area and a walled cottage garden, plus a timber garden store with living roof and an adjoining fuel store.

Lisa and her husband, who have two children, are selling to relocate. She says: “Renovating the house was an adventure and it was fun. In fact, when we move I’d like to do it again. It gives you a great sense of achievement.”

For further details contact Carter Jonas, tel: 0113 451 3101, www.carterjonas.co.uk

*Stutton village has a pub, village hall and an active community. It is close to Tadcaster and Wetherby with easy access to the A64 and A1M. It is equidistant from Leeds, Harrogate and York.