Scrolling through property lists nowadays, mostly what I'm thinking is: "That was a holiday let... that was a holiday let... that was a holiday let...".
You recognise the look - comfy, cushion-y, antique-y, original feature-y. To be honest, there's a lot of lux holiday let influencing my own home decor.
I see-saw on the issue. On the one hand, there's pricing local folk out of the market, on the other there's tourism spending. But the tax loophole the government closed last year (and probably prompted this sell-off rush) needed tackling, and there are now more refurbished homes coming onto the market for buyers wanting views without the work.
At one stage, hubby and I spent weekends driving Northumberland looking for a potential holiday home/holiday let of our own to do-up. Even starting the process of buying one before fuzzy access rights made us pull out. We followed that by buying a do-up on the east coast, planning it as a holiday let but finding we never wanted to leave. So we've stayed.
Anyway, my musing was prompted by coming across another house we almost bought to let (this one) and all the work that's been done since we saw it. It was cute then, cuter now. I remember a friendly neighbour and a steep walk up.
We did love that area, the North Pennines. Wild and snowy on our visits and big, big views.
I'm going to take you there today to show you two quite similar detached do-ups.
Keepers Cottage shows its roots - a stone outbuilding off to the side of the house used to be the kennels for the keeper's working dogs. Now it has a cute metal gate and space for garden furniture.
Inside the house, some works have been done to make it comfortable for whoever followed the keeper. Central heating, a new kitchen, a bathroom added upstairs, but lots more is still as it was - those gorgeous fireplaces for instance.
There are only two bedrooms (one having ceded space for that bathroom), and a grungy downstairs shower room needs to go, but rooms are a good size and the house sits in a decent garden plot with scope for extending to make the most of those quite stunning hill views.
Keepers Cottage is in a good location, among a handful of houses on a country lane, and about half-a-mile from the pretty and active village of Blanchland, with its historic abbey, shops and a popular pub hotel.
On the market through Anton Estates with a guide price of £250k. Details and more pictures on the agent's site here and on Rightmove here.
My second pick also has two-bedrooms and a price tag of £250k, but needs rather more work. This stone cottage however comes with an attached, double height stone byre, outbuildings, and all the views in the world.
It's pretty remote, a couple of houses nearby in their own private plots, and the nearest place is Allendale (Town) about five miles away.
The attached byre is massive - so much scope there for extending the property (assuming it's all sound) and you've got two other stone buildings and a large timber garage for stores and workshop.
The main house just has the living room, kitchen and a bathroom downstairs, plus a large bedroom and not great (ceiling shape) spare bedroom upstairs. And, OML, what's with the dark wood ceilings?!
You're going to need to be able to chip in a fair bit of cash and time to turn this property into one that's worthy of that location and those gorgeous views.
On the market through Andrew Coulson at £250k. Details, more pictures on the agent's site here and on Rightmove here (including video tour).
All the while I've been working on this post, I've had a earworm. I think it's those big views and thinking about our drives up and up through those vast northern hills.
In a big country, dreams stay with you, like a lover's voice fires the mountainside. Stay alive.
