A couple who have spent the past decade lovingly restoring their 1960s Essex home have put the property on the market.
Alan Walker and his wife Sandy bought the detached house in the town of Loughton in 2013.
They are the third owners of Sussex House, which was originally built in 1965 and occupied by architect Geoffrey Bateman.
A profile of the property appeared in the 1969 edition of the ‘Daily Mail book of House Plans’.
This four-bedroom house in the Essex town of Loughton is for sale for £1.85 million through Savills estate agents
The property appeared in the Daily Mail book of house plans in 1969 (scroll down for full profile)
In the 1980s, the previous owners, who were doctors and had a family, moved into the building. Although they hadn’t made many changes to the house, they had made some changes, such as covering the laminate walls with wallpaper.
Upon purchasing the property, the current owners Alan and Sandy immediately restored the property as far as possible to its original features.
These features include terrazzo floors and teak panelling, as well as some aluminum window frames.
The building has a modernist style, characterized by volume, asymmetrical shapes and minimal ornamentation.
Other features of the four-bedroom house include black brickwork and gold joinery.
The agent handling the sale of the property is Savills, who are advertising it with a price tag of £1.85 million.
The current owners have lovingly restored the building, which was built in 1965 by architect Geoffrey Bateman
The garden has also been renovated to a high standard and has a small putting green
We spoke exclusively to current owners Alan and Sandy Walker about the renovation of the property
In an exclusive interview, Alan and Sandy revealed their favorite parts of the Grade II listed home.
While Alan highlights his “man cave” on the lower floor of the three-story home, they both agree that the top floor next to their bedroom is their favorite part of the house.
Alan explains: ‘I’m lucky because I have a man cave downstairs. The house has three levels. I have my own area where I can work.
‘But our favorite part of the house is the upstairs area adjacent to our bedroom. It offers panoramic views as far as East London.’
And Sandy adds, “It was interesting when we watched the fireworks at home one New Year’s Eve, not only in the sky outside, but also the same fireworks on the TV in the house, just with a 10-second delay. ‘
According to the current owners, the house is very representative of its time due to the materials used
This part of the property included a brick wall which is black and a clad ceiling
The kitchen is equipped with modern appliances and a special area for a table and chairs
The building has a modernist style, characterized by volume, asymmetrical shapes and minimal ornamentation
Alan recently turned 70 and the couple now want to move to the coast.
Sandy explained, “We thought this would be our forever home. But we don’t have kids, so we can’t leave it and all our belongings to some random person to sort it out. We have to sort out our things now.’
She adds: ‘The house is very representative of its time, because of the materials used, such as the teak walls.
‘The specification is high and there are details you don’t realize when you first walk in.
‘There are no visible surfaces or pipes on the outside of the house. No gutters or facilities at all, which was so advanced for that time.’
Alan and Sandy are the third owners of Sussex House and are now looking to move after living in the property for ten years
The house is representative of its time due to the materials used, including various types of brick
The house has four bedrooms, including this one with a panoramic view from the large window
The ground floor of the property features a large living room and kitchen, along with two bedrooms.
Alan’s downstairs ‘man cave’ includes a reception room, study and the fourth bedroom. The space can be converted into a separate, self-contained flat.
The master bedroom is on the top floor, along with an en-suite shower room and separate family room.
Outside there is a paved driveway with parking for several cars and a double carport.
There is a landscaped garden with a sun terrace, an ornamental pond and a putting green. The summer house has sliding doors to the garden.
The floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room overlook the garden of the 1960s building
There is a living area on the lower floor which is flooded with light
Sussex House is located on St John’s Road, home to some of Loughton’s best properties
The top floor has a large terrace, which the current owners describe as their favorite part of the property
Sussex House is located on St John’s Road, home to some of Loughton’s most beautiful houses.
It is well located for local amenities including the town’s leisure centre, woodland and High Street.
There are good transport links via Loughton, Debden and Theydon Bois stations, all within two miles of the property.
At the same time the overground at Chingford ends at Liverpool Street.
And there are several schools all within a mile of the property, including Woodcroft, Oak View and Staples Road primary schools.
