Tucked away, yet easily accessible this five-bedroom home, plus annex is set in more than four acres. Including stables, barn and garages, it is found just five miles north of Shrewsbury in the sought after village of Hadnall.

The welcome to Wincote, in Church Lane, Hadnall, is via a charming tree-lined driveway with views over its own paddocks, which in turn are cocooned by woodland to the perimeter of the property, achieving great privacy.  

A generous entrance lobby leads through to the main hallway and into one of the three reception rooms. The hallway opens to the dining room with adjoining conservatory, while directly opposite is an integrated kitchen breakfast room, with Aga and feature bay window. The pantry and utility are found off the kitchen.

Further down the hall is the well-proportioned drawing room with glazing to two aspects and feature fireplace. A cloakroom and wine cellar complete the principal accommodation. Also accessed off the main hall is the one-bedroom annex accommodation with shower room and kitchenette.

Balfours Charlie Giffard, Balfours Associate Partner, Country House Sales, comments: “This is an exceptionally well planned and presented family home. It has great presence and country character, with light billowing in and wonderful outlooks to the garden with a great terrace, opening to the three paddocks with majestic trees offering maturity to the whole setting.”

On the first floor the master suite benefits from a shower room and dressing room, while a further four double bedrooms share a family bathroom, three of which have built in wardrobes.

Charlie adds: “The presentation of Wincote, together with its location and proximity, five miles from Shrewsbury, plus the motorway network easily accessible make this hot-property. Add the balance of amenity land, stables and barn and you have a property offering an idyllic lifestyle.” Balfours are marketing Wincote with a guide price of £1,050,000, call 01743 353511 for more information.

Ends

Issued by and more information from Joy Fox Pr 07841 763 530

A Shropshire Estate in a prime location six miles from the county town has been launched to the market by Balfours.

The Somerwood Estate comprises the main four-bedroom Somerwood House, in a glorious, elevated position, with a range of aesthetically delightful outbuildings, including a one-bedroom annexe, equestrian facilities and south facing gardens. Somerwood House is surrounded by 336 acres (136 hectares) of prime mainly grade three land.

In addition, within the Estate, and with excellent road access is the Sales Farmstead. The separate farmstead incorporates an extensive range modern portal frame buildings, together with traditional brick farm buildings and Sales Cottages; a pair of semi-detached three-bedroom cottages.

Charlie Giffard, Balfours Associate Partner, Country House Sales, reflects: "This is a unique opportunity to invest in a prime Estate in an outstanding location, surrounded by its own land and yet only six miles from the county town and three miles to the major road network, linking to the Telford, the Midlands and the Northwest. Equally the land offers excellent farming prospects, capable of growing a variety of crops, it is mostly level or on a slight south-easterly gradient. Therefore, whether farmed in-hand or under a Farm Business Tenancy, this is a lifestyle or business investment opportunity, offering a potentially healthy income."

Somerwood House, built in the 1950s has a good flow with two reception rooms all benefitting from French doors with southerly aspects to the garden from which there are views over open countryside to the Wrekin. A study has separate and linked access, offering excellent homeworking opportunity. Service rooms also include a utility, pantry and two cloakrooms. The kitchen is situated with double doors to the garden room and access to the dining room. The first floor offers an exceptionally large master bedroom with generous ensuite; with three further bedrooms sharing a family bathroom.

Balfours are marketing the Somerwood Estate as a whole, with a guide price of £5,500,000, for more information call 01743 353511. 

Letting agents play a fundamental role in the renting process. Not only do they act as the glue that puts everything together, but also the cordial distance that enables landlords and renters to retain a professional business footing, even when in some cases they live near one another.

The best agents are highly trained and experienced, offering a wide range of services designed to help landlords rent out their properties and tenants find new homes efficiently and successfully.

So, what should you consider when searching for the best agent, as landlord or a renter? Happily, help is at hand by way of agents registered with Propertymark.

This provides professional recognition so that they are qualified with continued professional development, access to market intelligence and a full understanding of consumer protection. They safeguard financial transactions through a client money protection scheme and carry indemnity insurance.

It is of course the landlord who commissions and pays the letting agent for the service. That service includes property marketing, tenant screening, lease preparation, rent collection and property maintenance. Best practice agents will help to ensure a landlord’s property is occupied by reliable tenants who have been properly checked and who pay their rent on time and take care of the home.

For tenants, letting agents provide access to a broader range of properties and professional guidance on finding a suitable home. They can also offer support throughout the tenancy, helping to resolve any issues or disputes that may arise.

If you are seeking an agent, Balfours has the regional knowledge and track record and can be found right here: https://www.propertymark.co.uk/find-an-expert.html?utm_source=propertymark&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=find_your_agent or you call Paula Wells, MARLA, Balfours Lettings Team Manager This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

As one of the recognised "transfer seasons" for the rental market, namely the new academic year opens, Alistair Hilton head of sales and lettings, looks at the key influences of the market.

• The private rented supply has grown by just one per cent since 2016.
• Higher mortgage rates are further weakening the economies of investing for landlords, impacting new investment in rental supply.
• As a result, rental inflation hit a high of 12.3 per cent in mid-2022, having now slowed to 11.1 per cent.
• Rental inflation for new lets will slow by 4-5 percent by the year end.

What does all this mean? If you have a property you are considering letting now is an optimum time. Not only targeting that academic transfer window, when parents, pupils and students alike want to be in the right place for the beginning of the term, but also from an economic viewpoint too.

If you would like to discuss a property you have then do call Balfours on 01743 277069

By Charlie Giffard, Balfours Associate Partner, Country House Sales

As we hit six per cent interest rates, it would be a bold person to predict even the next twelve months. It was positive to hear, as the Bank of England did put another point five per cent on interest rates this week, that one of the nine people who set the rates, Silvana Tenrayro, warned that changing interest rate policy too aggressively could become destabilising.

Silvana likened it to turning the hot on the shower up too quickly and ending up scalding yourself, rather than being patient and let the heat, or in this case, deflation come through. It is an ironic analogy as actually energy shock is the overriding culprit of the UK’s inflation. Apparently our electric and gas bills soared by 110 per cent, while Europe’s were up by 80 per cent and the United States by just 30%. Of course, we all know that the Russian conflict is much to blame.

For those seeking to move, bringing their own home to the market, we can provide a little reassurance that there are buyers out there. Yes, the market has calmed as a result of interest hikes, but it needed to calm and there does remain an ongoing hardcore of buyers who are seeking a new home or an investment.

Best practice will probably be to fix for two years and hope that by then the conflict in Ukraine, energy bills and interest rates are all going in the right direction.

Ludlow continues to be recognised as one of the most stylish places to live. Already acclaimed by the Telegraph, now online home furniture shop, Furniturebox has conducted a survey of 5000 people nationwide. 

A Furniturebox spokesperson said: "Ludlow is the most stylish place to live in Shropshire. Truthfully, any of the Shropshire locations voted by residents would have been worthy winners and show why it is such a stylish county, loved by artists, film-makers and tourists from all over the world.

"What marks out Shropshire's most stylish places is how they all have a timeless quality achieved over generations by the stylish people living there. Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Whitchurch and Much Wenlock were all recognised."

Ludlow sales manager, Scott Kemsley adds: "I consider myself incredibly lucky to live and work in South Shropshire. Ludlow is situated on the edge of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It boasts a traditional open-air market, independent shops and restaurants, as well as an arts and community venue.

"I have over the years lived and worked all over the world, but Shropshire and its border have market towns and in diverse countryside which is quite unique. I can also confirm that we have buyers who want to move to the county, not only from