Well I went to see Waterloo Farm today, and I must confess that I was not going with the expectation of being convinced. I just could not see how it was going to work. I discovered this is not really the best attitude to go and see a house with.
The house is a real mixture of styles and ages, being two old farm cottages knocked into one farmhouse. I did really whiz around the house and it all seemed ok, but what has really mattered for me through this whole ‘move to the country and live the country life’ has been the outside space, and this was a particular concern to me. Especially in the proximity of the barn, and how this was going to be divided and the outbuilding, an old stable, that the current owner wanted to keep.
In the end I went to find Mr P, the owner, and ask him to show me where the fence was going to go. I must say he was a really nice guy. Very relaxed and open and honest about how he saw it working. We then walked around to the stable and I did something very un-Nigel for me and asked him outright if he would consider including the stable in the sale of the house. Especially as I work from home and would love this to be my home office. He smiled and said after a bit of ‘umming’ and ‘arring’ that if we were interested in the house we could discuss the matter.
We then went to lean on the post and rail fence at the bottom of the formal garden overlooking the bottom paddock and chatted. I can honestly say while we only chatted for what must have been a few minutes, I really feel I connected with him. We have a good chat, a few laughs and shared some common interests. I immediately felt that if I could choose any neighbour, then Mr P would be one I would definitely choose. I got the impression that he felt the same way to.
Well, we wrapped up and left, my head filled with very conflicting emotions. The outside space was amazing! It was so quiet and peaceful, and the house was a proper old farmhouse. The amount of land was staggering, far more than we ever intended.
Now we have to think about our next steps…
Tags: Farmhouse, Norfolk, Waterloo Farm
Categories: Finding our Home in the Country