Serles Farm Cottages, Fencott, Kidlington, OX5

A lovely modern stone cottage with three bedrooms, a 20 ft kitchen and 20 ft living room! Great condition, very energy efficient, and tucked away in the very quietest of village lanes only a few miles from both Oxford and Bicester. NO CHAIN. ***ACCESS STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT***

If your ideal is a village that feels completely remote but is actually just ten minutes' drive from most things, Fencott is the one. Sitting on the edge of the Otmoor Nature Reserve, which is classed as an area of SSI with beautiful countryside, there are walks and trails in all directions. The feeling of serenity is complete, with no passing traffic or other disturbances. But within a 4 mile drive is Bicester, and it's only 8 miles to the edge of Oxford. So your ability to access every form of world-class facility is as good as anywhere. To some degree it's the perfect mix of rural peace and suburban convenience, with none of the shortcomings of either!

Ivy Cottage is just one of a handful of stone-built modern cottages on a tiny lane, originally part of one of the local farms. It has the look of an old cottage complete with timber lintels, but with none of the shortcomings. Hence modern glazing, cavity walls, up to date heating etc is the order of the day. And the proportions are far better than the square footage might otherwise suggest as it is so well-planned. Every room is cleverly proportioned to maximise the space it occupies, with good sized windows bringing in far more natural light than an older building could provide. Just like the location, it really is the best mix of all things.

The front door opens into a delightful living room space that, at 6.2m (20 ft) in length, is generous. The proportions make furnishing the space really easy, and the flooring underfoot is a Karndean French Oak which stretches throughout the ground floor (maintenance free) - both pretty and practical. Two good sized windows to the front bring in great light, as well as providing a charming view across the lengthy lawn of the front garden. And under the stairs a deep cupboard with pop out drawers offers really significant storage that's also easy to access. Through the door at the rear you enter the kitchen. The same proportions offer just as much good living space. Kitchen units to three sides on the left offer ample storage, with all the usual mod-cons built in. But more than that there's a touch of class here, with the pastel colours of the units contrasting gently with a stylish bamboo worktop and Art-Deco style tiling to the walls. And on the right the area clearly designed for a table and chairs is really spacious, with glazed double doors to the rear opening onto another garden.

Upstairs you will find three pleasant bedrooms. Unusually, all three will easily accommodate a double bed with more than ample room for other furniture. And all are characterful. To the front, the largest is ideally proportioned and overlooks the front garden and fields beyond. Next door, a smaller bedroom is still a really roomy bedroom space, or an ideal study as used today. And to the rear a third bedroom is exceptionally bright as there are two roof light windows overhead. All three share a bathroom that is cleverly designed to include a shower as well as a separate bath, covering all needs. And, as with the kitchen, it's all done in great style with a contemporary suite and simple elegance. Again, it's the little touches such as the vanity unit that's attractive as well as functional that sets this house apart from the norm...

Outside, coming in from the lane there is gravelled parking to either side, all allocated with two parking spaces per property. And it's all very pretty with a number of trees and shrubs surrounding the edges. A post and rail fence with a five bar gate leads into a lovely, dedicated front garden flanked on either side with fencing and a pleasant array of border plants, with a path leading up to the front door, sheltered by an open porch. At the rear of the house the garden is all landscaped to provide easy seating areas, part decking and part gravelled. And there is a good sized shed to the rear corner for general storage, alongside which a deep timber-framed planter is filled with various plants, behind which is a stone wall to the boundary at the rear.