Find your dream designer home at The Hollies

The Hollies in Sturton by Stow is part of an exclusive development of five stunning new homes built by local craftsmen and set within a much sought after edge of village location.

Ideally situated in an attractive semi-rural village location on the eastern edge of Sturton by Stow, The Hollies offers a rare opportunity to acquire a substantial five bedroom property built to an exceptionally high standard with stunning views across open countryside. Designed by Fytche-Taylor Planning, which chose to showcase local design and construction talents, The Hollies forms part of an exclusive development of five detached homes and is the only property in the White House Farm Development collection to be made available on the open market.

The new home will come with full LABC new build warranty and if purchased prior to full completion the buyer can enjoy total flexibility over kitchen, bathroom and décor finishes.

“Fytche-Taylor Planning originally purchased the land with a view to selling the site as a development opportunity, however right from the start it was clear that there was overwhelming interest in the local area from people (particularly families) wanting to build their own home too,” explains managing director Oliver Fytche-Taylor. “The more we looked into this, the more we found that good, well-positioned self-build plots are incredibly difficult to find.

“As a result we designed the site so that it was laid out into five individual plots, each with large garden areas and individual, private accesses. We are building The Hollies and have sold three of the other plots to local families who are now in the process of building their own new homes, with the fifth plot having been sold to a local housebuilder.”

Oliver says that all five properties have been designed following the same design principles and the company continues to work with all of the buyers to provide further support in terms of planning, design and construction advice.

“We understand that most homebuyers want to walk around a finished property to be able to get a true sense of whether they could imagine themselves living there. However, there are also many home-seekers who, while not wanting to undertake an entire self-build, do like the idea of customising the property to suit their specific design preferences.

“We have a transparent approach to this – big-ticket items such as the kitchens and bathrooms have a generous budget attached to them and if the house is not sold prior to completion then we will design and select premium finishes for these rooms. Should the property sell prior to completion, we will always try to accommodate our buyer’s preferences and would be happy to discuss this further with any prospective purchaser.”

Oliver describes The Hollies as having a “modern contemporary feel that delivers a twist on the more traditional styles that you can see around the village”.

“The external finishes, from the brick type, sills and oak porch all reflect quality and attention to detail. Internally, because it is such a light and bright setting, we have maximised the benefit of natural light with large windows and doors.

“On completion later this year, the new development will reflect a consistent but individually unique distinctive group of properties, with each reflecting a slightly different interpretation of our design style, which is highly important to us particularly given these properties’ stunning rural setting.”

Designed for living
With five spacious bedrooms, large family room with access to the rear gardens off the kitchen/diner, plus a dedicated study/home office to provide space for home working without compromising bedroom or living space, The Hollies is ideally designed for families, and especially those who enjoy entertaining.

There is plenty of outdoor space, including enclosed front and rear gardens with a large detached double garage.

“We are aiming for professionals and families and have reflected this in the site layout that makes provision for large areas to either eat together or relax,” explains Oliver. “Obviously the kitchen is generally the heart of any family home and therefore this is both functional and flexible so that it is as much an area that can be enjoyed as any other part of the house.

“We have included two en-suites because, having families ourselves, we know that only having an en-suite for the master and then a family bathroom for the rest of the house just doesn’t cut it! Bedrooms are spacious to allow for plenty of storage while maintaining a lot of floor space.

“We also know how important it is to homebuyers to have private secure space to the front as well as the rear, and the private gated entry means that access from the road directly into the property is achieved without any shared access arrangements of joined-up driveways.”

In addition to the family kitchen/dining area, the additional receptions rooms provide plenty of opportunity to enjoy some private space, as well as additional areas to spend time in as a family.

“As parents we also know how important it is to include several practical features that make everyday living easier, which includes access into the utility/boot room directly from both the front and rear of the property – so no more muddy shoes going through the house!

“Finally, as standard our homes will include first fix for features such as CCTV and integrated media, as well as an external power supply to the rear garden so that if our buyer wants to have a hot tub or home bar in future, it’s hassle-free to install.”

Modern modelling technology
Whereas most sales agents and developers rely solely on outline plans to sell their properties, FT Planning favours embracing the new modelling technology created by Louth based Gary Rance at Architectural Imaging Solutions to showcase its bespoke designs.

“The new high res images that have been prepared based on the approved plans show how the house will look and feel on completion (due to be late autumn 2021). Given the luxurious feel and finishes we put into our homes, they really bring our designs to life in a way that viewing developments on plans alone never can.

“You can see how these have evolved into the 3D real life renditions that Gary has produced and the feedback from buyers and prospective purchasers has been phenomenal. In fact, we’ve had a few that hadn’t even realised these weren’t photos of the completed house!”

The development is on land that formerly made up White House Farm, and a couple of the farm’s original red brick barns still remain. Oliver explains that it was important to design properties that would sit well alongside this setting and to devise a layout that (instead of cramming with houses) maintained the high degree of space and openness that characterises this part of the village. Although on a very quiet lane, it still forms one of the approaches into the village and therefore exceptional design was essential.

Oliver is proud to describe the property as “thoroughly Lincolnshire”.

“For us it’s extremely important that it showcases a range of local design and construction talents. In addition to being designed by us in Torksey Lock and brought to life by Architectural Imaging Solutions, the property is being project managed and constructed by a local builder, M Freestone Construction Ltd which is based close to the site in nearby Torksey, using local tradespeople.

“Where possible all materials are sourced from local businesses too and our sales partners Mundys are of course highly respected local property experts. Even the oak staircase and feature porch is to be designed and supplied locally from Lincwood Joinery of Dunholme, just nine miles from the site.

“There are numerous gains, both economic and environmental in using local design and construction talents in terms of reducing travel times for the construction and trades, sourcing local supplies (which in turn bolsters the local economy and helps secure jobs and other small businesses in Lincolnshire) and also reliability.

“Lincolnshire is often described as a big village – and reputation is incredibly important. Lincolnshire benefits from an exceptionally high level of craftsmanship and talent so it makes sense to make full use of the brilliant suppliers and contractors that are on our doorstep.

“Our own company is proud to be based in Lincolnshire and we have developed strong working relationships with numerous architectural practices, estate agents, and particularly a range of local house builders. Our client base does extend far beyond the county, but this particular development is close to home and we always want to look upon our ‘creations’ with a strong sense of pride for what we have accomplished. We think utilising other local businesses helps maintain that strong determination to deliver a quality finish too.”

Idyllic countryside setting close to city
The property benefits from sensational views and access to the countryside and would perfectly suit buyers seeking to be located close to the city, while still experiencing the true rural charm of the area.

Located midway between Lincoln and the market town of Gainsborough, Sturton by Stow is a popular and charming village, which benefits from a variety of local amenities, all of which are within a short walking distance of the site, including a primary school (Ofsted rated ‘Good’), public house, village shops, tea rooms, village hall, church, chapel, bus services and a general recreational sports field.

“Some villages can be little more than a collection of houses along a main road, with not much in terms of attractiveness to families and limited opportunities for children to play and meet friends,” says Oliver. “Sturton by Stow has an exceptionally strong sense of community. All of the village’s amenities are within walking distance of The Hollies. The property is very close to the recreation ground and Fleets Road itself leads to a network of small, quiet local roads that are popular with walkers and cyclists.”

The village benefits from a new Lincolnshire Co-op store, opened in 2019, plus a second convenience store, as well as a popular pub and tea rooms.

“Its biggest draw is the ability to live with the countryside on your doorstep but be located close to both the City of Lincoln and Gainsborough, meaning that access to those areas for shopping and a choice of secondary schools (including grammar schools) is easy.

“The property has been an instant hit and has already attracted numerous viewings. We have received great feedback about the images we have had created to help give a better impression of the look and feel of the property, and will incorporate these into all our developments in future.”

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