2 Bedroom Flat, Lawrie Park Road, Aintree House, SE26

A stunning, bright, top-floor flat with a share of freehold (and 900+ year lease) and an open plan layout in a quiet, leafy development designed in the 1930s by the modernist architect Frederick Gibberd.

Offering two generously sized double bedrooms and located only a few moments from Crystal Palace Park’s southeastern entrance, which puts the beautiful Brown & Green Café, the boating lake & Sunday’s delicious food market on your doorstep! As well as multiple transport links, such as Penge West, Penge East & Sydenham Stations.

Having been lovingly maintained by its former and current owners, this beautifully bright flat ticks many boxes, especially with its share of freehold, its long lease and, most notably, its open-plan kitchen/living room, which is just a wonderful flowing space and a welcome departure from its original boxy layout. This living space is now a more social, free-flowing and brighter room, with light flooding in from its lovely southern aspect.

There is more to this home than just its layout, though; the fact it has two proper (actual) double bedrooms is a rarity at this price range, and the quality of the interior is also worth mentioning, as well as the fact it has brand new windows (a year old, with Fensa certs in place!) its clear to see it’s been well cared for. There’s also the serenity it offers; being in the middle of the development makes it quieter, and not having a neighbour above or beside any of its four walls makes for a bit of a sanctuary.

The kitchen is well laid out and has a useful breakfast bar, ideal for casual meals and breakfasts and great for having guests keep you company whilst cooking. There is plenty of space for a large dining table in the reception space, so larger gatherings here will be well catered for and you’ve got literal acres of granite worktop for larger meal prep and a swanky Smeg gas cooker to cook on, so there’s no excuses, really.

The living space is sizeable; it's a space in which your sofa dreams can be realised without compromise, and as mentioned, there is also considerable space for a chunky dining table! It’s worth pointing out that having large defined spaces for both living and dining is incredibly rare at this price point, and buyers almost always have to compromise on this, even at slightly higher price ranges.

Between the living spaces and bedrooms is the bathroom, which is spacious and well-finished. There’s a modern square rain shower over a full-size bath, Victorian-style floor tiles, which add a heritage touch, and clean white metro tiles, which complement the Crittall-style shower screen rather well! There’s the all-important window in the bathroom, too, which we know is vital to so many buyers.

The bedrooms are opposite each other, at the rear of the flat, and as mentioned, they are proper double rooms. While one is distinctly larger than the other, but they are both legit large double rooms. The larger of the two rooms have space for a sizeable wardrobe, and the current wardrobe is free-standing, so it is easy to replace.

Tenure-wise, the flat has a share of freehold and a lengthy accompanying lease, which has circa 978 years remaining. The service charge is currently £204 pcm, which ensures the buildings and grounds are meticulously maintained. Being a share of freehold, there is no ground rent.

This location conveniently puts you between Sydenham, Crystal Palace, and Penge, all of which offer a great deal, from shopping to socialising and exercising; you have everything within easy reach.

We’ve mentioned the park and the flat’s proximity to it, which is such a bonus. The growing food market on a Sunday is well worth the short walk, as is Brown & Greens café (which feeds us most days!), but also the cultural and music events held in the park are truly note-worthy and having all of this on your doorstep is a great asset of this location.

Penge West station (0.3mi away) gives access to the Overland, on which you can easily access the City, Shoreditch High St, Haggerston, Dalston & Highbury & Islington.

Penge East is 0.5 mi away and has a direct link to Victoria and Beckenham Junction. This opens up other transport links, including the Tram, which is useful for connecting to Gatwick.

Crystal Palace Station is 0.7mi away and gives direct access to London Bridge as well as Victoria (via Forest Hill); as you can see, having multiple station options within easy reach makes this location very convenient for those still needing to commute.

Sydenham has an eclectic mix of cafes and indie shops, as does Crystal Palace; just on the other side of the park, there’s Café Chic (a stunning Persian Café), whose falafel & halloumi wraps are our favourites, their coffee’s pretty damn good too, and their garden is the spot for an al-fresco brunch or lunch. Next door to Chic, there’s a Bob Wines and a few other incredible places you’ll love living near, such as the beloved Chatsworth Bakehouse, where locals queue for Sian & Tom’s insanely good sandwiches, focaccia, brownies & pizzas.

The Triangle is 1 mi away, where you are spoilt for choice with restaurants, pubs, galleries, brilliant eateries, and even an Everyman Cinema. There’s a yoga school and a variety of coffee shops, from the indie artisanal variety to the bigger chains; one of our faves is “Four Boroughs” Their falafel and Kimchi wraps and Cinnamon Swirls are as good as their coffee. The growing selection of restaurants on the Triangle caters for almost all tastes. Also worth mentioning is Beckenham which is within very easy reach and offers an even wider selection of restaurants and cafes to choose from.