Charming Country Cottage

Turn off the highway at Brightwater and turn back to a less hurried time. In this historic village with its close knit community, a charming cottage set in a large, sunny garden beckons as a secure, peaceful sanctuary.

Why live an ordinary suburban life when you can life in a character cottage on the edge of the countryside, but with the amenities of a thriving village at your doorstep. Solo owners, couples and young families will all feel at home here.

The three bedroom house with two separate living rooms has a farmhouse feel. The spacious 845sqm section is at the end of a cul-de-sac with a large garden at the back, bordered by mature trees to give you privacy from neighbours. There's all day sun across this flat and fully fenced section with room to laze or play. A swimming hole is just down the lane and the beach at Rabbit Island is 15 minutes drive.

Brightwater offers everything from Four Square supermarket, to a Sprig and Fern Tavern, and smart caf?. The community is safe, healthy and growing with church and school activities, village fetes, and the Brightwater wine and food festival.

The cottage is 100sqm but feels larger due to its lofty, cathedral rimu ceilings and generous windows which bring in sun from daylight to dusk and frame country views. The house is a combination of an older farmhouse cottage transformed in 1997 with the high ceiling addition incorporating a loft master bedroom full of light, and an outlook to the Bryant Range.

The original house was built using native timbers and the new addition matches the country feel with liberal use of rimu in ceilings, floors, doors, architraves and skirting boards. You could pull back the carpet in the farmhouse cottage to reveal more rimu boards.

The house was rewired during the renovations and the older cottage is solidly built on sturdy piles with ceiling insulation. Everything is well presented with walls and floors in excellent condition. The newer part is on a concrete slab, and heating for the house is via an extremely efficient wood burner which warms the house up in no time.

The old cottage was weatherboard, but the whole house is now finished in roughcast with a corrugated iron roof. There's a covered car port, right outside the back door, as well as a double garage. The back yard is already studded with fruit trees producing succulent fruit from citrus to pears. Gardeners will relish the room to plant a full scale vegetable and herb garden, or add their favourite garden plants and colours.

At weekends, go wine tasting or have lunch at one of the many wineries nearby. On hot days, sling the towel over the shoulder and walk to the swimming hole in the Wairoa River just down the lane. The Nelson Cycle Trail passes literally by the front gate, offering plenty of walking and cycling choices - as easy or energetic as you like. You can bike to Rabbit Island in an hour or so, riding off the main road beside the river. Or take a stroll after dinner for half an hour and enjoy the riverside scenery, along with vineyards, paddocks and hop fields.

Get involved as much or as little as you want in local groups like the volunteer fire brigade. For families, there's a local kindergarten and the well regarded Brightwater School as well as school buses to Waimea Intermediate, and Waimea or Garin College in Richmond. Nelson colleges are also accessible.

Deadline Sale, Closes 4pm
Wed 20 Mar 2013 (Unless sold prior)
288 Trafalgar Street, Nelson.