From this outside, this home in Altrincham looks pretty normal – at street-level it just looks like your standard suburban dormer bungalow, albeit with some fairly stunning architecture.
But head around to the back garden, and there’s a surprise in store, for included in its £4.5m price tag is an actual Hobbit house, buried into the hillside.
The adorable addition comes complete with round wooden door, stone walls, and a tiny bench outside.
It appears that the current owners are using it as a cosy den or office space.
That’s not all in that massive one-acre garden either – there’s also a safari-style tree hut wedged up on stilts, accessed up a wooden spiral staircase from a decked area.
ADVERTISEMENT
Then you get to the rest of the house in Trafford, which is way, way bigger than it looks from the front.
Inside the main building, there are six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and two reception rooms, plus all manner of luxury touches like dressing rooms, en suites and a utility room.
ADVERTISEMENT
The rear of the Altrincham home with its own Hobbit house. Credit: Savills KnutsfordThe actual Hobbit house. Credit: Savills KnutsfordAn African treehouse on stilts in the garden. Credit: Savills KnutsfordThe pool. Credit: Savills Knutsford
The lounge is a striking focal point, built into a round extension with floor-to-ceiling windows soaking in the views of the lush gardens.
There’s also a sitting room with a pitched roof and oak beams, which, again, feels like it’s been lifted straight out of Hobbiton (though thankfully built for taller humans).
Oh, did I mention it has a pool, too?
ADVERTISEMENT
The cosy sitting room. Credit: Savills KnutsfordThe grand lounge with huge windows. Credit: Savills KnutsfordThe sauna. Credit: Savills KnutsfordViews from a bedroom. Credit: Savills Knutsford
There’s a whole spa building, with an indoor pool, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and gymnasium/office area, with bi-fold doors opening onto the gardens and barbecue area.
It’s up for sale at £4.5m with Savills in Knutsford, who say: “This fabulous family home is situated in a desirable pocket of Bowdon in an extremely private and secure position.
“The gardens are private and extensive, extending to one acre.”
Property agent Jamie Carter added: “This really is a unique and fantastic family home. I love that there is a real life Hobbit house in the garden.”
When it comes to those incredible facilities, we’re talking a gym, a yoga studio, three outdoor terraces with views across the city, study spaces, a private dining room, a gaming lounge, and free laundry. Not to mention a coffee lounge with free tea, coffee, and breakfast cereals.
They truly have thought of everything to allow students to thrive and make the most of the Manchester life, including running social events, co-working spaces, and mental health support.
This is Fusion Manchester’s brand new state-of-the-art student accommodation in Deansgate / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography (Supplied)
And as for the location? Well that’s just the cherry on top.
Fusion Manchester is nestled in the heart of Deansgate, making it less than a five-minute walk to Deansgate Train Station or tram stop, as well as being in prime proximity to the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University which are both around 20 minutes away on foot – ideal when you’re running late for a class.
It also could not be in a better spot for making plans on the weekends with new friends, as it’s just a stones-throw away from some of the best cafes, restaurants, concert and retail spaces that Manchester has to offer.
The rooms boast incredible panoramic views / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography (Supplied)
All residents’ rent covers their utilities, superfast Wi-Fi, free laundry, regular housekeeping and access to shared facilities, as well as the building having a 24/7 reception, secure fob entry, and CCTV throughout, to keep students feeling nice and safe.
Rooms range from en-suite accommodations at £265 per week, to classic, premium, or deluxe studios from £345 per week – but hurry, as they’re booking up fast and it’s not hard to see why.
If you’d like to book a viewing or learn more about Fusion Manchester, click here.
Featured Image – Darren Robinson Photography (Supplied)
Property
Manc architects submit plans to demolish 1970s office block and make way for new residential area
Danny Jones
A Manchester-based architects has submitted promising proposals to demolish an old 1970s-era office block and make way for a brand new residential community in Stockport.
The vision seems fairly ambitious and lofty – pun intended – but the potential outcome could be stunning.
Ollier Smurthwaite (OS) Architects are the local practice behind the new housing plans, which will not only provide nearly 300 new homes but also bring part of the Stopfordian skyline down; it’s not often you hear of things getting lower when so much of Greater Manchester just keeps building up.
Sharing the first proper glimpse at what they hope the redeveloped corner of the busy A6 main road will look like, many have been pleased to see familiar red brick and a traditional feel as opposed to more glass towers.
Writing a lengthy caption alongside the social media post, the OS state, “We are preparing a planning application for the St Christopher’s site in Stockport.
“Located at the prominent junction of Wellington Road South and Longshut Lane, the proposal aims to transform the prominent corner by demolishing the existing 10-storey 1970s office block to make way for a new residential community.
“The proposals are for a modern ‘mansion’ block with taller ceilings, more windows, better communal areas and private gardens.”
It remains to be seen at what price point these apartments will be available for.
Promising a total of 278 ‘new dwellings’, the scheme will crucially see the height of the existing plot lowered to fall in line with other neighbouring properties, as St Christopher’s House currently sits well above the nearby terraces and its metropolitan style does stand out against the surrounding brickwork.
The early reception to the proposed plans looks to be largely positive, too, with one user commenting online, “A very nice looking building with character. More of these please”; another went so far as to add, “These are the sort of modern buildings that will become grade listed.”
It’s also worth showcasing what exactly these blueprints look like when they’re brought to life, such as another development over in Longsight:
Render vs Reality. We recently completed our Daisy Bank scheme in Longsight Manchester for 72 new homes. The scheme takes contextual references from Dalton Ellis Hall & Victoria Park Christian Fellowship in the adjacent conservation area.@createstreets@archi_tradition… pic.twitter.com/DasRUtaylh
Safe to say that seeing what businesses trying to regenerate boroughs actually deliver compared to their initial mock-ups is always useful.
The award-winning firm goes on to add that “the building will be deliberately stepped back from the pavement to create a planted tree-lined avenue”, which will also revolve around a central courtyard and residents’ gardens, with ground-floor flats benefitting from private patios.
CGIs of shared communal roof terraces also give the designs that added modern look, with few other places in the vicinity offering this kind of space. It could be a welcome addition to the region that is already going through plenty of change at the minute.
Another big construction scheme is the one being carried out by Capital and Centric over the new Weir Mill district, which could be transformational for the town centre.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd June 2023 
