It could be argued that Chapel Lane, in Hale Barns, is one of the area’s most sought-after postcodes, offering beautiful properties in discreet seclusion while being but a stone’s throw from everything Hale Barns and Hale has to offer, and this beautiful home, built bespoke for the family who live in it, showcases the best of the area’s best.
‘We bought the plot in 2007,’ owner Dawn Cuddy says, ‘and at that point it was a bungalow on a large double plot. We built two homes, one of which we sold to a Premier League footballer, and the other we built for ourselves.
‘As property developers we have built many houses over the years, and as this one was for our family, nothing was held back.’
Dawn and her husband fully refurbished the house in 2019, bringing a new level of contemporary style and comfort to the property.
‘We overhauled the entire property,’ she says, ‘aware that tastes have changed since 2007 when we first designed it. We redesigned the living room with a new Chesney fireplace, soft furnishings and a new Westex Westend Velvet carpet, which feels incredible underfoot. We spend most of our time in the kitchen, but this is a lovely room to go to when the nights are chill, and with friends after dinner. We replaced the floor tiling throughout the house, and in the entrance replaced the staircase, bringing in a lovely man from Macclesfield to French polish the bannisters. We also put in a bonded resin driveway, which tones with the stonework around the windows and entry, and really extended the patio in the rear garden, which has given us a lot of social use.
‘Perhaps my favourite change though is the kitchen, which we completely replaced, choosing to work with Oakleigh Cabinets, in Altrincham. That was such a great experience, I will definitely work with them again. They made it all so easy, a fully bespoke design and the quality is just superb. We chose Farrow & Ball Railings for the cabinets, and the tone changes as the day progresses, which I love.’
The house is interestingly deceptive at first glance, from the front. Being built onto a slope, there is a lower ground floor that remains unseen until you enter the house, or walk round to the rear. It fills the full footprint of the upper floors, but you need have no concerns over its access to sunshine, as the entire rear is filled with windows facing into the rear garden, which with its south-facing aspect is brightly lit all day.
‘We were determined not to build a basement, but a fully functional lower ground floor,’ Dawn explains. ‘Floor to ceiling windows and French doors fill the rooms at the rear with natural light, and this is where we placed the guest suite, second kitchen and laundry room, and the cinema/gaming room.’
The couple also added a gym and a multifunctional room which Dawn used as a playroom for her four children but would make a spacious home office or teen escape.
On the ground floor, visitors are met with a glamorous formal dining space, which Dawn says they have used far more than they expected to.
‘Most formal dining rooms are tucked away behind closed doors,’ she says, ‘but I wanted ours to sit in the heart of the home. We have a 12-seater dining table in the kitchen, too, which is used for day to day and casual dining.’
On the first floor are four more bedrooms, each of which is ensuite, with the master also offering a spacious dressing room.
‘When we built the house we really thought about every aspect of living in a large home,’ she says. ‘The upper floors are all constructed from solid concrete, which means the house is absolutely silent, no risk of creaking floorboards. We also added treble insulation, so not only is it incredibly efficient to heat, but very quiet from outside noise, too.’
Three of Dawn’s four children have flown the nest, now, and Dawn has taken the always difficult decision to downsize, knowing already she’ll miss so much of what her Hale Barns home offers.
‘I’m a perfectionist, and we built this home for our family, considering every aspect of the lifestyle we wanted to live here. I feel privileged to have been able to raise my family in such a beautiful home, but it’s time to move on. I shall miss the space, and the large garden. It’s so private here, we’re not at all overlooked, so it’s perfect for someone who wants that sense of seclusion, while being so close to everything Hale has to offer.
‘Also, when we built the house, we designed in extra-height ceilings, which is unusual with most new builds, and designed the roof space to be possible to extend into, at full height, adding, if the new owner wishes, a whole additional floor, so it has loads of potential.
‘I shall miss how luxurious it is here, too, but not for long, because of course I shall be bringing that to our next home too,’ she laughs.
This Chapel Lane property is for sale for £3.950m, through Jackson-Stops Hale, jackson-stops.co.uk
