Another year begins, but does it come any better than celebrating a brand new one by starting anew?
Taking inspiration from our last Sunday Supplement, a change of bricks and mortar is always a life-changing event that makes 2026 the year that changed your life.
So, as we approach the end of another challenging year, we list four exceptional and inspirational properties on the market. Could one of them be the turning point you were looking for?
A Slender Start To The Year
A Sliver of Sanctuary: The Seven-Foot Wonder of Peel Street.
It would appear that, in the world of tiny homes, this London pad was very much an early adopter. Initially a random strip of land connecting the road to a long-demolished building behind, this unique house, built circa 1930 and subsequently refurbished during the 1950s, found its way into the custodianship of its current owner around ten years ago.
For a compact home, there is an awful lot to unpack here. Every square foot of the three floors has been thoroughly and thoughtfully designed.
Firstly, it is a hugely distinctive home. Even at seven feet wide, its presence sits large along Peel Street’s historic period terrace.
With a passion for the Arts and Crafts era, a considered renovation introduced many decorative features of the period, extending to exquisite detailing adorning the front of the house. A zinc-canopied entrance sits below a curved window cover, and a custom-made dragon’s head downpipe, symbolic of the Arts and Crafts movement, finds its way down the rendered façade. Finally, beautifully patinated parquet features in the ground-floor kitchen, which you step into through an ornate stained-glass front door.
It does not take long to familiarise yourself with the inner surroundings. The dimensions of the ground floor sit well with the ceiling proportions, providing a Tardis-like feel to the open-plan kitchen and dining area. It is a very calming room that is just as comfortable hosting lively dinner parties as it is serving as a contemplative corner for a quiet coffee.
An ingeniously assembled ground-floor shower room and WC sit between this space and one of the two bedrooms, which features industrial-style solid wood flooring and a continued Arts and Crafts theme. A small lightwell with a sliver of outside space is accessed through rear glazed double doors.
Period styling fills the first-floor reception room. An exquisite decorative fireplace dominates the space, pairing beautifully with exposed floorboards. At the furthest point of the room, more glazed doors open out to a sizeable decked rear terrace wrapped with ornate balustrading, providing a private alfresco entertaining spot during the warmer months.
Warm wooden stairs lead up one final flight to the top-floor suite. An elegant front-facing sash window sits within a half-eaved wall at one end of the room, whilst a generously sized en-suite bathroom completes the interior line-up.
£1,195,000 – click here to explore Peel Street, London, W8
Work, live and enjoy
Embedded within the period streetscape of local Victorian architecture, this sizeable home has been re-framed to suit family living, with the focus of the open-plan layout and versatile bedrooms very much centred on creating a space from which to work.
Just past the first entry door, a pocket of storage sits between two sets of windows, continuing through to the open-plan living area, which radiates a warm and inviting atmosphere. This is enhanced largely by sunlight streaming through oversized original shop windows across beautifully preserved honey-hued original wooden floorboards.
The energy of this floor has an intensely creative vibe. Open-plan it may be, but there is also the opportunity to find a quiet corner of tranquillity to work from if the mood takes you. Space is delineated equally across four corners of the very usable floor area. The understated matte-black cabinetry of the corner-placed kitchen sits below stainless-steel countertops, and with both dining and reception areas adjacent to the culinary heart of the home, it provides the backdrop for a superbly social entertaining space capable of hosting sizeable events.
The sense of volume is amplified by lofty ceilings, while thoughtful practicalities include a full wall of storage cupboards, a secret cellar accessed via a floor hatch, and a clever ceiling hatch for easy movement of furniture to the floor above. A discreet door reveals a separate utility room and a generously proportioned family bathroom.
Access to the first floor comes courtesy of an ornate, iron spiral staircase which takes a prominent position in the main reception. The period character continues to thread its way into the hallway and bedrooms which, as with the floor below, enjoy natural light that finds its way through the front racing sash windows.
The principal bedroom sat to the right of the hallway is a haven of tranquillity, its softly furnished interior pairing with rich colours which work harmoniously with the bare boarded floors that cover the first floor.
Two further bedrooms with more vintage styling are currently separated by a pair of pocket doors but could be used as one if required.
A fourth room on this floor found at the rear of the house is currently set up as a home office but could accommodate another bedroom if needed.
Adjacent to the fourth bedroom, a chic shower room is neatly tucked away.
£1,150,000 – click here to explore Flaxman Road, London, SE5
Picture Perfect Victorian villa
Known in the Old Town as “The Lavender House”, the dusty lavender exterior of this Victorian villa immediately signals the careful thought that has gone into its renovation and presentation by its current artist owner.
Arranged over three floors, with a small separate annexe to the rear currently used as a stylish and successful Airbnb letting, the house features lime-washed walls throughout and original wooden floors. On the ground floor, a characterful front door with antique door furniture opens into a hallway, with the kitchen to the rear overlooking the pretty courtyard garden. There is ample space for a dining table here.
A remarkable fireplace has been added, making the kitchen much more than a functional cooking space. It becomes the backdrop for domestic theatre. A reception room to the front of the house features high ceilings and a fireplace, with light pouring in through huge windows.
The first floor has two light-filled bedrooms, currently used as the owner’s art studio, but equally suited as spacious bedrooms. The front bedroom overlooks the quiet and picturesque All Saints Street and enjoys sea views, whilst the other bedroom looks out over the courtyard garden and the cascade of rooftops across Hastings Old Town.
A WC on this floor has been styled with a traditional wooden seated loo and “thunderbox” fittings. It is not often that a loo becomes a talking point.
The second floor offers another large bedroom to the front, also with sea views, and a good-sized double bedroom to the rear, along with a wonderful bathroom featuring a romantic bath set into an antique wooden frame, ensuring bathing is always an event rather than a quotidian chore.
Wooden floorboards run throughout, with lime-washed walls that cleverly soften and disperse the light while allowing the old walls to breathe as they should.
£899.950 – click here to explore All Saints Street, Hastings, TN34
A Sustainable Way Of Life
As an ongoing case study, no.23 is up for many accolades and awards:
- Listed as a winner for the International Green Apple Environment Awards 2025 – result being announced in Nov 2025
- Shortlisted for the INCA AWARDS 2025
- Shortlisted for the National Energy Efficiency Awards 2025 – results being announced November 21st 2025
- Shorted for the BCIA 2025 Retrofit Awards – results being announced October 8th 2025
Idyllic, peaceful and modest, are three words that encapsulate No.23.
Formerly a 1960’s boat repair workshop, it has been transformed into a comprehensively sustainable property, unseen in Lincolnshire and a rarity in the UK.
Designed by an eminent sustainability specialist, No.23 has achieved one of the highest EPC ratings in the UK, setting unprecedented eco-benchmarks through a two-stage, 10-year retrofit.
An award-winning home, it is shortlisted for this year’s British Construction Industry Awards, with the outcome awaited, and is also the subject of a peer-reviewed paper at the International Sustainable Energy Conference in Graz, Austria.
As part of the retrofit, ongoing sensors have been installed to monitor indoor air quality and building performance. Any incoming buyer would become part of history in the making, ultimately acting as a future barometer for retrofitting older properties across the UK and Europe.
A detailed case study outlines measured indoor air quality, air pressure, sound levels, temperature, humidity and CO₂, among other metrics. A comprehensive breakdown can be found on the property’s main website and will continue to be updated as data is collated.
Set over one level and nestled on the banks of the Glen, the simple façade of the home hints at the tranquillity within. There is parking for three to four cars and a recently installed 13.7 kWh Tesla Powerwall, setting the tone for the home’s renewable credentials.
Ensuring efficient and sustainable energy usage, a 4.7 kW rooftop solar panel array enables a high level of energy independence and significantly reduced grid reliance. Oil- and gas-free heating is provided by four electric storage radiators, rarely used, and two 5 kW eco-design multi-fuel wood burners located in the study and living room.
Outside, there is a storage shed and log store. As you enter through the front door, the true nature of the retrofit reveals itself. It is hard to imagine this was once a hard-to-heat, hard-to-treat, oil-dependent F-rated EPC home.
Throughout the property, the atmosphere is calm, serene and filled with light.
Every wall, floor and ceiling has been meticulously layered with a thermal envelope, wrapping the property to retain warmth and energy. In practical terms, this includes 50 mm external wall insulation with silicone render, between 240 mm and 1.2 metres of floor insulation, and 1.5 metres of roof quilting. Triple-glazed windows and doors further enhance insulation performance.
A warm hallway leads to the first bedroom, generously sized with built-in wardrobes, storage and a green outlook. Further into the home is a marvellous study with far-reaching views across the Lincolnshire Fen and River Glen. Adjacent is a beautifully bright reception room with floor-to-ceiling balcony doors opening onto a wonderful terrace overlooking the river and open countryside.
Off this space are two further double bedrooms, one with an en-suite bathroom, and a modest kitchen finished with integrated appliances.
A particularly remarkable feature of the home is the healthy interior environment. Sensors monitor particulates including CO₂, formaldehyde, humidity and temperature, ensuring toxin-free, premium air quality. Looking out across the River Glen, it is easy to understand why the environment feels so nourishing, with airtightness improvements reducing air leakage by 31 percent compared to the building’s previous incarnation.
Completing the home are a family bathroom with substantial walk-in shower, WC and basin, and a delightful living room that provides a glorious space to relax. From here, a leafy exit leads to a subtle terrace, resplendent in the evening sun.
The focal point of the property is the green riverside rear garden, running the full length of the home. Not overlooked, it offers an exclusive escape from the outside world, disturbed only by the gentle activity of the river – swans, cygnets and the occasional paddleboarder.
Complete with its own mooring, the property is perfect for a small pleasure cruiser and offers an excellent spot for kayaking and paddleboarding. A lovely pergola provides sheltered seating and is also accessible from the front of the house. The vendor even has canoes, paddleboards and a boat, which could be included in the sale.
Accessible from both the front and rear of the property, there is storage for all waste and recycling, with access via a side return gate.
£550,000 – click here to explore Reservoir Road, Spalding, PE11
Are you inspired by any of these life-changing homes?
Whether you’re looking to sell or buy a unique home next year, call us on 020 8187 4599 or email us to tell us all about your plans – we’re here to help you make them happen!
