Tongdean Avenue, Hove

Situated on what is widely known as the best road in Hove, this is a house that makes an impression before you reach the front door. Electric gates slide back onto a private driveway and a wide, Mediterranean-influenced frontage, and the scale is immediately obvious: approximately 5,320 sq ft over three floors, five bedrooms and four bathrooms in the main house, a self-contained one-bedroom annex and landscaped gardens with the coast on the horizon.
The ground floor is where the house comes alive. The kitchen sits at the centre, contemporary and sociable, with sleek cabinetry, integrated appliances and a large island with breakfast seating where mornings start and evenings tend to end. It opens into the dining room and on to the principal living room, both filled with light from the rear. Step out onto the balcony and the whole reason to buy here is in front of you: the rooftops of Hove falling away to the coastline and the sea stretching along the horizon. Evening drinks out here, with the sky changing colour over the water, will quickly become a habit. A dedicated office on this floor keeps work separate from the rest of the home.
Head downstairs and the mood shifts. The lower ground floor is a dedicated entertaining level: a large reception room with a bespoke bar, opening directly onto the terrace and garden. Picture a summer party starting at the bar and spilling outside, or a winter one gathered indoors with the doors closed and the music up. A bedroom and bathroom on this floor give guests their own space, and a separate WC and utility room keep the practical side out of sight.
The upper floor is given over to the main bedroom suites. The principal and second bedrooms each have a walk-in wardrobe, a stylish en-suite and that same sea view to wake up to. The further bedrooms are served by high-quality bath and shower rooms. Everyone gets space and privacy, which is exactly what a growing or multi-generational family needs.
Then there is the annex, the piece most buyers will not have found anywhere else. Entirely separate from the five bedrooms of the main house, it is self-contained, arranged over two storeys and has its own entrance. The upper level is a bright open-plan kitchen and living space; below is a bedroom with wardrobe and a modern bathroom of its own. Grandparents, grown-up children, long-stay guests: all can live alongside the family while keeping their independence. Beside it sits a further reception room, currently a home office, equally suited to a creative studio or a teenage den.
Outside, the gardens match the ambition of the house. A generous level artificial lawn is wrapped in mature planting for privacy. Raised terraces and seating areas create several spots for lunch in the sun or a late evening with friends, each with a view towards the coast. The elevated position means the sky is big and the outlook is long.
A large garage and private driveway sit securely behind the electric gates.
Tongdean Avenue is quiet and tree-lined, a road of substantial detached homes. Hove Park is moments away for weekend runs, a kickabout and the children's play areas and the road sits close to a number of highly regarded schools.
A five-bedroom house of this scale, with a separate annex and this much flexibility, rarely comes to Tongdean Avenue. When one does, it does not wait around. Book your viewing with Mansell McTaggart Hove.