Please click here for further details

Nick Churton of Mayfair International Realty finds it impossible to fault a lovely waterside shingle-style home close to Rye, New York.

Broker: Houlihan Lawrence

Agent: Nancy Everett

Most buyers look at a good few homes before they make a final decision. It is the right and sensible thing to do. The trouble comes when the first one they see is as near to perfect as one will get. Many buyers will still think they need to see more properties just to be convinced.

I imagine this happening at 4 Sackett Landing, Rye, New York. What’s there not to like here? The position is idyllic: a sheltered waterside spot within sight of Long Island Sound. Rye itself is a favoured spot for New York commuters (Grand Central 35 minutes) and popular with families for the excellent school district. So, no argument there. Location – tick.

Now take your time outside. Try it out. Enjoy the garden. Lie down on a sun bed on the wide, partially covered deck that wraps round the house. Take in the serene view. Watch the wildlife. Listen to nothing much. It is coastally bucolic. No argument there. Life outside – tick.

Go inside. Sit down in the comfortable living room or behind the desk in the light, bright study. Take in the superb carpentry – the craftsmanship is wonderful – and gaze out of the plentiful picture windows. Pretend you are preparing food in the slate-topped kitchen – it’s that view again. Go upstairs. Ask nicely and sit on the end of the bed. Imagine waking up to that every day. There is a basement. But it’s not really a basement. In the UK a basement is often a dark, windowless place. This is a fully functioning airy ground/garden floor. Imagine everyone gathering there in the big family room and spilling out onto the lawn. Imagine a family member, guest or staff using the garden floor bedroom suite. Take in the way that the interior has been perfectly conceived, beautifully executed and impeccably maintained. No arguments there either. Life inside – tick.

So there you have it. A lovely house that ticks all the boxes and makes it completely unnecessary to go and look at anything else.