The Studio [Near Forest Row]
An Idyllic Setting In Ashdown Forest
Ideal for a solo professional with reliable income
Self-Contained Studio Flat In The Heart Of Ashdown Forest With Its Own 50' Garden
ECO-HOME WITH PRIVATE GARDEN AND PARKING, UP A QUIET TRACK IN ASHDOWN FOREST
Away from the noise of the town, this idyllic location in Colemans Hatch is ideal if you're looking for a sanctuary for your next home, with easy access to Ashdown Forest, Forest Row and East Grinstead.
STUDIO FLAT - LOW COST TO RUN
Use of the main house's existing heating and hot water are included in your rent. The studio is super-insulated and double-glazed. If you want extra heat for any reason, you have a super-efficient Jotul wood-burning stove. All lighting is LED and the windows are double-glazed. The only extras are electricity (metered) and your phone / broadband (you have your own line) and TV licence, if you need it.
YOUR OWN SPACE - AND PLENTY OF IT
The studio is small, but perfectly formed. You have your own parking and entrance, via a shared driveway. Your accommodation includes a shower room and kitchenette. You have your own phone line with the option of fibre broadband. And the 50' garden is yours, too. It's fenced in, so it feels private and secluded. Plus you have a large storage stable, for everything you don't want to keep in your main home. Note: the stable doesn't have electricity and is not suitable for use as an office, workshop or accommodation.
WIFI-FREE SITE
You have access to fibre broadband with your own phone line. But the whole site is wifi-free, meaning we all use ethernet cables to connect computers etc to the internet. Please only ask to view the property if you are ok with this and it will work for your equipment.
GETTING AROUND
The studio is 20 minutes' walk from Forest Row, through the forest and golf course. There is a bus stop to East Grinstead at the end of the track with three buses per hour. However, being outside of Forest Row means most people will find the studio easiest if they have a car.
More Than Just An Studio Flat
You have your own private garden and large storage stable
You'll feel cosy and at home in the Studio. It's double-glazed, super-insulated and has beautiful solid oak flooring throughout. The space is 4.5m x 5.3m, including the bathroom and kitchen area. There's plenty of room for a dining area, seating area and sleeping space.
Use of the main house's heating radiator, hot water and sewerage are included in the rent. The Jotul wood-burning stove is there if you need the room to be extra warm, outside of the times the main house's heating runs, plus there's a high-efficiency wall-mounted electric radiator.
Your kitchenette, with its solid wood worktop, includes a high-efficiency, 2-ring induction hob and a fridge with a freezer box. There's plenty of storage, with a pull-out carousel in the corner cupboard. The shower room includes a high-efficiency washer-dryer.
The garden is all yours - fenced in and private. It has a mature elderberry, a rambling rose, raspberries and plenty of space for you to create your own sanctuary area. There is also a stable for storage (3.5m x 4m and as dry as a garage) at the bottom of the garden.
Here's the approximate floor plan, so you can get a feel for how you and your belongings will fit. You have the storage stable at the bottom of your garden for all of your extras.
Here's an example of how a previous tenant laid out their furniture in the studio (photo used with permission). It works best for someone who is minimalist. If you're down-sizing from, say, a three-bedroom house, you're going to want to declutter.
What's The Rent?
The rent is £750 per calendar month, for a minimum 6-month contract, including use of the existing main house heating & hot water, sewerage and your contribution towards the Council Tax. The only extras are electricity, phone/broadband and TV licence.
Deposit is £850. There are no start-of-tenancy fees.
The studio is small, but perfectly formed. As such, it is only suitable for one person.
We cannot make any exceptions to that, no matter how nicely you ask.
We would consider a small, well-behaved dog, if it goes to work with you during the day, subject to a further deposit. However, we regret that we cannot consider cats, due to the number of cats already living on site.
The studio is available from early August 2020.
Extra Info
We want to help make sure the studio is the right place for you, before you spend the time viewing it. So please read this section before calling Clare to ask for a viewing.
1. Basics:
Rent: £750 pcm - unfurnished, but includes fridge (with freezer box), induction hob and washer dryer
Available: early August 2020
Tenants: One person only. We regret that we cannot make any exceptions to this - it isn't suitable for couples or children.
You must be able to evidence employment income (employer HR reference), or show your past two years' accounts / self-employed tax returns if you run your own business, or evidence current, pre-existing approval for Housing Benefit. We can't accept a Housing Benefit tenant without a pre-approved claim as the process can take six weeks and is not guaranteed to succeed, which could leave you unable to pay your rent.
One dog would be considered, if it goes to work with you during the day. Please note: if you are a therapist, it is not possible for you to see your clients at the studio or in its garden, as this would require us to take out 3rd party public liability insurance for the wider site, which costs thousands!
Includes: shared use of the existing main house's heating / hot & cold water / sewerage, Council Tax contribution
Extra: electricity, phone / broadband (high-speed fibre available), TV licence, optional storage stable
Your space: the studio, its fenced garden (to be maintained by you), your two parking spaces, use of the shared driveway to access your property. Note: your tenancy does not include the use of main house's grounds.
Deposit: £850
Rent payable monthly in advance.
Contract: Resident Landlord Agreement - it is not a stand-alone property so can’t be a Shorthold Tenancy Agreement, but we give you similar rights under this contract, which is technically a 'lodger' contract.
Term: initially 6 months and then rolling statutory periodic with two months' notice on either side.
2. References
No charge is made for these. You will need to be able to prove your income, either with payslips or with your past two years' accounts / tax return, if you are self-employed. Your current landlord’s contact details will be required for an emailed reference.
If you suspect there may be issues, please be up-front about them.
Please be aware that we cannot accept Housing Benefit for this property unless you can evidence that you have a current, pre-approved claim.
Honesty and trust on both sides are essential for the tenancy to work. If you have a CCJ, you must declare this when you arrange your viewing or you will invalidate your application. A guarantor may be considered, but this would be subject to an agency referencing fee and they would need to co-sign the contract.
3. Wifi-Free Site
This is a wifi-free site, so please use cabled internet (ethernet) and minimise blue tooth. DECT (cordless / digital) landline phones are not permitted. We can supply you with a wired phone, if needed.
4. Utilities
Electricity: This is metered (the meter is in the studio flat) and is charged at cost, payable quarterly to the landlord. Previous tenants have found this was £10 - £20 per month.
Hot water: 150 litres are heated by 7am each day in a tank in the main house for your use. This is included in your rent. It can cool down a little during the day, despite the tank being well insulated, so if you want a hot shower regularly in the evenings, it can be heated again, but a nominal charge would need to be agreed for this extra water heating.
Cold Water: Reasonable usage is included in your rent.
Sewerage: the site runs on a non-emptying septic tank basis. This means we can't use bleach or biological detergents or strong chemicals for cleaning. Anything natural is usually fine. We also can't dispose of sanitary products or other similar items in the toilet.
Heating: this normally runs from October to May, dependent on the weather. In the mornings it is usually from 06:00 to 08:30. In the evenings it is usually from 17:00 to 21:00. You have the wood-burning stove to use at other times, if needed, as well as the wall-mounted electric radiator. This arrangement has worked well in the past.
The property is super-insulated, so keeps warm well.
Internet / Phone: you have your own phone line and are welcome to connect this to a provider of your choice.
TV licence: there is no licence covering the property, so you would be responsible for this, if you need one - e.g. for BBC iPlayer.
5. Non-Smoking Site
Please don't apply to rent the studio if you or your regular visitors are smokers or use drugs. This is a non-smoking, drug-free site.
6. Parking
There are two parking spaces allocated to the studio. If you occasionally need more space, please let us know in advance and we will do our best to help.
7. Storage Space
If you need more storage than there is within the studio, there is also a large stable - approx 4m x 3.5m. This is of similar quality to a garage and is dry. It is at the bottom of the studio's garden.
Please note that the stable doesn't have electricity or heating and is not suitable for use as accommodation, an office or a workshop.
How To Request A Viewing:
Please read this advice from the UK's National Residential Landlord Association
on how to make your viewing Covid-safe.
If you have questions first, please call Clare on 01342 477057 during UK office hours.
Please read the 'Extra Info' above, to make sure the studio is a good fit for you.
Then choose a time, below - you will be emailed directions, once your appointment has been confirmed.