Making a move to Alderney

Regular contributor Trevor Cooper casts his eye over several of the northern isle's properties currently on the market.

FOLLOWING last week's excursion to Sark and Alderney, the focus is now on properties for sale in the northern isle.

There are between 1,500 and 1,600 residential properties in Alderney housing a population in the region of 2,000 people. The island proudly markets itself as having comparable tax benefits with Guernsey and Jersey yet no restrictions for UK or EU passport holders buying property and taking up residence – and others can apply to do so via the Aliens Law.

Our swift tour begins at Sauterelle, a modern, four-bedroom bungalow in Trinity Lane, available for £395,000.

The property has been well-maintained and is presented in excellent decorative order.

Perhaps best of all are the stunning views towards Fort Tourgis across to Braye harbour.

There is a large garden with a short-cut access to St Anne's Town centre, a separate garage, shed and a delightful decked terrace accessed from the triple-aspect sitting room – both taking full advantage of the panoramic sea views.

Also leading off the spacious sitting room, with an attractive split-level feature alongside the wood-burning, cast-iron stove, is a generous-size dining room.

Beyond this is the kitchen – another large room with a peninsula breakfast bar and east- and south-facing windows providing plenty of natural light. In one corner is a porch/utility room with a separate WC.

At the other end of the bungalow is the master bedroom, which also has sea views and an en-suite shower room. A good-size bathroom serves the other three bedrooms – all leading off the central hallway that has plenty of space for welcoming guests.

Moving across the island towards Longis Bay, Bluestone Cottage is set amid a lovely wooded valley off Route des Carriers. The property is on the market for £595,000 and features extensive oak flooring and vaulted ceilings in the newly-built orangery and on the first-floor landing over the central stairwell.

The superb orangery, measuring more than 330sq. ft, exemplifies the spacious accommodation throughout this immaculate property. All four bedrooms are generous doubles, both bathrooms are light and airy and there is a useful three-piece shower room adjacent to the fourth bedroom on the ground floor. The fully-fitted kitchen has a separate utility room; there is plenty of room for a large table and chairs in the dining room and the study off the comfortable sitting room would also make a great snug or children's playroom.

The surrounding gardens blend harmoniously into the rural environment and gravel drives provide alternative access routes as well as more than ample parking.

An expansive yet secluded patio offers various afresco options for family use and entertaining, while a timber summerhouse stands promontory-style on a gently elevated part of the lawn.

Of striking individual design and with a low maintenance exterior, Chailey House in Butes Lane is for sale at £669,000.

The accommodation has underfloor heating and is reverse plan, with the principal rooms on the upper level featuring large windows opening onto a full-length, west-facing balcony with excellent sea views towards Fort Tourgis and Burhou.

A modern solid fuel stove is a striking focal point in the spacious sitting room, while the glass-cornered dining room is particularly impressive. This also has an arched opening through to the well-fitted kitchen.

The hall opens directly onto the higher garden level at the front of the house. Adjoining this is the master bedroom with a four-piece en-suite bathroom including a luxurious shower unit.

On the lower ground floor is a double bedroom with en-suite bathroom, while the enormous third bedroom is currently used as a smart office/study. There is a separate WC and a utility room that leads to a large square garage with a secure roller-door opening onto a covered carport. An equally large purpose-built storeroom is another useful feature.

Of special note is a distinguished property rich in history and tradition.

The Old Vicarage stands prominently in Royal Connaught Square – that quaint, cobbled part of St Anne's. The property belongs to the States of Alderney, which is offering a 190-year lease for £925,000 plus a notional annual rent.

Parts date back to the 17th century but The Old Vicarage is believed to have taken its present form when built in the early 1800s by General John Le Mesurier, then Governor of Alderney.

The property is so much part of the island's heritage that opposition to a States proposal to sell the freehold of the ailing property resulted in major restoration works being carried out, partly funded by the people of Alderney, as commemorated by a wall plaque unveiled by Princess Alexandra on 10 May 1990.

The accommodation is over four floors including spacious basement rooms harking back to servant days.

The imposing rooms on the ground floor of The Old Vicarage have characteristically high ceilings leading off a central hall. The sitting room and drawing room now join together where twin panelled doors would have once divided them and a library that would have once been the clergyman's study has its own door to the garden – the stuff of Agatha Christie thrillers.

On the other side of the hall, the dining room and kitchen are now linked by an arched opening, the spacious kitchen having a large, modern range and space for a farmhouse table.

The master bedroom on the first floor has a dressing room leading to an en-suite bathroom. The second bedroom is also en-suite, while the third bedroom shares a second-floor shower room with attic bedrooms four and five. The walled-in rear garden is a delight within St Anne's townscape and a long garage opens directly onto Le Huret.

This brief and random selection is merely a taste of some fine properties being marketed in Alderney, ranging from newly-modelled apartments at £165,000 to elegant town houses either side of £400,000 up to exclusive residencies of £2m. plus, with a great deal more inbetween.