Ray Lea Road, Maidenhead, Windsor And

The Sellers’ View

As soon as we saw the house Ray Lea Road, we knew this house was the perfect home for raising our family. We had had our eye on this beautiful and quiet road for a few years and were delighted when a home that suited our needs came onto the market. We moved here in 2016 and felt at home straight away.
We were particularly drawn to this property due to the quiet location, the large number of detached properties that give the area such a nice feel, the proximity to the river with all its attractions (Just 5 minutes’ walk to: Ray Mill Island, Jenner’s café and mini-golf and playground, lots of restaurants, etc), the short walk into town and to the station, as well as the fields of North Town Moor, and lovely new grass tennis courts.
It’s a fantastic corner property in one of the quietest streets in Maidenhead with almost no through traffic. The neighbours come from different demographics and include mainly retired people with grandchildren who come to visit from time to time, professionals with young families, as well as working parents with older children who have not yet left home. We’ve made some good friends over the years.
People are friendly without being nosy and there is still a community spirit, which comes to life for events like the annual street festival, Halloween, toad rescue efforts, the Duck Derby, or through the generous access for locals to the wine reserves of the a neighbour who is a wine professional. There is a neighbourhood watch group and, over the 8 years we have lived here, there has never been any form of crime or vandalism.
Having a corner plot with a garage has allowed us to spend a lot of time enjoying the generously sized garden. From early spring to late autumn, there are always some plants and flowers that are in bloom, whether it’s the roses, the apple tree, the tulips and daffodils, or the pampas grass. We enjoy our DIY and created a weight-lifting platform, with a bar for pull-ups, in the corner of the back garden during lock-down. The drive and garden are often used by the children for ball games and other fun activities, whilst also having a large patio with double doors that open onto it from the living room, which has been invaluable for regularly entertaining and hosting social events with family and friends.
Being south/east facing, whenever it’s sunny, it shines in the front garden in the early morning and then the back garden from the late morning, filling the house with warmth and brightness.
With such a generous drive that fits 3 cars and so much off-road parking immediately in front and at the side of the house, we decided that converting the garage into an “annex” would create extra space that we could use for guests or grandparents to stay and we’re currently using it as an office, spare bathroom, and utility room. The annex is a perfect multi-functional space for many different uses and even has some extra loft space that we use for storage which can also be converted to create even more living space on the upstairs floor.
Although the house is cosy and warm in winter, we always loved the idea of a nice two-sided wood burner, which we could enjoy during the colder months. We had one professionally installed and it has become a real feature of the living room. Family and friends love to stop by to enjoy the special atmosphere of the log fire, needless to say that the children and their friends take every opportunity they can to roast marshmallows over the fire. We have even saved on our heating bills.
We are delighted with the alterations made and are still excited by the ideas that we haven’t had the time to realise just yet.
We will be really sad to say “goodbye” to this house when the time comes as we have spent many happy years creating fond family memories. We are sure that it will bring the same enjoyment to its new owners.