Well, the property I have for you today is to be found in a pretty and picturesque Dorset village. This gorgeous two bedroom Grade II Listed thatched cottage is packed with original features and appears very well maintained both inside and out.

At a glance this one is clearly ideal for owner occupiers, although those with a young family may wish to take into account that this one has limited outdoor space and not much by way of a 'garden' to speak of. There is a car parking area doubling as garden/gravel area, so it's not currently got that safe and soft lawn area for kids to run about and play on. That said, the parking area is a decent enough size, so perhaps there may be scope for it to be laid to lawn in part, but even then it will still be a small outdoor space.

Now, there is a definite silver lining to that reduced outdoor area for some. For those owner occupiers with no interest in gardening, nor any desire to put in the time and effort required to maintain a garden space, this could be the ideal setup. Equally, this will apply to folks that are just too busy with work and other activities.

I can also see another way in which this arrangement of outdoor space will work well too... as an investment property purchased for short holiday letting, this limited maintenance space is perfect and provides ample parking space for travellers arriving from elsewhere to holiday in these pretty surroundings :-)

Right, I think I should probably get on with looking at the house itself, right? Well this is a house that is definitely very handsome and charming inside and out. The thatched roof looks immaculate in the pictures and is clearly well maintained. I really like the sensitive choice of slates used where the ground floor extends outwards at one end of the building, and feel it ties in well with overall appearance. It's hardly surprising this house was listed given how fantastic that exterior looks, and there is something quite special about those stone walls that you just can't find in a modern brick built home.

Inside they have only shared a single image, but it's a great one that tells us quite a bit about what we can expect and shows off some of those original features mentioned in the catalogue. The whole of the visible ground floor shown is extremely well lit with natural light pouring in from outside. I can see some of my favourite features in this lovely property, from that large stone inglenook fireplace with its beautiful big wooden lintel to the wooden ceiling beams that match perfectly. I do for the most part tend to get drawn to the stark contrast of black beams with white surfaces, but I actually find in this case the decision to keep the wood a more natural colour has been used to maximum effect to create a very appealing space and provides a warm and inviting feel to the property. Add to that what appears to be flagstone flooring, and I'm very much taken with this lovely home overall.

So, whether this one becomes owner occupied, or perhaps a holiday let, either way there will be interest on auction day for such a charming property. Someone will be very happy when the hammer falls on this one :-)