Live At Laughton Lodge

4 Bedroom House For Sale
O.I.E.O. £695,000

A spacious four-bedroom house set in 23 acres of beautiful gardens, woods and meadows in the thriving co-housing community Laughton Lodge.

An open plan kitchen-dining room and adjoining lounge lies at the heart of this unique family home. It has been recently refurbished with new windows in keeping with the property’s historic character, new floors, carpets and upgraded heating, electrics and decoration throughout.

A luxurious wide staircase takes you upstairs to four double bedrooms and bathroom. The property also benefits from a professionally boarded loft with a high quality ladder for easy access. This huge space could be converted to add even more living space.

The community benefits from shared buildings housing a dance hall, yoga studio, dining room, kids’ playroom, office and studio spaces and a large commercial kitchen. The community comes together for monthly work days, the summer party, apple day, the infamous Christmas Cabaret and other seasonal celebrations.

All houses at Laughton Lodge are self-contained private homes bought on a 9,999 year lease and all homeowners are directors in the company that holds the freehold.

For more information or more photos email steveh@laughtonlodge.org or call Steve on 07714 660887

5 Bedroom House For Sale
£650,000

A very spacious and light, mid-terrace 4/5 bedroom house over three floors.

On the ground floor, the large kitchen has space for a large dining table, and features a large functioning open fireplace, with french doors to the rear opening onto a terrace and extensive gardens. There is also a large family lounge with french doors opening once again to the rear terrace.

The wide and light central staircase with its tall window with views across the gardens takes you to the first floor.

On the first floor there is another family lounge with flue for a wood burning stove, a study with an open-fireplace, a master bedroom, as well as a toilet/shower room.

Then on the second floor, there are three double bedrooms and a bathroom all with fine views across the communal gardens and land.

If you are interested in viewing or have any questions please contact: Tom – 07711 265642 or email tomsw19@hotmail.com

Want to live here?

If you are interested in buying a home here please contact us.

Our intentional co-housing community is much like a freshly created village, with a diverse group of individuals who have come together to share land and buildings in order to foster the kind of life style for ourselves and our children which is difficult to find elsewhere in modern Britain. At Laughton Lodge we try to find a good balance between private family life and the public life of attending to the responsibilities and considerable maintenance that come with owning and managing communal land and buildings.

Each month we attend a business meeting where we make decisions about budgets and expenditure. Most people belong to one of the subgroups that represent the different aspects of life here – finance, maintenance, lettings, land management and future developments – where we try to keep on top of the myriad tasks that continually crop up.

In addition, the first Sunday of every month is a group work day when we tackle chores and jobs that benefit from many hands. Every Friday evening there is a pot luck supper for anyone who feels like eating with others. There are countless other times when we help each other out with babysitting, lifts, care of children, dogs, chickens, horses and pigs, parties, advice and friendship.

Sharing your home with 70 other people is not always easy. While we all try to be considerate and helpful there are times when our needs and views conflict with those of others. But the benefits of shared space and the skills we develop over time in dealing with differences outweigh the challenges.

Properties range in size from the four detached wooden houses to some extensive properties in the three former hospital villas, to smaller single storey and 2 bedroomed flats.

Properties do change hands from time to time – leases are offered for sale initially through the community and then on the open market.

Prices tend to be in line with other similar sized properties in the area and slightly cheaper than those in neighbouring Lewes. Sales are managed by a community based sales team who act on behalf of the seller and all new purchasers are invited to attend a social event, a work day and a main meeting before deciding whether or not to proceed.

Renting

While we do not have long term homes to rent some individuals do share their homes with people who rent rooms from them through private arrangements.

We welcome people lodging in this way to take an active part in the community although in order to become a director of the company it is necessary to be a lease holder.

Our experience

Living in a co-housing community is an intense and rewarding experience. There are many relationships to be negotiated and decisions to be made, jobs to be done and bills to be paid.

But above all we hold a collective vision about neighbourliness and what it is to share resources and space. Thanks to the mix of people and the beautiful place in which we live, serendipitous things happen which are fun and funny and memorable, and which enrich our lives in ways we could never have imagined.

The children develop social and democratic skills and are exposed to a wide variety of events and people.

Our total is far greater than the sum of our parts.

Our Vision

I want to live in a community that provides a safe, welcoming, creative and precious environment to its residents, children and those from outside.

One where everyone has a role and willingly contributes to the care of our children, each other, land, buildings and process

A community that runs its business efficiently, wisely and responsibly, but above all knowing that there is a greater good in being and working together in community.