Sitting alongside the Grand Union Canal, almost perfectly positioned between Berkhamsted and Tring, this is the sort of home that immediately reminds you why we favour character over convention.

Period charm, waterside views, cottage gardens and an incredibly flexible layout combine to create something genuinely different. Arranged over three floors, the accommodation can work beautifully as a substantial four-bedroom family home, or be configured to provide a two-bedroom home with a separate two-bedroom annexe-style space on the lower ground floor, and with no onward chain, it is ready for its next chapter.

The heart of the home - The ground floor has exactly the warmth you would hope for from a property like this. The open-plan kitchen and dining room overlooks the canal and provides a wonderfully sociable centrepiece, with a comprehensive range of cabinetry, central island, characterful bay window and a wood-burning stove set against exposed brickwork. There is a separate sitting room for quieter evenings, together with a surprisingly generous four-piece bathroom featuring both a bath and separate shower. It is characterful without being impractical, and that is a combination we particularly like.