Barnsdale Road, Reading

If you have been looking for a three-bedroom semi where you can make the decisions rather than pay for someone else's renovation, 11 Barnsdale Road is worth a closer look.

This traditional bay-fronted home has the kind of fundamentals that are increasingly difficult to change or recreate: a semi-detached position, off-road parking, an attached garage and a long rear garden.

Inside, the layout remains refreshingly straightforward. From the entrance hall, the front living room sits behind a wide bay window, while a separate dining room at the rear opens towards the garden. Keeping the two rooms separate works well for anyone wanting defined living and dining spaces, although the arrangement also gives a future owner plenty of scope to rethink how the ground floor could work.

The separate kitchen runs alongside the dining room with direct access outside. For buyers looking at longer-term possibilities, the relationship between the kitchen, dining room, garage and garden is likely to be one of the most interesting parts of the house, subject of course to any necessary permissions and professional advice.

Upstairs are three bedrooms and the bathroom. The two principal bedrooms are both good double rooms, with the front bedroom benefiting from another broad bay window. The third bedroom provides useful flexibility as a child's room, home office or nursery.

Outside is where the opportunity becomes particularly clear. The driveway provides off-road parking alongside the attached garage, while the rear garden extends well beyond the house and gives the property a sense of depth that is difficult to appreciate from the front.

The house now gives its next owner the opportunity to update the kitchen, bathroom, décor and finishes in their own style rather than paying a premium for choices made by somebody else.

Set in South Reading, Barnsdale Road is well placed for local schools, the University of Reading area, Reading town centre and connections around the south and east of Reading. Nearby schools include The Palmer Primary Academy and Reading Girls' School.