Laleham Road, Margate, CT9

Laleham Road has some proper houses on it.

Big, handsome semi-detached homes, believed to date from around the late 1920s, with imposing frontages, generous gardens and the sort of proportions that newer houses simply don’t seem to bother with.

This is one of those.

Officially it’s a four-bedroom semi-detached house, although the current owners are using the dining room as bedroom number five, which gives you some idea of the space available. There are also two bathrooms, plenty of living accommodation and a genuinely good-sized plot.

Now, full disclosure: this isn’t one of those listings where we’re going to tell you every square inch is immaculate and then hope you don’t notice the Star Wars poster when you arrive.

Parts of the house have been done really well. Other parts would benefit from a little modernisation. And with a couple of older children still living at home, a few rooms have developed what we can only describe as their own slightly chaotic swagger.

So yes, confession time: we’ve used a tiny bit of AI housekeeping in a couple of the photographs. Nothing structural, nothing added that isn’t there — we’ve basically just asked the computer to tidy up after the teenagers. Frankly, it was quicker.

Underneath all of that is the important bit: a substantial period semi in Margate, with big rooms, four proper bedrooms, two bathrooms and gardens that give you genuine space to work with.

Location-wise, you can saunter down towards Cliftonville, which has changed enormously in recent years.

Geek recently had its first proper night out there and, somewhat embarrassingly, we were completely blown away. Great little bars, restaurants, interesting people everywhere — on a warm evening it genuinely felt a bit like being somewhere on the continent.

So if you’re looking for something polished to within an inch of its life, this probably isn’t it.

If you’re looking for a big old Margate house with character, space, a proper garden and plenty of potential to put your own stamp on it…

Laleham Road is very interesting indeed.