There was an interesting article in the Telegraph recently suggesting that historic, unusual and quirky homes are currently high on the agenda for people wanting to rent properties.

Some of the experts quoted, including from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), claimed that one of the effects of the recession is that more people are renting properties whilst they wait to buy and are particularly keen on giving unusual homes a try.

As a big fan of extraordinary homes, I can understand their charm. Whilst the long-term upkeep and maintenance of some old homes can be a bit of a burden, at least when you’re renting you don’t have to worry about this and can get on with enjoying the experience of living in such a property. If you decide a quirky home isn’t the ideal long-term housing solution for you, then you can move on to something else.

If you’re looking to rent while the housing market stabilises, want to try out a different style of living (large country pile instead of chic city apartment) or simply love the idea of living in a unusual property, then here are some inspiring UK rental properties.

The Manor House

Live like the lord or lady of the manor in this Grade II-listed, seven-bedroom detached manor house.

Part of the house is believed to be Georgian in origin and it’s located on the edge of the village of Catherington, in Waterlooville, Hampshire.

The accommodation is spread over three floors and outside there are large gardens and even a heated swimming pool.

The monthly rental is £2,200.

The Tower

Ruxley Tower, in Claygate, Surrey, is definitely an extraordinary property. Accommodation is arranged over six floors (four bedrooms, three reception rooms and three bathrooms) and there’s a terrace and viewing gallery at the top of the tower.

There are stunning panoramic views over the Surrey countryside, west towards the Chilterns and as far east as London.

There are lots of unique features and it offers a great chance to live in a truly unusual property.

Ruxley Tower is available to rent for £4,500 a month.

The Chapel

This four-bedroom converted chapel is located in Old Dalby, Leicestershire and is available for unfurnished rents.

The historic building has been sympathetically converted, retaining many of its original and period features, and now provides a good-sized home.

The converted chapel is available to rent for £950 per month.

The Castle

The historic Clyne Castle in Wales has been split up into apartments, giving more people the chance to live in this splendid building.

A two-bedroom third-floor unfurnished apartment is available to rent for the princely sum of £895 per month.

The Mill

In East Hanney, South Oxfordshire, this former silk mill has been sensitively restored to form several apartments.

A first-floor, three-bedroom apartment is currently available to rent and benefits from three en-suite rooms, a bespoke curved kitchen and bright living spaces.

The mill is able to generate its own heat and electricity and the apartment comes unfurnished.

It’s available for a monthly rent of £2,250.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 at 11:47 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.