Rural renovation projects have a certain appeal to many people eager to create a special dream home with the location and landscape adding to the excitement of reviving a property a bit down on its luck.
Some houses are stuck in the past and offer a chance to wander down interior design memory lane, spotting the burgundy bathroom suite from your 1980s childhood home, or 1970s kitchens now becoming popular again for lovers of retro design, or the 1930s fireplace where your nan used to cook toast.
While few renovation projects can ignite a spark of memories of your school days, but this red brick beauty in the Powys countryside might just do that.
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It most certainly isn't the school you attended but if you did spend your youth at a small, village primary then maybe the bonus building that comes with the sale of this house will take you back to playgrounds and piles of books, chewing gum under seats, conkers in the yard, and avoiding the school bully.
This duo of attractive Victorian buildings can be found on a small winding road through the pretty Powys countryside between the hamlets of Nantgwyn and Pant-y-dwr, north of Rhayader.
And how much work actually got done every day when the school was operational is unclear, because with amazing, sweeping rural vistas at the windows the children were surely gazing outside rather than listening to the teacher try and break through the day dreaming with algebra.
But the lesson now at this property is surely one on thoughtful design, careful restoration, and appropriate interior design as well as a full renovation project for a butterfly of a dream home to emerge from its current dated cocoon; this property could be absolutely stunning if it's lavished with the right renovation care.


Starting in the school itself, the open space that used to be two classrooms divided by a concertina wall is the most obvious spot for the most incredible kitchen diner and lounge, with the double-height ceiling and huge, multi-paned windows adding character and space to the light that cascades in.
Imagine the windows at the end wall extended down to create a huge section of glass that gives the optimum view of the outside landscape to the enormous kitchen island that this space surely demands. There's ample space for a massive dining table too, and a seating area that can cope with multiple people wanting to settle down and admire the newly revealed view.


The former little kitchen found just off the main hall is an obvious utility room, and the adjacent entrance and lobby is the perfect boot room after coming home after a long and marvellous muddy walk in the abundance of countryside that envelopes the property.
The school hall has a bonus mezzanine, with a wood and glass divider that is charming but needs to be investigated for safety, but this extra layer of accommodation is the perfect space for a home office, study or den, away from the main busy area below but still connected.


There is currently a cloakroom in the old school so everything is in place for either a totally separate dwelling or workshop or a business or, the greediest and most spectacular option - the kitchen diner lounge of one large and lovely dwelling.
The school is detached from the adjacent house on the site so, with planning consent and an architect with vision, joining the two buildings could be a wonderful opportunity to add something special to the two Victorian structures based on a mix of, or single use, material such as glass, metal or wood.
The Old School House next to the school building is an attractive proposition in its own right. The big bay window, roof apex timberwork, stone lintels and an inviting front door make you eager to get inside and see what this house can offer as a rural home once renovated inside, as well as out.
The lounge at the front happily boasts the bay window with the best, beautiful views of the rural landscape opposite and surely a perfect place to pop an armchair for bird and wildlife watching.



There's a fireplace but it's probably not from the period you were hoping for, so a replacement with a log burner or a sourced, original Victorian fireplace is probably more desired. The fake wood panelling might make it into the skip too, and the carpet could join it, and hopefully reveal some beautiful, original floorboards underneath that don't need too much renovation attention.
The dining room is the way to get to the remaining spaces at the rear on the ground floor, and has a surprise range cooker nestled into the fireplace, and as the kitchen is next door is on the dainty size, maybe combining both rooms into one spacious kitchen diner is an option worth investigating.


If the two buildings become one house and the school becomes the main kitchen diner and lounge then this section of the house could be ideal for extra bedrooms or a self-contained annexe for family, guests, or paying customers.
There's an extra door that leads out into a large conservatory that hugs the side of the house that, with some finessing, could be a most attractive space to entice you out to feel surrounded by your one acre of land, whatever the weather.
At the rear of the house, next to the current kitchen, is a store room, cloakroom and inner hall that leads to a back door. If the two buildings become two separate homes then a reconfiguration of this rear section would definitely be a good idea to free up space to create a cloakroom and utility room without a corridor, especially if the kitchen is combined with the dining room.


Upstairs there are three bedrooms, with the most appealing one situated at the front of the house not just because it is the biggest but because it has dual windows that directly drink in that most absorbing view across the valley.
The two buildings sit within about an acre of land and, of course, there's plenty of parking on what used to be the school's playground, but also plenty of remaining land to create a peaceful oasis that includes your own area of woodland.



The school bell has rung for the last time at this site, but now the lesson being taught to the next visitor and potential owner is how to create a dream home in the country on budget and on time before the term ends.
The old school house and the school itself are for sale with a guide price of £450,000 with estate agents Morris Marshall & Poole, call their Llanidloes branch on 01686 412567 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.
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