I CAN'T imagine that you will find many terraces in as good a state of repair as this one which stands on the corner of Northcote Street and Newlands Road in Shelton and I very much doubt if you will find one with such a charming and spacious patio area behind.

It has been home to Ian and Anne Anderson for the past seven years and has been transformed during their time there. In fairness it needed to be because they took over something that was in dire need of renovation which was done before they moved in. Anne says: "When we first saw it I wasn't very impressed; I saw it as it was but Ian saw it as it could be.''

His vision is now reality and the house is in absolutely stunning condition. It has been replastered from top to bottom, rewired, fully insulated, double glazed, gas central heating has been installed, laminate flooring laid in the lounge where there is a gas fire which has literally not yet been turned on, smart tiles throughout the kitchen, the bathroom looks as though it was fitted yesterday, the Compton garage is absolutely brand new and still under guarantee and the house was redecorated just before Christmas. In short, if there is a flaw in the house I didn't see it during my visit.

Being on a corner it has a larger plot than usual and Ian and Anne have used this to great effect because the back yard has been converted to something that is a real surprise and a great asset to the property because the area between the house and the garage has been paved and turned into a very nice, quiet patio area.

There is a large awning canopy over the patio doors which open from the kitchen and with clematis growing up it and meticulous workmanship in painting the fence enclosing the patio the result is quite stunning.

Ian, 66, a retired bus driver, says: "It is a lovely area for sitting out and is very quiet. A lot of people think Shelton is a noisy place with lots of traffic but where we are it really isn't.''

W hat Shelton is though is a great place for property buyers. It is in a superb location for Stoke and its train station, for Hanley, for students at Stoke-on-Trent College or Staffordshire University, and is close to the A500. And yet despite all this Northcote Street is truly quiet, and this particular house has one further advantage in that it has concrete bollards on the road in front and double yellow lines on the one at the side (where there is the access to the garage) so it is spared the bugbear of many terraces which is having cars park on the pavement outside.

The couple are only moving because Anne can no longer cope with the stairs and they already have a bungalow which means there is no chain involved. It has only recently come onto the market, at £99,950, is currently unfurnished and ready to move into. Anne says: "We have loved it here and we are only moving because I need to live in a bungalow because I can't cope with the stairs. If I had to describe it to anyone I would say that it is in a very quiet area, it has a lovely warm feel to it, we have obviously done a lot of work here and it has a real surprise in the patio. We shall miss it because it has been a very nice place to live.''