There’s something truly magical about December, the twinkling lights, the clink of glasses, and that irresistible urge to gather the people you love. It’s the month where every night feels like an invitation, and every home becomes the heart of the celebration.
From curated cocktail gatherings to festive Christmas feasts and New Year’s soirées that set the tone for the year ahead, the right property makes all the difference. Fortunately, we’ve assembled a list of hosting properties so good that even Santa might wish he’d put them on his list.
1 Sandringham Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside
Offering over 6,000 sq ft of living space, 1 Sandringham Road is perhaps the most appropriate hosting property on this list. Before you even step foot in the home you are greeted by ample drive space (darn it, just when you thought you could rid yourself of the in-laws this Christmas), not to mention the immaculately trimmed hedging and foliage beckoning you over the threshold. Step inside and the surprises continue: a striking wood-panelled dining room, an open-plan kitchen by renowned designer Tom Howley, and a herringbone-clad wine cellar to boot.
And while all that entertaining space is impressive, the real triumph is the detached two-storey ancillary building – perfect for when you need an hour (or five) to yourself after playing hostess with the mostest.
4 Bedrooms | 4 Bathrooms | 3 Reception Rooms
Guide Price £2,500,000
For Sale with
Finest Properties
The Garth, Undercliff, Cleadon Lane, Cleadon, Sunderland
Tucked away in the grand west wing of a Grade II listed Victorian manor, hosting at The Garth is about as dramatic as it gets.
Picture this. It’s New Year’s Eve. You’re holding a mysterious wax-sealed invitation, and with a mix of curiosity and concern, you heave open the colossal wooden doors of The Garth. You’re not entirely sure whether you’ve been summoned to a glittering NYE bash or a clandestine cult initiation, and honestly, that’s half the thrill. Inside, you’re elated to discover it’s the former. The fire roars, chandeliers spill warm light across the living room, and a steady stream of vol-au-vents and extra-dirty martinis make the rounds. Someone has even perched a Santa hat atop suit of amour. The night is officially underway.
As soon as the clock strikes twelve the party moves outside, the guest list now a mix of invited and “Sure, I know the owner.” Drinks keep coming, the music is definitely too loud for the neighbours, and the night dissolves into that wonderful, hazy blur only New Year’s Eve can get away with. By the time dawn makes an appearance, you’ve drafted two resolutions: drink less, and somehow secure the deed to The Garth.
Same again next year?
4 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | 2 Reception Rooms
Guide Price £1,000,000
For Sale with
Finest Properties
Greenview House, Old Hunstanton, Norfolk
Recently brought to life by the acclaimed Atelier Associates Architecture, Greenview feels purpose-built for the hosting that is synonymous with this time of year, when “just a few people for dinner” somehow turns into a full-scale festive gathering.
Step inside and you’ll see what we mean. An expansive open-plan kitchen and dining space is the beating heart of the home, complete with bi-fold doors onto the patio for when the merriment inevitably spills outside, and a discreetly tucked-away bar for safeguarding that prized 15-year-old Glenfiddich. Upstairs, four king-sized bedrooms, each with its own en-suite, make it especially difficult to say no to surprise guests. And, with Old Hunstanton beach just a short stroll away, you’ll have the perfect excuse to gently usher out anyone who’s overstayed their welcome and give them something else to admire besides your hospitality.
4 Bedrooms | 4 Bathrooms | 1 Reception Room
Guide Price £1,795,000
For Sale with
Sowerbys
Moorcocks, How Green Lane, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent
One look at Moorcocks and you can’t help but start humming the theme tune to The Holiday.
With its charmingly slanted roof and a scattering of original 15th-century features, Moorcocks has oodles of character. Thoughtfully renovated and extended by the current owners in 2023/24, the home has been modernised in a way that complements, rather than competes with, its historic fabric. Think exposed through-beams set against contemporary Scandinavian-style interiors; an inviting inglenook fireplace nestled within a centuries-old hearth that has warmed generations; and a bespoke British Standard kitchen complete with Perrin & Rowe aged-brass taps, an electric AGA, and limestone flooring. Oh, and if that’s not enough to knock your socks off, there’s even a heated outdoor pool (with planning permission for a pool house!) set within the perfectly-pruned garden.
You can almost picture the final scene of The Holiday unfolding at Moorcocks: family gathered around the inglenook, a turkey roasting in the AGA, and someone mischievously adding an extra splash of Baileys to a cup of hot chocolate in a Le Creuset mug.
5 Bedrooms | 3 Bathrooms | 2 Reception Rooms
Guide Price £1,750,000
For Sale with
Maison Partnership
3 Henning Street, London, SW11
Positioned along a quaint, tree-lined street in Battersea, 3 Henning Street is the ideal setting to bring your festive hosting dreams to life. The ground floor is designed to dazzle: an expansive open-plan layout perfect for forcing friends to mingle, original cornicing to impress any architects in attendance, and a marble-surround fireplace should the mulled wine fail to warm you. When the party moves outside (which it inevitably will after your guests get a few drinks down them), a private decked terrace offers the perfect spot for a cheeky cigar, post-dinner digestif, or a spot of marshmallow roasting on the Bull barbecue.
Upstairs, four generous double bedrooms provide plenty of space for overnight guests, so those who treat your London pad like their personal Airbnb will feel right at home. Just make sure to shoo them off to Winter Wonderland before they move in full-time.
4 Bedrooms | 3 Bathrooms | 2 Reception Rooms
Guide Price £2,000,000
For Sale with
Radstock Property
Stevenson House, East Lothian, Scotland
We’re not sure if whoever’s reading this believes in angel numbers, but we certainly do, and so does 16th-century Stevenson House with its lucky eights: 8 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, 8 reception rooms. With numbers this guest-ready, it’s not hard to see how this East Lothian property of epic proportions has made the cut.
Beyond the numbers, Stevenson House is, essentially, Scotland’s version of Downton Abbey. Step inside and you immediately want to fill the place with family, friends, your dog walker, the barista who knows your order like the back of their hand, and that couple you bonded with on holiday after one too many glasses of Dom Pérignon. Think muddy, Barbour-clad morning walks through 22 acres of mature woodlands, garden, and grounds (wellies not included); an afternoon round of golf at one of two dozen nearby links courses; and a feast to feed the five thousand come nightfall in one of the property’s many, many dining rooms.
And why not? With this much space, the more the merrier.
22 Acres | 8 Bedrooms | 8 Bathrooms | 8 Reception Rooms
Offers Over £5,250,000
For Sale with
Ellisons
Higher Venice House, Allaleigh, Blackawton, Devon
Certified foodie or wannabe Nigella who loves to host? Look no further, Higher Venice House was made for you.
Perched high on the hills just outside Dartmouth, this 18th-century beauty is surrounded by 20 acres of private, fertile land – perfect for foraging wild garlic, chestnuts, sorrel, and much more.
How’s about this for a day in the life hosting at Higher Venice House? A morning dash into Dartmouth (only 15 minutes by car!) to collect locally-produced cheese, grass-fed lamb, and salmon caught in the early hours. Back at the house, your afternoon is spent creating elaborate napkin architecture and arranging name cards, all before welcoming your nearest and dearest to the pièce de résistance: a spread of elderflower-cured salmon with sorrel and blackcurrant, herb-crusted lamb, and a rhubarb and elderflower pavlova, should your guests have any room left. All of this aided, of course, by the property’s dual-oven kitchen and a setting so exquisite it feels Michelin-starred.
End the night in the home-cinema. Belly full, Christmas film playing, and absolutely no regrets about that second helping.
20 Acres | 5 Bedrooms | 4 Bathrooms | 3 Reception Rooms
Offers Over £925,000
For Sale with
The Coastal House