Quiet New-Build Family Home in Gilesgate

Quiet New-Build Family Home in Gilesgate – Ideal for Mature Postgraduate or Professional

We are offering one or two rooms in our brand-new, never-lived-in four-bedroom detached house on a quiet new estate (Bishop’s Walk) in Gilesgate, close to Tesco and Dragonville Shopping Centre. The house is around a 35-minute walk or a short bus ride to Durham University, with a bus stop five minutes away and driveway parking available. Dragonville, with a gym, Lidl, Tesco, Home Bargains, and other amenities, is a five-minute walk.

We are a multicultural, academically focused family. I am a British university professor with experience living and teaching in Japan and South Korea. My wife is South Korean and a stay-at-home mum, and we have a well-behaved bilingual 11-year-old son. Our home is intentionally calm, respectful, and well-organised. As an owner-occupied family home, it offers a stable, well-managed, and safe living environment, which has suited international postgraduate tenants seeking a calm and predictable place to live.

This is a quiet family home rather than a shared student house. We are friendly and approachable, but the household is structured and low-key, with clear boundaries between family life and tenant privacy. Tenants are treated as independent adults and are not expected to integrate into family life.

The home would suit someone who values a peaceful, predictable living environment and is serious about their work or studies.

The Room
Spacious double room (choice of two)

Fully furnished before move-in with bed, wardrobe, desk, lamp, and storage

High-quality fitted blackout blinds

Newly built home, so you would be the first person to live in the space

Modern, high-quality finish throughout

Bathroom
Shared bathroom between two postgraduate tenants only, with bath, shower, heated towel rail, and modern fittings (shower is being fitted this week.

If only one room is rented initially, the bathroom will be for your private use. There is also another toilet downstairs.

Household Arrangement
The bedroom is intended to be your main private living and study space. Shared areas are used primarily for practical purposes and at meal times, rather than as social spaces.
This arrangement suits someone who spends much of their time at university or work, studies mainly in their room, or is often out during the day. It would also suit a Monday-to-Friday commuter looking for a calm, well-run base during the working week.

Meals, Cleaning, and Laundry (Optional)
For an additional cost, we can offer a simple, low-maintenance living arrangement that works particularly well for busy postgraduates and professionals.
This can include:
Breakfast and up to five home-cooked weekday dinners

Regular cleaning of shared areas

Bed linen and towel laundering

Reasonable personal laundry (for example, one or two loads per week)

Meals are generally healthy, home-cooked, and international, often Asian-influenced, with a main dish and several side dishes. Dinner is usually around 6pm, but you are welcome to eat later, and we are happy to leave a plate if you are returning late. Lunch is not included, as we assume most tenants will be out at work or university during the day.

Facilities and Practicalities
Large modern Samsung fridge-freezer in the garage, primarily for tenant use

Garage gym (kettlebells, adjustable dumbbells, exercise bike, walking pad, yoga space) to be completed once a contractor is in place for the garage access door, which is currently being arranged

Large kitchen with seating, a lounge and a small reading area

Utility room with dehumidifier for drying clothes

Driveway parking available with electric charging (free for local mileage using overnight tariff)

Bicycles available for commuting (men’s and women’s sizes)

Warm, energy-efficient home with EPC A rating and solar panels

Rent and Terms
£800 per month – room only all bills included
£900 per month – including all bills simple breakfast, up to five weekday dinners, cleaning, and laundry

We may rent only one room initially, with the second room available by agreement as a private bathroom, study, or additional lounge space.

Short- or long-term stays are possible on a rolling monthly agreement, with one month’s notice on either side and a £400 deposit. While short stays are possible, we would be very happy with a longer-term arrangement for the right person.

Who This Would Suit
This home would suit a mature postgraduate student (MA, ideally PhD) or a quiet professional who values privacy, cleanliness, cultural sensitivity, and a focused, low-stress living environment.

It would also suit someone working in Durham who commutes Monday to Friday and wants a calm, well-managed place to stay without the usual logistics of shared housing.

If this sounds like a good fit, please get in touch for an informal chat and a viewing.