When Angela Wilson leaves her home in Great Horton she doesn't want to spend weeks packing. "All I want to take are my clothes," she says.

"It's mainly fitted furniture, and the leather settees are just right for the room. In fact everything goes with the rooms they are in."

Angela and husband Peter have lived in Thornfield since 1988 but now, with the children grown-up and having left home, it's time to downsize.

From the outside Thornfield looks fairly modern, but it was actually built in 1909. "It was a doctor's house and then later a plumber's, so we've got some really nice fittings," says Angela.

"We used to live nearby in a bungalow and we needed more space. We were just passing by, but it was the monkey puzzles trees in front of the house that sold it to us. They were absolutely gorgeous."

When they moved in there was little work that needed to be done to their four bedroom home, but it was decorated for that era, with burgundy suites in the bathroom.

"As time went on it got outdated. We redecorated, replaced the fireplaces with a cast iron and wooden one in the lounge and a cast iron one in the dining room. We also replaced the bathroom suite and put in a Jacuzzi."

The work didn't stop there. "At the front there were steps and a little winding path, so we dug that all out so you could drive up to the car port. The house was sandblasted and we replaced all the windows.

"We also built a granny flat over the garage, which is completely separate and has an L-shaped lounge and kitchen, bedroom and shower room. At the moment it's rented out, bringing in a separate income."

Thornfield is set on a big plot with room to extend, so now at the back of the house is an extension with two bedrooms, bathroom and office.

If all this sounds like a work of work, Angela does have an advantage. They say that a cobbler's child goes unshod, so you would expect that the wife of a man who has his own building business would have to wait her turn... but not in this case.

"I run it all. So I get everything done first," she says.

On the ground floor is a hallway with Amtico floor and sliding doors leading into the conservatory. The hallway goes clear through to the rear of the house and has a study area with a second staircase, and fitted double wardrobe towards the ground floor bedroom.

Many of the rooms have ornate curtain treatments, courtesy of Angela's sister who made them all, but Angela is responsible for the decor which, while remaining true to the age of the house, has not ignored comfort.

"My favourite room is the kitchen. Everybody sits around the breakfast bar. You can see into the conservatory and the garden at the back, surrounded by trees, and you can see all the birds that visit."

Thornfield also comes with a useful basement that Angela has turned into a laundry room. "I do all my washing down there. It's clad in pine, so there's no chance of any damp."

There are four bedrooms, all of which have fitted furniture. There's one on the ground floor, which has a laminate floor, and another on the first floor, also with laminate floor, which has its own staircase and dressing room, and a very pretty circular window. The third bedroom has windows to one side and two skylights, with the remaining bedroom has a window to the side and laminate wood floor.

All the rooms in Thornfield are light and airy, thanks to the neutral decor and the fact that there are plenty of windows to let in the daylight.

"The house is lovely and cool at the front when the sun is at the back."

Outside there is an extensive garden with rockery beds, shrubs and trees, with two large patio areas at the back, a water feature, lawn, flowers, shrubs and trees.

Angela is very fond of the mature gardens, which are very private and home to a good sized play house which is used and much loved by the grandchildren. "I do the garden with the help of a gardener who comes in every fortnight.

"The house is ideal for a big family with a dependent relative who could use the granny flat. It's completely separate but they are close by. It's the best of both worlds.

"I'm going to miss the seclusion," she adds. "We've been spoiled here, and I don't think we'll find anything to compare."

Thornfield, Pickles Lane, Great Horton, is for sale for £385,000 with WW Estates, Bradford, (01274) 693737.