Doylestown's Silver Maple Farm on the market for $1.8 million

When Allen Sunderland and his wife, Janice, were looking at Bucks County homes in 2014, they knew they wanted newer construction without sacrificing the design appeal of an older home. Silver Maple Farm, a 4,100-square-foot property built in 1979, fit the bill.

"This house had the charm we were seeking and was in excellent condition," he said.

The previous owners has extensively renovated the home in 2005, which left just cosmetic work for the Sunderlands. The home sits between two horse farms, so they have also spent time working on the home's 10-acre lot, Allen Sunderland said.

"Much of our effort has been to get the landscaping looking good again," he said.

In addition to adding a whole-house generator and making updates to interior details such as paint and light fixtures, Sunderland said, the couple has seeded the fields beside the property's long, private driveway, refreshed flower beds, repaired fences, and added an irrigation system for the field and garden beside the home.

The outdoor features have since become one of Sunderlands' favorite parts of the property.

"In the summer we look forward to time on the front porch to see what wanders into our view," he said.

Summertime also offers an opportunity to enjoy a few of the home's other outdoor delights: a pool and a pond.

"A walk by the pond always reveals something interesting," Sunderland said.

Inside, the property features a custom kitchen, a master suite with soaking tub, and a family room with a wood-burning stove.

"It is a perfect place to relax at the end of the day and sit by the fire in the winter," Sunderland said.

An all-glass conservatory off the kitchen offers another opportunity to enjoy the grounds of the largely private property.

"There is considerable distance between neighbors," he said.

Sunderland said he and Janice spent 20 years living in the San Francisco Bay area, and they've had about enough of this region's cold weather.

"We have decided to move to the Southwest," he said. "We miss the milder climate more than we anticipated."

The home is listed with Sue Thomas at Keller Williams for $1,785,000.