In pastoral setting, room for in-law or home profession

(PHOTOS BY MARK WILSON/GLOBE STAFF)

28 Garden St., West Newbury
Price: $799,000
Style: Colonial
Built: 1930
Square feet: 3,266
Rooms: 10
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
Sewer: Private

A buyer looking for a charming country place might find this old farmhouse and adjacent barn intriguing. Someone looking for a property with endless possibilities will be drawn to it like a magnet.

Recently used as a working horse farm, the property has 5 acres of rolling meadows, stone walls, and fruit trees. The quintessential New England barn has eight oversized horse stalls on the lower level, which opens to a turnout and pasture.

Not into horses? The 6,300-square-foot, three-story building also has a heated gallery space on the street-level first floor, and a large unfinished loft on the top floor. "The barn lends itself to any number of small business uses," said listing broker Wendy Willis of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Newburyport.

So does the Colonial-style 3,266-square-foot house, which has an ell with a first-floor 10-by-19-foot room, plus hallway and full bath, all with a private entrance. The space, which can be closed off from the house, would be it ideal for a tutor, music teacher, therapist, or other professional. It also would work nicely as an in-law, au pair, or adult child's suite.

A 15-by-28-foot great room was added to the back of the house in the 1970s. It has a cathedral ceiling, a cozy wood stove, and large expanses of glass that take full advantage of the bucolic vistas. The adjacent 15-by-16-foot kitchen is up-to-date with granite countertops and bright white painted cabinets. The recently renovated master suite also has a cathedral ceiling and a large new bathroom with a soaking tub, walk-in shower, and double vanities.

Outside, there are koi ponds and an in-ground pool surrounded by perennial gardens. While the setting feels exurban - the property abuts conservation land and horse trails lead into the woods - it is just minutes to Newburyport's bustling historic district, and 38 miles from Boston via Interstate 95.

GAIL RAVGIALA