Prince William & Kate Middleton are about to get new neighbours, but there’s a surprise catch

So much as a glimpse of Prince William and Duchess Catherine is enough to send royal fans spinning, so imagine the sheer delight upon discovery that you could quite simply bump into them at the local grocery store.

That much will ring true to someone new very soon as the house next door to the royal pair’s country residence Anmer Hall in Sandringham goes on the market for rent.

Yep, you read that correctly – you don’t even need to buy the house in order to live amongst royalty!

In a surprise advertisement, a newly refurbished property named 20 Cherry Tree, situated opposite Kate and Wills’ country abode according to Metro, is on the market for rent at about AUD $1,258 per month.

And yes, we also did a double take at that price – although it’s certainly on the higher end of things, you’d quite easily find a prime Sydney rental going for a much higher cost than that.

So what’s the catch, you ask?

Well, we should probably point out the cottage is situated in a country town, far from the bright city lights of London and the hustle bustle of the big city.

And before you ask, it’s not somewhere you can simply crash on the weekends whilst working a full time job in the big smoke.

Indeed the Sandringham Estate is letting out the residence on the proviso that it be a primary residence for the lodger, giving priority only to those who live or work in the area.

That being said, if you happen to find your dream job nestled in the countryside or in Norfolk, you’re in the running.

There’s a snag – if you have a cat, you’ll be required to… let it go.

Yes, we know it’s sad, but unfortunately there appears to be a rule where cats are not allowed.

Dogs on the other hand are welcome on a case by case basis. A slightly odd rule given dogs have been known to cause a little more ruckus than that of a house cat, but alas, rules are rules.

WATCH: Where your favourite royals live. Story continues after video…

Oh, and there’s one other interesting detail about the property – it has “steep” stairs.

So if you’re not great with balance, or partial to the odd night out with one too many glasses of sherry, you might want to take note if you want to make it up to bed without a magnificently stubbed toe.

William and Catherine have lived between Anmer Hall and their London home Kensington Palace for a number of years.

The Queen herself gifted the Sandringham country residence to the royal pair as a wedding present, and the pair took to spending long stints living out there after they welcomed their first son Prince George in 2013.

We’ve had small snippets of insight into the family life there, with professional photos of various members of the family spending time there being released for special occasions.

In December 2018, a stunning family snap of William, Kate and the kids at their country residence was released as their official Christmas card photo.

And this year alone, Kate has taken and shared a number of snaps of her children playing there to celebrate their birthdays.

If these pictures are anything to go by, it certainly looks like an absolute country haven.

We’ll just be over here preparing our rental applications…