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Michaela and Ian Withycombe’s decision to move home was sparked after their festive dinner guests had to wrestle with the Christmas tree while they tucked into turkey and all the trimmings.
The couple had put the six-foot artificial tree in the corner of their old dining room but it still got in the way of the festivities during Christmas dinner – and it was at that point they realised it was time to look for a bigger house.
This year, they’ll be celebrating in their new place at Bellway’s Porters Grove development in St Leonards-on-Sea, with plenty of space to spare.
“We had more family round than usual and the tree was a real issue because the room was just not big enough to accommodate it and a table full of diners,” said Michaela. “I turned to Ian and said: ‘Right, that’s it. We need to move to a bigger house’ and we did.”
Ian, a 61-year-old IT consultant, and Michaela, a 55-year-old NHS deputy treasury accountant, have moved from their old three-bedroom semi-detached house in St Leonards-on-Sea into a new four-bedroom detached Bowyer house at Porters Grove.
“After the Christmas dinner situation, we made a New Year’s resolution on January 1, 2025, to make the move to a house with more space,” said Michaela. “That was the catalyst for us to start a new chapter in our lives in different surroundings."
“We wanted to stay in St Leonards-on-Sea as we both work in the town, so started to do some research and spotted that Bellway were building new homes at Porters Grove. We made an appointment, knowing we wanted a detached four-bedroom house.
“When we were there, we spoke to the sales advisor, Tom, who was brilliant, and we spotted a Bowyer. The plot was wonderfully positioned opposite woodland and with a south-facing garden which, unlike the old house, is not overlooked. We knew that was the one for us.
“Tom told us that Bellway would give us a contribution which was great. We used part of that money to pay for the flooring, upgrade the tiling and kitchen worktops and cabinets and to have a number of extras such as more electrical sockets, internet ports, heated towel rails, outside lights and power points in the garage.”
Bellway told us that we were the 100th buyers at Porters Grove, which is quite nice to know."– Michaela
“It is lovely to have a sparkling brand-new en suite in our bedroom and because we have four bedrooms, I am able to use one of the other rooms as a dressing room with a dressing table and chair in there. The smallest bedroom is our home office, when we need it, while the double bedroom at the front, which is bathed in natural light from two windows, is our guest room.
“The layout downstairs really works for us because it is essentially divided into two separate sides. We enjoy having the long kitchen/dining room where we can entertain our family and friends while, on the other side, we have the living room where we can chill at night and watch our favourite TV shows.”
“What we love most about living in this house is how much space there is. At the old house the living room/dining room was so small that the Christmas tree got in the way but here we can put the tree in the window and enjoy its festive glow while relaxing in our beautiful triple aspect living room. Not one branch encroaches on our space so we can simply sit back and enjoy and relax.
“We have now got the most beautiful house with room to accommodate guests and our six-foot tree in all its glory. It is still to be decided but I think the spacious dining room may need to have a festive tree of its own. So two Christmas trees now not one.”
