Chic and contemporary family home

Private, yet spacious, stylish and ideal for entertaining, 88 Grimsby Road, Louth has huge appeal for accommodating a growing family.
The current owners, Mr and Mrs Dales, have lived in the property for seventeen years and were first attracted by the extra space compared to the house they were in at the time.

“There were aspects of the property we liked and aspects that we didn’t like. It was a four bedroom property which we needed for our growing family, but as with most properties you view, the decor wasn’t to our taste but we knew it was mainly cosmetic and easily rectified with time and imagination,” said Mrs Dales.

The house was built on the site of an old poultry farm called Farm Rise. The land was sold in 1988 for development, with planning for eight houses. Number 88 was the Show House at the time.

“The other reason for purchasing the property, other than the space, was the location; a small development, close to Louth town centre and all the amenities of this attractive market town. It also had the added bonus of only a two-minute walk down nearby Fanthorpe Lane and out into open countryside. Ideal for dog walking.”

The house has been extended twice during the Dales’ ownership: firstly a garden room with large windows to two sides and French doors, fitted by Spire Windows of Louth, opening into the garden. A more challenging time was the kitchen extension, a much larger project which took several months to complete.

“The biggest challenge was living in the house during the kitchen extension and something we would never do again in a hurry if undertaking any future renovations. Being without a kitchen was challenging to say the least. The gas BBQ had never had so much use. However the finished product was certainly worth the wait.”

The house now offers extensive open plan accommodation comprising, on the ground floor, a ‘T’-shaped entrance hallway, study, sitting room with bay window, dining room, snug with bioethanol fire and bi-fold doors to the rear garden, spacious and well equipped kitchen, utility room, cloakroom and garden room. Tiled floors in the dining room, snug and kitchen have electric underfloor heating. On the first floor, a landing leads to the master bedroom with en-suite shower room, three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property is finished to a high specification and elegantly styled with shutters at most of the uPVC double glazed, leaded windows.

Externally, the front garden is mostly laid to lawn with specimen plants and neat hedging. This elevation of the house does not reflect the scope of the internal accommodation or the attractive, private and enclosed garden at the rear.

“We have completed a lot of work in the garden which is now terraced into three distinct tiers. Originally, it just sloped down and wasn’t very interesting really. We built the outdoor fireplace and seating area to make a feature of the lowest terrace so we have the choice of three distinct areas to enjoy throughout the year.

“This is one of the features we have enjoyed most about living here. To have a private back garden which is not overlooked I feel is quite unusual for a small development close to the town centre. We can also see right out to sea from a couple of the upstairs bedrooms and on a clear day can see the ships going up and down the Humber Estuary.”

Louth is one of the most sought after market towns in Lincolnshire for the excellent amenities and lifestyle it can offer. Its elegant Georgian townscape is home to many award-winning independent retailers as well as cultural festivals and excellent educational facilities including King Edward VI Grammar School and Louth Academy schools.

“This is a picturesque town steeped in history and known as the Capital of the Wolds. It boasts many great butchers, a poultry and game shop, a cheese shop as well as some other wonderful independent shops and coffee shops. It has a vibrant market three times a week. It even retains the last livestock market in the county. We are within easy distance of Hubbards Hills and Westgate fields which are also beautiful places to walk and enjoy.”

Relocating after many years and happy times is always a wrench. They will definitely miss the location and its accessibility into the town and local amenities which are not always present in a rural location. They will also miss the bespoke kitchen/entertainment area they have created where they have enjoyed a lot of fun with family and friends. The Dales particularly love the kitchen and snug as it is such an open and light-filled space.

“It’s ideal for friends and family to congregate. The bi-fold doors also make a great continuation of the space bringing the outdoors in, which continues into the evening and night as the whole garden is lit. Sitting by the outdoor fire in the evenings with a glass of wine is also a lovely aspect. 88 Grimsby Road will always have a special place in our hearts as it’s where we raised our children together. They are driving now so we don’t have to worry about ferrying them around anymore.”

The Dales plan to fulfil a lifelong dream of moving to the countryside, to enjoy a bit of the good life. They would love to have some land or paddock for some chickens and maybe even adopt some cade lambs. Mrs Dales has ridden horses all her life but has never owned one, so maybe the next move will be the chance?

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