Retired couple ‘upsize’ to make room for grandkids

Grandparents Ruth and Ken Earp are upsizing into a new George Wimpey home for their growing family – not more children of their own, but for their three grandchildren.

After a six-year search they found just the home they want to share with their only daughter and her family when they visit for extended summer holidays – and The Oval in Groby was just a mile away from their former home.

Ruth and Ken, who are both in their 50s, loved their three-bedroom house in Groby which has been home for 25 years, and so were not prepared to compromise on a new, larger home where their extended family would be more comfortable.

The couple’s only daughter Louise and her husband Cees live in Dubai, but every summer Ken and Ruth visit and then bring the couple’s three children Megan (11), and twins Lucy and Sam (6) back to England for their six-week summer holiday.

Mum and dad follow later and the seven of them spend several weeks together as a family, in Groby, Leicestershire.

“When we are all here it was a bit of a squeeze in our three-bedroom house, so we wanted something larger,” says Ruth, a police search assessor, who helps in the recruitment of officers. “The ‘Sapphire’ is lovely, it has so many nice features, like two en-suite bathrooms plus an extra family bathroom, so when my daughter and her family come to stay they have their own space.

“Another feature we love is the trees. The developer worked around an existing hawthorn hedge and an ash tree next to our home, so we are going to call it ‘Hawthorn House’.

“This has been a big move for us, but the staff at George Wimpey were absolutely brilliant. They talked us through it all and when we went home we thought ‘that is what we want’.”

The couple are taking advantage of the Easymover package through which they received help from George Wimpey to sell their old house quickly, and the developer’s House2Home bespoke moving package comprising free UK removal regardless of distance or size of property, full packing and unpacking service and insurance cover.

Ken, head of campus services at De Montfort University in Leicester, is looking forward to retirement next year and the couple are hoping to be able to spend even more time with their family.

“Although our family live a long way away” said Ruth. “We are hoping to spend more time together once Ken retires.”

Buyers wanting to be part of this exclusive community have already snapped up all the properties available at The Oval, but George Wimpey has another collection of stylish new homes in Groby, at The Place.

Each of the 24 family homes and apartments at The Place has been individually designed to reflect the traditional surroundings, with cottage-style apartments and four-bedroom homes, and picturesque three-bedroom mews houses which reflect the architectural heritage of the area.

‘Hallaton Cottage’, for example, is a charming four-bedroom home characterised by a large kitchen/breakfast room ideal for a family and a separate dining room with French doors to the rear garden. A spacious living room also with doors to the garden, a guest cloakroom and entrance hallway completes this stunning property.

Upstairs, the landing leads to four bedrooms – one enjoying en-suite facilities – a study and the family bathroom.

This luxury design is currently available from £199,995, with one-bedroom cottage apartments from £79,995 and three-bedroom mews homes from £179,995.

All new homes at the development enjoy a high standard specification, including gas central heating, double glazing and a fitted kitchen with built-in oven, hob and hood.

Close to beautiful rolling countryside, The Place enjoys a tranquil position in Groby village conservation area off Newton Linford Lane, yet benefits from a wide selection of local facilities and is less than five miles from the cosmopolitan city centre.

The village has two small supermarkets, a butcher, a hardware store, a newsagent, a Post Office, a pharmacy, a delicatessen and a bank.

Other amenities in Groby include a library, a community centre, a village hall, two take-away food outlets, a public house and two hairdressers.

Leicester city centre is less than five miles away, while commuters will appreciate that the cities of Nottingham and Derby are within easy reach.

George Wimpey’s Easymover programme provides a range of special incentives on selected properties for first-time buyers, while customers with a house to sell can reserve their new home and then sit back and relax while the housebuilder finds a buyer for their current property - guaranteeing 100% of the market value – and pays the estate agents’ fees.

For more information, log on to Georgewimpey.co.uk.