Otter Close, Bletchley, MK3 7QP

Sitting in his conservatory, gazing out across his garden, Stuart watches the kites circling in the skies and the smaller birds nesting in the trees.

“There is an area of woodland behind us where we see lots of birds,” he explains.

“Although we live in a very convenient area, just 10 minutes from everything we need, we are also very close to nature, which I love.” Indeed, his outstanding memory of seeing Tarka, his Otter Close home, which was named after the fictional creature, nearly 19 years ago, was of how natural it felt.

“It was springtime, and as we came down the road, there were the most beautiful cherry trees in blossom on both sides of the road.

The area seemed very leafy and as we stepped out of the car, we could hear the birds,” he recalls.

ENHANCING THE HOME   Thought to have been built in 1976, the house itself also held great appeal. “It had a very large driveway and all the bedrooms were doubles,” he recalls.

“But it was also the case that we could see it held great potential.” Over the years since then, Stuart and his family have made the detached house their own.

“It has been extended and upgraded throughout,” he says.

“I carried out a two-storey extension, which enabled us to create a large, open-plan kitchen, dining and family room downstairs and gave us more bedroom and bathroom space upstairs.

I created two new en suite shower rooms, replaced the family bathroom and installed a new kitchen.

I also added a conservatory, built a new double garage and converted the integral garage into a study and utility room.” INDOOR-OUTDOOR LIVING   As a result, Tarka has been the most magnificent family home.

“The children and grandchildren often visit,” he says. “We have had a few family parties here and if we all go out to celebrate a special occasion, they usually come back here afterwards.

There is plenty of space for the adults and our 10 grandchildren to spread out.

The children can get all their toys out and the grownups have plenty of places to sit and chat over a cup of tea.” The garden, with its wildlife pond, steel pergola and outside seating area, where a television can be plugged in for major viewing events, has also given them all great pleasure.

“The children can play out there while the adults relax,” he adds. AMAZING SPACE   Set back from the road by its sizeable driveway, Tarka is entered from the front via a lobby and reception hall.

To the left, double doors lead into the large sitting room, a long space with a bay window to the front and doors to the conservatory at the rear.

“This is such a large room that we have plenty of space for two sofas and a dining table and chairs,” Stuart observes.

Doors from the conservatory open onto the garden, providing easy indoor-outdoor living during the warmer months. This provides a quiet space in which to relax and gaze out across the garden.

FAMILY LIVING   Also leading from the hall are the cloakroom and the door into the kitchen. “The kitchen is a modern space with light-grey gloss units and marble-style composite work surfaces.

We opted for lots of deep drawers, as well as pantry cupboards, to give us plenty of very practical storage,” he explains.

From the kitchen, there is access into the utility room and the office, which has full fibre-optic broadband and makes a great hideaway for anyone wishing to work from home.

Both the office and the kitchen give onto the splendid family room, where again there is ample space for everyone to gather.

“This is the hub of the house, where everyone tends to gather when they are here.

Again, there is plenty of room for comfortable seating and dining furniture.” A FOREVER HOME   The first floor of the house also has a generous, roomy feel.

Two of the bedrooms have en suite shower rooms, while the remaining three share the large family bathroom.

“The master bedroom is very nice but I think one of the original front bedrooms is my favourite as it enjoys so much sunshine,” he admits.

The family will all miss the space offered by Tarka, as well as its convenience to both Bletchley and Milton Keynes. But Stuart believes it is now time to downsize.

“This has been a great place to live and a wonderful community to be part of, but we have to move on now,” he says.

“With everything this place offers, I am sure it will now become a wonderful forever home for another family.” SETTING THE SCENE   To the front of the house, there is a generous driveway with ample space for multiple cars.

To the rear, the property opens onto a good-sized family garden. Here, there is space for outdoor relaxation and entertaining, as well as for children to play. Tarka also features a double garage.

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