There is nothing Steven Johnston and his fiancée Kerry enjoy more when they're at home than sitting under the decking awning with a cup of coffee, or listening to the winter storms raging outside while tucked up in what they call their Tardis.

"We've been here for eight years now and we love that it is central to all the local towns but yet still a village location," said Steven, who owns a car sales business.

"When we first came to view, we were surprised that the bungalow looked so small yet as soon as we stepped inside the front door, the size and layout of the property were just amazing."

The Lodge is a deceptively large four-bedroom detached dormer bungalow which is family home of exceptional quality in the popular village of Dearham.

Finished to a high specification by Kerry and Stephen, the accommodation includes lounge, kitchen, four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

All ground-floor rooms have Karndean flooring and the exterior has a lovely back garden and paved front garden with parking for up to five vehicles, as well as an integral garage.

Kerry works with Steven as a saleswoman and secretary, and also for a skincare range. The couple have three children, Ellie, a student and care worker, and Oliver and Aaron who are both at school.

"This house is a fantastic home for families or grandparents living in," Stephen said. "We have teenagers and having one upstairs bedroom with en-suite bathroom is ideal for their own space.

"We also love the living room area which opens up into the kitchen and garden, providing a fabulous family space to enjoy."

The Lodge has an entrance hall with wooden internal doors leading to all rooms. The master bedroom has a built-in double wardrobe and an en-suite with corner shower cubicle and mosaic tiled walls and flooring.

A second double bedroom has a range of fitted wardrobes with sliding doors and a large single bedroom has a side window.

The four-piece family bathroom has a walk-in corner shower cubicle and corner bath suite.

"We had Karndean and Amtico floor laid throughout, plus the wardrobes and porcelain-tiled en-suite fitted," Stephen said.

"We had the utility room fitted with units and the kitchen with high-quality appliances, tarmaced the drive and had railings and an electric gate fitted."

The utility is next to the bathroom and as well as the wall and floor units in light cream has a door to the garden.

The 15ft by 20ft kitchen is a large dual-aspect room also with wall and floor units in light cream as well as dark wood butcher block-style work surfaces and integrated twin electric ovens, gas hob and extractor, dishwasher and fridge.

There is an island unit with built-in storage, space for a large dining table, and solid wood internal doors providing access to the lounge which can be opened up to provide a completely open-plan living space. French doors open to the patio and garden area.

The almost 25ft lounge beloved of Steven and Kerry is another dual-aspect room with French doors giving access to the patio area and garden and a feature fireplace.

It has wooden stairs with stainless steel balustrades leading up to the dormer part of the property where an en-suite double bedroom has Velux skylights, built-in storage units, further undereaves storage area and chandelier-style lighting.

Externally, paved walkways to both sides of the property lead to the rear garden which has the patio, decked area with canopy and spotlighting.

Stairs lead up to the garden area where there is a further large patio seating area and lawned garden bordered by wooden fencing with two mature trees giving a great deal of privacy and enjoying a complete suntrap location.

"The gardens are private, quiet and a fabulous space for entertaining," said Steven. "They also have views of the Solway Coast.

"We're moving as we need to be closer to our children's school, their friends and sports clubs but this was our forever home and we still love it. If we could pick it up and move it, we would."

The Lodge, Main Street, Dearham, is for sale at £280,000 from PFK Estate Agents. See here for more details.