‘It was dull, but IT HAD POTENTIAL’

This house is quite surprising, because it looks narrow and a bit cottagey from the front,’ says Claire. ‘Inside, it goes back a long way, so people are always wowed by how much space and light there is. It couldn’t be more different from how it looked when my husband Dan and I moved in. We were renting a place in London, but wanted to buy our own home. We started looking in this area, which is more affordable, and close to my family, but even so, there wasn’t much in our price range.

I definitely wanted a period property, as I love the character, the sash windows and the high ceilings you get in older homes. When