Nick Millican recalls how Sarah and Arthur Smart went from living in a flat in Walthamstow to moving to their dream house, a historic detached home. This dream about buying a home didn’t happen overnight. It took nine years for the couple to buy their dream home.
In 2014, Arthur worked as an Architect and Sarah an Editor, but despite not having children and earning two salaries, they could not afford a home in Walthamstow. To buy and afford a house, Nick Millican adds, they looked in Chigwell and bought a small two-bedroom fixer-upper for £262,000.
The house suited them until they had their first child. Arthur used his skill as an Architect to fix the two-bedroom home. They sold it for £400,000 and bought a three-bedroom fixer-upper near Saffron Walden for £350,000. Nick Millican reports, they renovated and lived in until their youngest daughter was born.
With two children and a desire to work from home, the Smarts needed a house with more space. In 2021, they found a historic red brick detached house with four bedrooms. Nick Millican informs that the property came with a walled garden and woodland. The 1700s house located outside Cambridge had potential for expansion.
It was giving the Smarts space to add a woodland studio and office. The Saffron Walden house sold for £665,000, and the red brick in Cambridge cost £685,000. But will need some renovation to be fully livable. The Smarts don’t mind investing in fixing up the house as it seems to be the family’s last stop on the property ladder. Real estate expert Nick Millican often advises renters to look for new opportunities outside London.