Our first step – moving to the country

Today is the first day of our next adventure. It’s been a dream of ours for a few years to set up our own business, and since we first visited the Blackdown Hills Area of Natural Beauty last year, we knew this was the perfect place for us. 

But it’s certainly not been an easy ride! We found our future home just over a year ago – and have been on a roller coaster ever since. From losing out initially to higher bidders, to putting everything on hold during the Coronavirus lockdown, to our second buyers pulling out in the final hour – our emotions and resilience have been tested countless times. 

But we made it! And learnt some things along the way: 

• The housing market in England is flawed and a discontented buyer can wreak havoc on the entire chain 
• Communication and managing expectations of everyone involved in a house move is key – especially if someone makes the decision to move out in the middle of a global pandemic and expects everyone else to do the same! 
• There are some genuinely amazing people who work in the housing market and legal system who go out of their way to help 
• The decluttered look really does ease the cleaning, even if it’s a risky business opening over-stuffed cupboard doors! 
• Technology is a godsend – especially when it comes in the form of a last-minute self-hire van located in a Costco car park, when your original company gets the date wrong.

Despite the countless challenges thrown at us, and with a tinge of sadness at leaving good friends behind, we finally got the last items of furniture packed into the [new] van and left our London life for the peace and quiet of the country. Our ambition is to turn our property into a holiday cottage business so we can share its beauty with others. It’s a long road ahead of us, but we’ll keep posting updates on our blog and social media, so make sure you follow us for our latest news and progress!