Sophie Vening

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DIY Property Piece in Kettering for The Metro. Katie Brown and Robin McGill live with their 2 year old son William at their home in Park Avenue. DIY action. February 13 2025. *Collects as they complete the DIY and shots before to compare.*

This couple transformed their dated old kitchen for less than £1,000

Property March 11, 2025 By Sophie Vening

According to Trust for London, 35,645 people between the age of 30 and 39 moved out of the capital in 2020, with Polly and Patrick McMeekin (both 36) being part of that statistic. Having outgrown their two-bedroom rail workers terrace cottage in Putney, the couple decided it was the right time to leave London in order to find something bigger with more garden space for them and their now two-year old daughter Margot and mini dachshund Schnitzel. ?There was no meaningful renovation potential where we were and we didn?t have the budget to upsize and remain in the area,? says Patrick. Although keen to get more house for their money, the couple were worried about leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the capital. ?Before we fell pregnant and pre-pandemic, we would often go out for dinner or after-work drinks,? explains Polly. ?We would spend our weekends walking round Richmond park or meeting up with friends for brunch. Patrick played Rugby for a local club and would watch matches live at Twickenham Stadium. We had a really sociable lifestyle and enjoyed spending time with our friends from home and university who all lived in the south-west London area,? she explains. Rather than abandon city life altogether, the couple compromised by moving to one of the UK?s smaller cities ? Cheltenham. ?It felt like a good intermediary step,? says Polly, who has witnessed friends who have relocated from London into the deepest, darkest countryside and regret the move. Sadly, their friends are not the only ones. According to a survey by online mortgage broker Trussle (now better.co.uk), 27% of those who moved in the height of the pandemic are now regretting their decision. This is made up of 12% who believe they rushed into the decision and now regret it, whilst the remaining 15% declared they are not happy and are considering moving again. So, what?s Patrick?s and Polly?s recipe for a successful relocation? According to the couple, it?s researching the area well before you make the move. ?Both of our parents live close to Cheltenham, so we had been to the city before when we visited our families at weekends and knew we liked the area,? says Polly. ?I was always terrified of suburbia, but you don?t get that impression of suburban life here,? says Patrick. ?We live just off of Bath road, which has a vibrant community village feel about it, with lots of independent stores and coffee shops. It?s very much like lower Richmond road but without the heavy traffic,? he says. [BASEMENT] The basement is currently used for guest accommodation, a utility and for storage. It also has it has its own access, so can be rented out as an Airbnb in the future if required. [BASEMENT STORAGE] Polly and Patrick designed a bespoke wall of storage in the basement area, planning in various sized cupboards to accommodate specific items ? such as a tall cupboard used to store Patrick?s surfboard and wetsuit. [KITCHEN GLAZING] A roof light floods the kitchen space with natural light [MASTER EN SUITE] * A pocket sliding door has been installed ? a great space saving solution * The couple opted for a sleek, grown-up feel for their en suite, choosing a Matki-One framed black effect shower panel and a Swadling Brassware Absolute Deluge showerhead in brushed gold with matching controls. [FAMILY BATHROOM] (blue) Although primarily used for their daughter, the couple wanted the space to feel stylish and smart, too. They paired blue metro tiles with an EauZone hinged shower door and a Swadling Brassware Absolute Deluge showerhead and bath and sink taps ,which are all finished in brushed gold and all sourced from Matki. [BASEMENT BATHROOM] The couple opted for pink metro tiles, alongside an EauZone Radius-20 shower enclosure in brushed gold and brassware from the Swadling Invincible range in brushed gold for the bath taps, sink taps and shower, all from Matki. [PROJECT MANAGEMENT] Patrick visited the site on a monthly basis to oversee building works. Fortunately, due to Polly?s set designer experience, the couple were on top of project management, delivering moodboards to the contractors with exact measurements, colour schemes and material choices for absolutely everything. It resulted in very little questions from the contractors who simply got on with the job at hand. [POLLY WORK SITUATION] As a set designer, Polly?s work takes her all over the UK. And, although she?s currently having to do a long commute to Hemel Hempstead by car (often staying overnight) she?s hoping to get more work in Bristol in the future. [PATRICK?S WORK SITUATION] Patrick recently sold his company and is studying for an MBA while working out what he wants to do next. ?A London commute will be tough on family life, so I?m hoping I won?t have to do that,? he says. [MOVING CAPTION] The couple found that, during the pandemic, they weren?t doing any of the typical London things they used to. They also began to appreciate that, although Putney is based in London, the area has a village-like quality to it and that they could move to somewhere with a similar vibe out of the capital for a lot cheaper and with more space! [BASEMENT] The basement is currently used for guest accommodation, a utility and for storage. It also has it has its own access, so can be rented out as an Airbnb in the future if required. [BASEMENT STORAGE] Polly and Patrick designed a bespoke wall of storage in the basement area, planning in various sized cupboards to accommodate specific items ? such as a tall cupboard used to store Patrick?s surfboard and wetsuit. [KITCHEN GLAZING] A roof light floods the kitchen space with natural light [MASTER EN SUITE] * A pocket sliding door has been installed ? a great space saving solution * The couple opted for a sleek, grown-up feel for their en suite, choosing a Matki-One framed black effect shower panel and a Swadling Brassware Absolute Deluge showerhead in brushed gold with matching controls. [FAMILY BATHROOM] (blue) Although primarily used for their daughter, the couple wanted the space to feel stylish and smart, too. They paired blue metro tiles with an EauZone hinged shower door and a Swadling Brassware Absolute Deluge showerhead and bath and sink taps ,which are all finished in brushed gold and all sourced from Matki. [BASEMENT BATHROOM] The couple opted for pink metro tiles, alongside an EauZone Radius-20 shower enclosure in brushed gold and brassware from the Swadling Invincible range in brushed gold for the bath taps, sink taps and shower, all from Matki. [PROJECT MANAGEMENT] Patrick visited the site on a monthly basis to oversee building works. Fortunately, due to Polly?s set designer experience, the couple were on top of project management, delivering moodboards to the contractors with exact measurements, colour schemes and material choices for absolutely everything. It resulted in very little questions from the contractors who simply got on with the job at hand. [POLLY WORK SITUATION] As a set designer, Polly?s work takes her all over the UK. And, although she?s currently having to do a long commute to Hemel Hempstead by car (often staying overnight) she?s hoping to get more work in Bristol in the future. [PATRICK?S WORK SITUATION] Patrick recently sold his company and is studying for an MBA while working out what he wants to do next. ?A London commute will be tough on family life, so I?m hoping I won?t have to do that,? he says. [MOVING CAPTION] The couple found that, during the pandemic, they weren?t doing any of the typical London things they used to. They also began to appreciate that, although Putney is based in London, the area has a village-like quality to it and that they could move to somewhere with a similar vibe out of the capital for a lot cheaper and with more space!

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woman calling in front of "Room for rent" sign

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07/10/21 Evening Standard : First-Time Buyer Picture shows Emily Seymour photographed at her flat in Norwood, South London. Credit: Daniel Lynch 07941 594 556. www.lynchpix.co.uk

‘My parents gifted me £150,000': First-time buyer shares how she bought London home

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