Jeremy, 60, had bought the circa 2,700sq ft 1930s house with his late wife back in 2003. He and Lisa got together nine years ago, and have been married for three. They have, between them, five children – all in their 20s.
“To be fair it was a fabulous family house with a great garden,” says Jeremy. “The problem was that it was a bungalow with a second floor built up into the eaves, which meant that I kept smacking my head on the roof.”
For Lisa, 57, the issue was how compartmentalised the ground floor was, with separate kitchen, dining room, living room, and TV room. To make matters worse the kitchen, where she and Jeremy spent most of their time, was at the front of the property and looked out at a garage.
Before the pandemic the couple decided that they wanted a fresh start in a new home in Notting Hill, west London. They got as far as putting their house on the market, lining up a buyer, and starting to house hunt.
But during the series of Covid lockdowns they not only lost their buyers but also their desire to move, realising how lucky they were to have a large garden and being within a short walk of Wimbledon Common. Wimbledon also had a good selection of lovely local shops, cafes and restaurants.