Property expert Phil Spencer caught up with a family who bought their dream flat near Bristol a few years ago on tonight's (December 14) episode of Location, Location, Location. Mother and daughter duo Linda and Laura first appeared on the Channel 4 show in 2017, and were on the hunt for a flat for two generations in the West Country on behalf of the rest of their family.
Laura and her then-boyfriend, now-husband Jason were living in Portishead at the time of filming, two hours up the coast from the family home in Allerton, where the family's self-catering business is situated. Laura and Jason were hoping to move into a flat which could then house Laura's younger sister, Jess, and their parents, Linda and Brian, once they retire.
With a budget of £230,000, the Garner family had a list of features they were looking for in a flat. The property had to have two bedrooms, parking, outdoor space, light, character, and be near a city but have country/woodland views.
With this in mind, the first property Phil took Linda and Laura to view was a gem of a new build flat in Ham Green. Despite the flat being part of a recently-built block, Laura liked the fact that it still possessed 'character' on initial inspection, as she stood on the roadside.
The flat was an instant hit with Linda and Laura, with the mum-of-two instantly falling in love with the two-bedroom property once she stepped on the balcony. Getting goosebumps, she told Phil that she had 'a feeling' that this would be the flat for her family to thrive in.
The balcony jutted out from the dual aspect lounge, looking out to the neighbouring woodland. There was a great vista from the dining table, with some lovely views from the master bedroom to the back garden, too. A smaller bedroom provided the perfect space for Laura to draw, whilst a garage allowed parking for the family.
Jess and Brian joined the search and instantly approved of the property, so Linda put an offer of £225,000 in. The flat, which had been on the Bristol market for some time, was on sale for just under £235,000; the sellers rejected Linda's initial offer, but accepted £227,000, causing Linda and Laura to become emotional.
Four years later, in an episode which aired tonight on Channel 4 but was filmed in June 2021, Phil visited Laura and Jason, who are now living 30 miles from Ham Green in the charming Wiltshire market town of Corsham. Living in the Ham Green flat had allowed the couple to save up for their dream home in the area a 1930s Bath stone semi-detached house.
Laura told Phil that she feels as though she's living in 'this little Beatrix Potter land', and she has since bagged her dream job as a book designer for a children's publisher. She gushed: "I feel like having the flat and the opportunities that gave us allowed us to buy more of a forever home, we've definitely found the area we want to stay in."
The Ham Green flat, which has undergone a major facelift since the Garners purchased it in 2017, was the 'perfect launchpad' for Laura and Jason, who covered all of their outgoings but didn't have to pay market rental prices. At the time of filming, Jess was living in the flat.
Linda, who is planning on moving into the flat once she and Brian have retired, said: "It gives us so much pleasure, it really does. It really gives us this happy feeling that we are all winning with this one."
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