‘I’m an Essex convert,” says interior designer Fiona Duke. “We moved here from London, having been to a funeral nearby, and fell for the fabulous community vibe.” Duke and her husband’s first purchase was a Victorian terrace, but even then she had her eye on the big, detached Edwardian house up the road: “I made it my mission to befriend the owner, in case she ever decided to sell. I was up there a lot!”
It took eight years but her persistence paid off. After many evenings involving wine and a lot of begging not to sell to anyone else, the neighbour finally revealed she wanted to downsize. “I was poised to strike, but was convinced it would fall through” says Duke. “We ended up swapping houses, which was an unusual way to move, but it suited us both.”
