The art of property buying often comes down to luck and good timing. And Thomas Von Nordheim’s decision to move from London to Kent could barely have been more auspiciously timed.
He and his husband moved to the coast just in time to be well settled into a newly renovated flat just before the pandemic began. And they missed both the mid-pandemic race for space, which saw seaside prices spike, and the dramatic increase in construction costs which would have impacted the work they have had done on their new home.
“It was very lucky,“ said Thomas.
Thomas moved to London from his native Germany to pursue a career in fashion design in the 1990s.
By 2019 he and his husband, Chris Fallon, were renting a two-bedroom flat in Camberwell Grove for circa £1,400pcm. He had a studio in Bloomsbury and a boutique career. This includes designing costumes for theatre, film and TV – Thomas, 56, has recently returned from a stint in Berlin designing costumes for Tom Hanks and Benedict Cumberbatch in an as-yet-untitled Wes Anderson movie. He also lectures, and creates bespoke pieces for clients.
The fundamental reason Thomas and Chris decided to get out of London was its sky high house prices. “We wanted our own space which we could do what we liked with,” explained Thomas. He was also fed up with the capital’s grime and pollution and wanted the chance to breathe in some fresh sea air.
For two years before the pandemic the couple spent their free time touring locations on the Kent and south coasts, from Hastings to Margate.
Eventually, since Chris, who worked for Camden Council, would have to commute to work, they picked Folkestone for its high speed rail links. Services to St Pancras International take less than an hour. “Folkestone is still a bit rough around the edges,” said Thomas. “But since we moved here it has changed quite a bit. The arts scene was here but there are more shops, restaurants, and cafes.”
Thomas particularly likes The Harbour Arm, a seafront promenade lined with a range of bars and restaurants. And investment is changing the face of Folkestone’s whole seafront, with new developments like Shoreline, a contemporary apartment building overlooking Mermaid Beach.
Thomas and Chris’s property of choice was a three-bedroom flat in The Grand, a converted hotel building with sea views. It cost £250,000 – about half what a similar sized home would have cost in London. During 2019 Thomas oversaw a full renovation, stripping the flat back to its bare plasterwork, revamping the dated décor, and converting one of the bedrooms into a library. “It had been owned by an old lady and I don’t think it had been decorated since the 1980s,” he said.
Being able to design his own home after decades of renting was a thrill, and allowed Thomas to finally use the stockpile of furniture he had been collecting for the day he had his own home. “I have been collecting pieces of furniture for years – I had things stored in garages,” he said. “If I saw something I liked for a good price I would buy it.”
The move was a slight shock to the system – Thomas was astounded to realise that provincial shops close promptly at 5.30pm – but he loves being close not only to the coast but to the Kent Downs. “We can go for a four hour walk and not see anybody,” he said. “It is lovely.”
Prices at Shoreline start at £395,000 for a one-bedroom flat, rising to up to £2.995m for a penthouse. For information visit: www.shorelinefolkestone.co.uk
