First Impressions

Ten years after Tom and Jackie Brown had designed and built their own detached house near Newcastle, they realised that the time had come to tackle an extensive programme of redecoration. Jackie loved their unusual modern house but when Tom said, "Let's get a valuation and think about moving," she reluctantly agreed to explore the possibility.

They briefed the estate agent on what they were looking for, a place with space and character and a large garden. "The agent showed us just one house and as soon as we walked through the gates we knew we were going to live there," Tom said.
The property was a converted barn and milking shed set in a tranquil garden with mature pine trees and surrounded by rolling green countryside. The owners were moving back to Newcastle to buy an Art Deco house which needed a lot of work. So the two couples came to a perfect compromise. They bought each other's houses which meant there was no problem of a chain, and the other couple could live in the Brown's house while they renovated their Thirties property.

For all parties concerned it was a most convenient arrangement. Both families left behind some light fittings, carpets and some curtains, and even their dustbins…

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