Seven and a half years after moving down from London – I know, someone had to do it – to East Sussex, well Hove, actually, I’ve moved up the hill to the Dials. This is my third home here, and I’ve never looked back. I never get bored with the people and vibe of our city, I not sure I could live anywhere else.

A hobby of mine is renovating my homes, being a 41-year-old batchelor certainly gives me the opportunity to live in dusty dwellings from time to time. When I recently sold my last home in Hove, I effectively made myself homeless. I wasn’t sure what my next move was, so on the day of completion, I did the sensible thing and headed to Thailand for a few weeks. Well, what choice did I have? When I returned, I decided to look for my next renovation project. Nothing really caught my eye but then an agent friend of mine called and said I must come and see this flat on Albert Road. West Hill, I thought. Really? Little did I know, but now I feel very happy and fortunate with my move and look forward to meeting more neighbours and making new friends as I settle in. The only thing I still slightly miss is living next door to the sea but however, the village and community feel of where I am now more than makes up for it. It’s such a friendly neighbourhood and I love the Dials itself with the shops, pubs and places to eat not forgetting how unbelievably close we are to Brighton town centre and the station. 

OK, it’s time to say it. I’m an estate agent. No, no. Please don’t stop reading. It’s OK. I understand, but really I’m nice. Anyway, I like Victorian and Edwardian style buildings. I’ve always lived in pre 1910 homes and all the properties I’ve sold over my 20-year career in London and Sussex have always been period properties. However, one thing I don’t enjoy as much is the drafts and leaks they offer, especially when living on the coast. My top floor flat has a built-in indoor water feature which really comes alive when it rains, as much as I’d love to keep it, I’ve been trying to get a roofer round this week but funnily enough, they’ve all been rather busy. 

Once the roof is fixed, I shall paint the ceiling and then live in the flat for a few months before deciding on which wall to knock down first. I’ve made that mistake before, you move into a new place, refurb it straight away and then wished you’d waited for a while before making any changes. You need to give yourself the chance to really get to know your new home and its quirks, first. It can be a costly mistake if you don’t.

With my business I run a Personal Estate Agency in Brighton & Hove where you only work with me from start to finish. I really enjoy helping people move while often suggesting and pointing out ideas that people may not have spotted. If you want to work with someone who’s proactive, helpful, and knowledgeable be sure to drop me a line. 

In the meantime, I am teaming up with The Whistler to start a property surgery where every month I shall be answering any property related questions you may have so please drop us an email and I will do my very best to answer them for you.  

Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and positive 2024.

Russell’s new column starts next time out. If you have any questions about buildings, renovation, indoor water features… send them to The Whistler at jedski@mac.com