At home with a real ESPC buyer: Hannah Bishop

When museum worker Hannah Bishop was renting a one-bedroom flat in London she felt restricted in what she could do with the space because the home had to have value when selling. Think white walls and minimal décor. 

In 2021, Hannah and her husband Alex Dennis saw potential in a three-bedroom flat in Leith, a former family home that was dark and slightly drab with deep red walls and neutral furniture. They got the keys in March that year and their flat is now a complete pastel paradise, with a pastel blue and pink staircase and peach window shutters.  

“I've been here a year and I've been trying to have as much fun as possible,” the 33-year-old says. “We've got an upper colony and attic. It still needs redone but we wanted to make it our own in the meantime. 

“I've learned to just have a go with paint and we have gone with budget paint brands and colours we can use in more than one place around the house. If something goes wrong that’s part of the experience – you have to allow time to get things wrong. More people should just give it a go.” 

Embrace your mistakes 

Hannah and Alex rented in Edinburgh on Nicolson Street and Meadowbank before buying. She didn’t have a particular area in mind when deciding where to buy in the Capital but was searching from Leith outwards.  

“I was feeling discouraged at how over offer places were going,” Hannah explains. “I couldn’t believe how straightforward it is here. It took nearly a year to sell our property in England. The buying process in Scotland is different. We went to see lots of different places.” 

Hannah and Alex were looking for a flat with high ceilings, a bath and several bedrooms to work from home in. She says: “We wanted somewhere with high ceilings – it gives you much more space. I also really wanted a bath – we are going to get the attic redone to fit one in. There's a big enough bedroom and space to eat in the kitchen. In lockdown we made a real effort to eat together at the table rather than in front of the TV. 

“We also wanted outside space and to be close to green space, restaurants and shops. We were looking at Leith outwards. We didn’t think we could afford somewhere like this but it needed work done so was cheaper than other colonies. We tried not to be too emotionally attached but no one else put in an offer.” 

Hannah has felt the benefits of uprooting her life to Scotland, saying: “The mortgage here was cheaper than the rent we paid in London. Since Edinburgh is a smaller city, we have people round more. In London it could take 1.5 hours for people to get to our house.” 

The power of nostalgia  

Hannah knew the flat at Leith colonies was the one because she immediately felt at home there and the woman showing them round the flat talked about what it was like growing up in a flat her family had owned for 60 years. Hannah says: “The woman who showed us round was the daughter of the owners and told us a few stories of how it was growing up in the flat. She told us her dad worked on the home himself and projects would take some time around his paid job which reminded me of the way my dad did work in my childhood home. There was always something half-finished somewhere! Her dad made his own cabinets which made us feel very creative. 

“The area is so welcoming, and it felt immediately like this is our home. People in the area really made a difference. Alex loves cats and there are so many here on the street.” 

After moving in, Hannah started putting her own stamp on the place and one of her first projects was her transformation of the staircase which went viral and was picked up by news outlets. Using some bright and unique colour combinations, the pair lit up the stairs, which went from a dark wood panelled brown to an eye-popping mint and lilac. The project cost just £87. 

“Most of it is just paint so if you don’t like it you can just paint over it,” Hannah says. “I haven’t been surprised at the reaction. I'm creative. People who come round find it joyful and are always asking what we’re doing next. It allows people to enjoy something totally different.” 

A splash of paint makes all the difference  

How can buyers be more creative with their décor? Hannah says to “try one project at a time so it doesn’t feel like living on a building site”. 

“We're not perfectionists – we're doing it ourselves and we’re not professionals,” she adds. “My favourite place in the flat is the shutters on the windows. We have got a lovely bay window. The wallpaper was peeling so we pulled it back and uncovered the original shutters under it. The light comes through in the morning and looks lovely.” 

On whether her husband supports the bright décor choices, Hannah says: “Alex is really creative. He's not afraid of trying anything new and he likes unusual ideas so he’s very on board. He's been so pleased with the response we’ve got on social media.” 

Hannah has some astute advice to share with anyone looking to buy in the current market: “Just try to see as many places as possible to see their potential. You have to have additional money so look under your budget. We set the search on ESPC to the maximum we could afford and then realised it could go over the home valuation price. 

“There’s lots of competition in the market at the moment. Put in offers and sense check things. On two occasions we were agonising over an offer but you can’t commit to a place until an offer is accepted. You should try to see as many places as you can to see the potential of these places under your budget.” 

You can view more of Hannah’s interiors and design inspiration on Instagram @weeleithcolony

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ESPC magazine

This article appeared in the July 2022 issue of the ESPC magazine. Find out more about the ESPC magazine and read the latest issue online.