“We fell in love with the house as soon as we came through the door…”

Jill & Nigel Brown had become familiar with the Octagon brand through their regular reading of the property supplements in the Sunday papers, and were aware of the luxury housebuilder’s strong reputation within their local area of Farnham.

When they first came across Burford Place, they weren’t on the hunt for a new house.

Jill explains; “I first saw Burford Place when it was featured in the Farnham Herald, and my first thoughts were, ‘that’s an enormous house’!”

Shortly after, things began to develop with the sale of Nigel’s business.

Jill adds, “At this point, a move seemed like it might be possible, so we got in contact with the Octagon team. We went to look at a property on Compton Way which was just down the road from our home at the time, however neither of us could get Burford Place out of our head, so we quickly arranged a viewing there too.”

“We fell in love with the house as soon as we came through the door. Despite its immense size and grandeur, it somehow created a snug, cosy environment – crucial as it was a January viewing. We have always lived in old houses, and I would say I’m a naturally cold person – I just couldn’t believe how lovely and warm it was inside!”

Negotiations with the Octagon team began, before the potential sale of Nigel’s business fell through and the couple had no other choice but to halt the purchase of their new home – until a few months later, when the business sale suddenly went through as the couple were holidaying in The Maldives.

Jill says; “We immediately got back on the phone with Octagon to see if the home was still available, and were ecstatic to hear that it was. We were up all night talking it through together, and sent an email to the team in the early hours of the morning saying we wanted to make an offer.”

From then on, things began to move quickly, with the couple moving into the 7 bedroom home within weeks. Set within 5.5 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds in leafy Picketts Hill, Jill and Nigel Brown already knew the areas surrounding Burford Place well, but the house itself was a real change of scenery.

“We felt like we moved into the middle of nowhere – it’s so peaceful and quiet! It did take a bit of readjustment as we had lived in the centre of towns for so long, but after a short period of time, we honestly couldn’t be happier here.”

The couple live in the house with their two dogs, while their children are all based nearby.

“Our home has more than enough space for all the family to stay, plus the grandchildren love to play in the gardens! We have the same company, Graduate Landscapes, who originally did the landscaping in twice a month to maintain the grounds. It’s fantastic as they already know the land and how we like it to be kept.”