Plant a Seed

Every move starts somewhere. Not with a valuation, or a for sale board, or a viewing appointment. But with a seed. That tiny, quiet thought that whispers “Maybe it’s time.”

It’s rarely shouted. Typically, it’s planted well before you even realise it’s there, tucked somewhere deep in the subconscious soil, waiting for the right conditions to develop.

Sometimes it’s a chance encounter: an Edwardian end terrace with a light and airy side return a short walk from the river, pops up on Rightmove that makes you sit forward in your chair. You’ve no idea why you clicked it, “just looking” you tell yourself, but something about the front door, the garden, the kitchen island… suddenly you’re imagining yourself living there, brewing coffee, telling the children to stop swinging on the bar stools or enjoying a nice glass of something after work on a Friday (the last two are not necessarily linked). And just like that, your seed has sprouted.

For others, it starts with curiosity, perhaps an online valuation tool (ours is quite good if you want to take a look!). You’re not ready to move, you just wonder. You type in your address, half-expecting the number to be wrong, half-hoping it’s right. And then, a year later, you’re calling us to say, “Remember that valuation I did ages ago…?” That’s how seeds work, quietly, over time. They don’t rush. They wait until you’re ready to water them.

There are the space seeds too. The “we just need a bit more room” thought that first appears when you step on another LEGO brick barefoot. The “we could really use a home office” seed that grows every time your Team's call gets interrupted by a toddler (or a teenager). Or the “we should be nearer the school” seed that germinates somewhere between the third morning traffic jam and the PTA raffle run by the perfectly manicured father of three, IT executive, gym bunny.

Then there’s the escape-to-the-country seed, often planted by a weekend walk, a dreamy Instagram cottage, or a sudden craving for chickens. And the downsizing seed, that’s a slower-growing variety, often nurtured by empty bedrooms and the realisation that mowing half an acre is less charming than it once was.

For some, it’s pure property voyeurism. The nightly Rightmove scroll. “Just seeing what’s out there.” You tell yourself it’s harmless. A hobby, even. But over time, that scrolling turns to bookmarking, then enquiring, then viewing. Congratulations,  your hobby just became a home move. And of course, some seeds are planted by life itself, new jobs, growing families, relationships beginning or ending. Big moments that shake the soil a little, giving dormant seeds a chance to stretch their roots.

The truth is, by the time someone calls us to book a valuation, the seed’s already taken root. We just help it grow, with information, advice, experience, and the right conditions to make a move feel less like a risk and more like a natural next step.

So, if you’ve noticed that little seed starting to stir, if you’ve been scrolling, dreaming, or checking what your neighbour’s house sold for, maybe it’s time to give it some sunlight. We’d be happy to help you see what could grow.