Read the full article online!
SELLING Sunset was the one of the most talked about programmes in lockdown, but you don’t need to travel to LA for the same treatment.
Twins Tonya Barnard and Rea Hill, 34, from Chelmsford, Essex, have spent the last 13 years making a name for themselves on the property market.
Tonya and Rea are better known as The Property Twins
With the motto “we close deals in heels” the sisters bring some serious glamour to the job while garnering a reputation for their fiery and honest approach.
The sisters say they had to work hard to be taken seriously in the industry
“The twin thing made us stand out but we worked our way up quite quickly and made a name for ourselves.”
With their killer wardrobes and blow dries, the twins admit that they initially struggled to get themselves taken seriously.
“You will always get a bit of sexism wherever you go” Tonya says.
“When we first started out you would always get the jokes that we had won a deal because someone had fancied us because we were young women.
“At the end of the day the figures speak for themselves, you’re not going to win business based on your looks.”
The girls have made a name for themselves as the UK’s answer to Selling Sunset
“We have had to prove ourselves a little bit more, as blonde girls from Essex we’ve had to work that little but harder and gain that credibility.”
Working at estate agents just three doors apart, the women built up some healthy competition in their early years before opening up their own property businesses.
We had so much fun covering a spring makeover in our latest column in Essex Living Magazine.
The full article can be found here https://www.living-magazines.co.uk/our-magazines/essex-living and as promised please fine below a full product break down.
(Before)
Starting with an empty lounge with your usual lounge furniture in place, we wanted to showcase how you can make a dramatic transformation using just furnishings and home accessories.
Here are some product shots of the gorgeous Interior items we used to style our Spring Inspired Lounge
(After)
Our favourite piece from this project has to be this stunning duo of floor vases with eucalyptus, what a statement piece!
All of these beautiful products can be viewed in store at Tec Lifestyle, a gem of an Interior Showroom that we use often!
Located at Wycke Hill Business Park
Maldon
CM9 6WH
01621 878488
As promised we have included below a full product breakdown for our readers, any questions please feel free to get in touch!
We look forward to sharing our next makeover with you soon, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for all our property adventures @officialpropertytwins
Shelving unit:
Vanilla grass in white bowl – £126.00
Taupe frame 5×7 15mm – £31.50
White mouthblown glass vase – £58.00
Dark grey mouthblown glass vase – £45.00
Baobab Madagascan Vanilla max 16 candle – £85.00
‘The Kinfolk Home’ book – £28.00
Large orb silver – £70.00
Small orb silver – £56.00
White and green vase £190.00
Side table:
Sandy smoke ceramic vase – £65.00
Natural pussy willow stem – £6.00 each
Small vase – £25.00
‘Eat Drink Nap’ book – £30.00
‘Christian Dior’ book – £40.00
Sofa:
Green cushion – £77.00
Cream cushion – £77.00
Coffee Table:
White wave edge plate – £35.00
Leigh tray black and white – £288.00
Stainless steel vase – £40.00
LSA tea/coffee cup and saucer – £35.00
‘You Do You’ book – £14.99
Console Table:
Brass stainless steel marble décor – £165.00
Baobab black pearl diffuser – £115.00
White jar with lid – £204.00
Dianthus small in black pot – £118.00
Dianthus medium in black pot – £118.00
Green table lamp – £489.00
‘Mad About The House’ book – £20.00
‘Fashion’ book – £20.00
‘Vogue Living’ book – £71.99
Floor Standing Accessories:
Large white round vase – £83.00
Extra Large white round vase – £160.00
Green baby eucalyptus spray – £11.50
We had the privilege of being asked to be part of this fantastic article for Essex Living Magazine recently.
We was two of the 50 top business women in Essex asked to take part and we met so many inspirational women, it was very empowering to be around so many fellow business women.
This is a great read so please go get yourself a copy, lots of fab business stories to read!
Essex women really do mean business…..!
x
Tonya vs Rea – The £1000 Challenge!
We recently set ourselves a challenge to transform a room with a £1000 budget. Using High Street Interiors Tonya worked on a children’s craft room whilst I made over a lounge/diner!
Black and Greys are currently very on trend and here ill break down how I created this living room look for just £850 turning this very dull grey blank canvas into a chic living area!
Before
After
Cover Me……
Starting with the wallpaper, I was after an industrial/grey style paper and came across this stunning wall covering by Holden. The paper has a slight texture to it and some areas of metallic which gives the wallpaper a very luxurious feel/look and what a bargain at just £11 per roll! Covering just one or two walls is plenty to help transform a bland room and add some texture.
Home Comforts…..
I found two beautiful accent rugs at Wayfair and opted for mixed tones of white/grey and blacks. I placed one in the dining room as well as the lounge to bring the two rooms together. The rugs feel amazing and look far more expensive than the £80 each I paid for them.
Let there be light…..
Keeping with the Industrial look I went on the hunt for some grid cage light fittings and come across these beauties, they really finished the look off nicely and cost just £19.99 each. The black pendant and flex helped finish the look off nicely.
I also come across a lovely grid style tray from Homesense which matched in perfectly with the light fittings!
Frame it….
A living room isn’t complete without some personal touches so I used this bare wall to create a home gallery of my favorite photos, the frames are from Ikea and add a touch of class to the look.
I also added a touch of blue with two stunning prints from Ikea.
Can a girl ever have too many cushions…..?
Cushion shopping has to be one of my favorite parts of accessorizing a room, and no….you can never have too many scatter cushions. I always opt for feather filled cushions as you can prop them up easily and they tend to keep their shape longer. Here we have a mix of greys/silvers/patterns from Homesense, The Range and BM Stores. These high-street shops have a fantastic range of cushions to suit any budget.
The Little Details….
This has to be my top buy, this gorgeous glass and metal nest of coffee tables was just £45 from Ikea. I have to say it looks so trendy and the quality is there too, everyone who has walked in recently has asked me where it’s from and have been blown away with the cost.
Now it’s easy to get carried away with coffee table accessorising and there’s a thin line between too much or too little but I always opt for a tray, candle, vase and book.
Here you will see I have gone for a lovely mirrored/black tray and candle, slim line vase and silver table décor (Ideal for sweets or nibbles) and a stunning marble effect box storage box. Not forgetting my little black of Chanel which should be on every coffee table!
The mirror was my most expensive Item at £200 but what a statement, This stunning mirror is from Mason Du Monde and really brought the room together.
Below you can find a full product breakdown which I hope will help you with creating my trendy look on a budget.
- Rugs – Wayfair – £80 each
- Cushions 1 – Grey Velvet pack of two – Homesense £19.99 2- Croc Effect Dark Grey Cover 3 – The Range £6.99 pack of two 4 -Metalic Silver – B & M Store – £5.99 each
- Coffee Table – Ikea – £45
- Tray – Homesense – £9.99
- Vase – Homesense – £4.99
- Silver Table Décor – Homesense – £5.99
- Black Quartz Coaster – Ebay – £35
- Mini Chanel Book – Amazon – £10
- Marble Storage Box – Homesense – £16
- Velvet Basket – B&M – £4
- Wallpaper – B&Q – £11 per roll (Total £55)
- Light Fittings – Iconic Lights – £20 each
- Photo Frames- Ikea – £12 each
- Mirror – Mason De Monde – £200
- Blue Prints and Frame – Ikea – £25 each
- Black Dining Table – Ikea – £30
- Black Dining Chairs – Ikea – £20 each (80)
- Silver Dining Table Bowl – Homesense – £9
I will always love high end interiors but as far as High St Interiors go I have found these products excellent value for money proving you can create a designer look on a high street budget.
Are you thinking about Investing into property?
If you’re in it for the long run you can’t lose….
Today it is very hard to make a ‘quick buck’ flipping a property (buying/renovating/selling) due to shortage of suitable property and taxes, however in regards to securing your future there still isn’t a better way then with a property portfolio!
Here are some of my tips…
- Start with low value properties
- If buying a leashold property ensure you have a healthy lease length remaining to see you through to retirement age
- Check the service charge/ground rent (I/A)
- Pick an area in demand to avoid any future void periods
Regardless of what others may be telling you at this uncertain time, don’t be scared to invest!
If you’re in it for the long run you can’t lose….
Think about it, your tenant is paying your mortgage monthly for you plus you property is growing in value/equity as you sleep, it’s a win win.
Keep following us for more Investing Tips.
Rea
X
I’m excited to talk about this little gem of a studio in Chelmsford I have just snapped up.
The studio cost me £105,000 and will achieve a rental figure of £525pcm, that’s a healthy yield of 6% (before costs)
It’s on the outskirts of Chelmsford City and is located in a quiet cul de sac, with bus links and local amenities all within walking distance.
The current tenant has been in situ for over 7 years and is likely to be there long term which is great for us and saves money paying an agent to find a new suitable tenant.
I went for this apartment as it is what we call ‘virtually freehold’ the lease is for a whopping 999 years (from 1 January 1980) The ground rent AND service charge is just £788 per annum…..If you see something like this snap it up!
These types of property are safe bets when it comes to investing especially if you are investing for the first time.
A wise friend of mine taught me to try to invest in several small buy to lets properties, rather than a couple of large houses. Reason being if the very worst should happen and you have a void period or your tenant stops paying rent, the costs are a lot more manageable to cover. Secondly In my personal opinion I believe you will get a better long term return on 3 – 5 smaller properties.
Keep following us for my property tips….Happy Investing!
Rea
x
I wanted to showcase this stunning garden transformation by my talented husband Tommy, when we purchased this bungalow the entire backyard was just concrete and pretty depressing.
We ripped out the concrete and went for a light grey porcelain (this covers the majority of the backyard as we do not have the time to regularly mow a large lawn)
Top reasons we went for porcelain:
- They are frost proof/waterproof ensuring a long lasting patio
- They are fade/scratch resistant
- They are low maintenance
- They are non porous (meaning there are no holes for dirt to accumulate)
- The majority of porcelain is slip proof which is great in this country with all the rain!
We have a little lawn area which gives us just enough greenery and somewhere for the baby to play.
Like most Brits we love a BBQ so rather than spend a fortune on a fancy outdoor grill my husband built a cooking area out of bricks, giving us lots of worktop/preparation space.
Next we wanted to create a special focal point and you can’t beat the sound of running water in your garden. So we designed a contemporary decorative wall feature with cedar paneling/slate/water feature and raised beds (made from the leftover slabs) these are great for planting and we chose a lavender which gives off a lovely burst of colour, great scent and the Bees love it!
We added some electrics to highlight key areas of the garden (behind the large potted box hedge balls, on the cedar paneling and BBQ area) it looks lovely in the evening.
Lastly as I love to cook we added a cute little herb garden in which I look forward to looking after with my son.
All in all we have created a low maintenance garden with a contemporary feel out of quite a small space and believe this could add at least 10% onto the value of our home.
Follow @officialpropertytwins Instagram page for more gardens designed by The Cube 1994.
Rea x
The short answer is YES!
We say keep it simple, manageable and according to HouseBeautiful Magazine a shed is a must have. According to their research (June 2017) a whopping 82 per cent of property professionals claim a a decent sized shed is the most cited feature to boost value.
To achieve a low maintenance garden utlilise as much of the space with patio/slabs or shingle. Go for hardy evergreens, once established they will require little care as well as some pretty perennials which last for a couple of years and require minimal upkeep.
Next up is my own garden transformation!
Rea x
What an amazing day we had at Grand Design Live (Excel London) we had the pleasure of taking over their Instagram for the day and meeting the wonderful Kevin Mccloud!
Firstly we have to admit the show has really opened our eyes to plastic pollution thanks to the teams efforts to raise awareness and a fantastic talk by Friends of the Earth.
We were saddened to learn about the huge amounts of species tragically effected by plastic and shocked to find out the average plastic bag – used for just 12 minutes, will not disappear for up to 1,000 years!
We will certainly be doing our bit to research more on this and ways in which we can reduce plastic in our homes.
Please visit https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics to learn more!
We really enjoyed visiting all the exhibitors stalls from floating chaise lounges to a camper van made out of salvaged for sale boards….this truly is a home show on a grand scale!
Our favorite stand had to be The Vintage Fridge Company…. they specialise in the refurbishment and supply of original “Ice Box’s” and vintage refrigerators, how cool is that…..?
They also had beautiful cast iron fireplaces, floor tiles and even a vintage shower!
We had the pleasure of meeting some of the lovely team from Grand Designs TV show (one of our fav programmes) and Kevin was an absolute delight to chat with, we even managed to squeeze in a Boomerang!
We cant wait for next year, so make sure you get yourself down to the show open until May 13th!
To book your tickets visit https://www.granddesignslive.com/
To see all our favorite photos from the day please follow our Instagram page @officialpropertytwins
Tonya & Rea
xx
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