Amy Willis

Amy spent over a decade in London editing and writing for The Daily Telegraph, MailOnline, and Metro.co.uk before moving to East Anglia where she began renovating a period property in rural Suffolk. During this time she also did some TV work at ITV Anglia and CBS as well as freelancing for Yahoo, AOL, ESPN and The Mirror. When the pandemic hit she switched to full-time building work on her renovation and spent nearly two years focusing solely on that. She's taken a hands-on DIY approach to the project, knocking down walls, restoring oak beams and laying slabs with the help of family members to save costs. She has largely focused on using natural materials, such as limestone, oak and sisal carpet, to put character back into the property that was largely removed during the eighties. The project has extended into the garden too, with the cottage's exterior completely re-landscaped with a digger and a new driveway added. She has dealt with de-listing a property as well as handling land disputes and conveyancing administration.

In the next 12 months, she is looking to convert her garage into both a study and a boot room as well as adding a small extension for a utility room. A new 3/4-car driveway for her home is already in progress, with the plan to finish the surface with Cotswold stone chippings, a box hedging surround and a pergola with a gateway to stop children and animals getting through. She also needs to finish laying an oak herringbone floor in the older, thatched part of the house that now forms the property's living room.