In an ingenious move to beat climbing property prices, a young estate agent made a shrewd saving of £10,000 by residing in a “granny annexe” nestled in her nan’s backyard. Elise Holt, aged 22, has opted for cosy living within the confines of a 300sqft one-bedroom structure, originally constructed by her grandmother Beverley, 71, for Elise’s great-grandmother Winnie.
The bespoke dwelling cost Beverley a cool £17,000 and upon Winnie’s passing, it was repurposed into a leisure hub with a pool table and fruit machine. What was supposed to be a temporary stay at Beverley’s during a room refurbishment at Elise’s parent’s turned into a permanent fixture, as Elise decided not to return to her old abode.
Four years into her novel housing situation, Elise has managed to tuck away a tidy sum of £10,000 towards a house deposit, with aspirations of securing her own place later in the year. She’s crunched the numbers and reckons she’s dodged around £19,000 in rent bills, given that an average one-bedroom flat in her area of Oldham, Greater Manchester sits at about £605 monthly, as recorded by the Office for National Statistics.
Elise commented on her unique living arrangement, saying, “With my job [as an estate agent] I take all the photos for the properties we sell.” She revealed, “When I tell people I show houses to I live in my nan’s back garden, everyone is shocked and thinks it’s so cool.”
The unconventional setup has been more than just a financial boon, offering Elise a welcome respite from her three energetic younger siblings. Generously, her grandmother Beverley isn’t keen on charging much, allowing Elise to contribute merely toward some utilities and council tax, noting, “I don’t pay much, my nan doesn’t ask much from me she’s just happy to have me.
“I haven’t got the privilege of being given a house deposit, it’s their way of indirectly helping me to save. When Elise was 18, she viewed moving into the annexe as a “good opportunity to gain some independence”.
Now sharing the space with her partner Lucus, 24, an engineer, and their two feline companions, Kalvin and Simba, Elise appreciates the setup. She explained: “My nan and nan’s husband, Mark, 52, had done a new kitchen so it was freshly decorated. I just furnished it and put my stamp on it. It’s a good size, compared to some one-bed flats – it could be bigger.”
Elise acknowledged that without the annexe, saving for a deposit to buy her own place would have been an “absolutely not” scenario. “If I didn’t have that I would’ve have to make do at home.”
Looking ahead, Elise plans to move out later this year, but the annexe will remain a family asset, with her younger brother Stuart, soon turning 18, already eyeing it up. She shared: “I think it’s fair for me to move on so my siblings can have their turn, my brother, Stuart, is about to just turn 18, so it would be nice for him to have that independence.
“We’re really lucky to have it.” Elise keeps her followers updated on her annexe adventures via TikTok under the handle @eliseleighholt.
