MyBump2Baby’s Favourite Blogger of the Month – August 2018

Today we are interviewing one of our favourite bloggers Emma who blogs over at “BuildingwiththeBreretons”.  I am a big fan of Emmas blog. Emma is also one of our “MyBump2Baby Favourite Bloggers”, here is a bit more about Emma and her fabulous blog…

Emma, tell the MyBump2Baby community a bit about yourself?

I am 33 years old and I live in Bolton, Greater Manchester. I am originally from Stockport and found myself further up North after marrying a guy from Bury.

Mark and I met in 2007 when we both worked at an Estate Agncy in Stockport, I was the marketing assistant and he was a trainee surveyor. We got married in 2014 and we had our little girl, Brontё in 2015.

We have been renovating and selling on property since 2014. I am a freelance writer and Mark is a freelance surveyor. Property is a huge passion of ours and we have learnt a lot over the years.

What made you start blogging?

As a freelance writer, I am often asked if I had a blog and, until fairly recently, I didn’t. So, I thought I would start one but wanted it to be about something different than my experience as a first-time mum. Brontё is three now so I’d kind of missed the boat with writing about the baby days.

Property is something I have more than a decade’s worth of experience in. I started out as a marketing assistant for an Estate Agent and then worked for PR agencies up until 2015 when I had Brontё. Over the years I have worked for Belvoir Lettings, the Residential Landlord’s Association and The Duchy of Lancaster, to name a few. Then, when my husband started out on his own, we saved to buy a house to flip.

We’re now on our third, and we are about to start a build on our own home. I thought a blog would be a great way to share what we have learnt and, if so inclined, others can do it too.

What is your blog about?

My blog is about the trials and tribulations of renovating property as well as the successes. It’s full of colour, talking about my relationship with Mark and how Brontё is involved every step of the way. I have pictures of me changing her nappy on a bag of cement in the first house we did. I used to put her in the baby carrier while painting a room and then sit on the tub of paint whilst I breastfed her. Now at the grand old age of three she loves coming to look at houses and ‘help’ in any way she can.

It’s also about getting things wrong, what to do when unexpected things crop up. I talk about what research you need to do to maximise projected profit and, with Mark’s input, what to look for structurally when you view a property.

What is your favourite part about blogging?

Realising how much we have done in such a short space of time. Mark and I work as a team – we have to. He works away all week in London and I have manage things up North. When we encounter a problem that goes beyond my knowledge, Mark takes over.

I also love the feedback I get from people who read it. It’s been pretty positive so far and it seems to be inspiring people to go for property ambitions that they’d been putting off. Whether you’re renovating one room of your house or buying something abroad, I think my blog can help you keep reaching for your goals.

What is your least favourite part about blogging?

This is hard because I really love it. I suppose it’s putting yourself out there and being worried that people won’t like what you have to say. I also want the blog to be as honest as possible and sometimes it’s not nice writing about the bad things that happen. If I didn’t write about the harder parts of projects it wouldn’t be a true representation so I have to continue to divulge my true feelings.

What books do you like to read?

I absolutely love reading. I read a lot of fiction as it helps me to write well. I absolutely love language and I write down words I like but don’t use and challenge myself to use them in my writing.

I have just finished an American cult classic called The Valley of the Dolls. It’s about three women who start their careers on Broadway and follows their lives from 1947 – 1964. Brilliant book. Now I’m reading Marian Keyes’, The Break. I’m only on chapter four but it’s great so far.

What do you like to do at weekend?

It’s usually taken up ferrying Brontё around to swimming, ballet and parties but I love going to the cinema. I try to go every week. I also love to cook so I usually dedicate Saturday and Sunday to trying out a new recipe or two.

What are you scared of?

Losing the people I love most.

What do you love?

Spending quality time with my family and then once Brontё is in bed, sitting in the dining room with a cocktail and talking with Mark until the early hours about what we’re going to do with our lives.

What is your favourite things to do in your spare time?

I don’t get much but when I do, I get my nails done or go to the cinema. I love going to the cinema on my own.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself?

When I was 11 I was on Finders Keepers, a children’s game show. It aired in 1996 and then again in 1999 which was incredibly embarrassing as a 14 year old coming into school to hear cat calls about being on children’s TV the day before.

What are your links?

Website

Facebook

Instagram: @BuildingwiththeBreretons

Twitter: @BreretonsBuild