I’ll never forget the smell of Grandma’s house. No matter what time of day or night we visited, there was always a distinct yet indefinable aroma wafting through the air. I can only describe it as a combination of home cooking, wood furniture and the faint whiff of cigarette smoke.

My two older siblings and I spent many a school holiday at Grandma’s house, playing in the garden on sunny days or whiling away the hours with card games on cold, blustery days. Meanwhile the sausages we’d collected from the butcher's that morning would be sizzling away in the kitchen, later to be served with mashed potato and topped with Grandma's secret recipe gravy which to this day I've never been able to replicate.

As I grew up, I found myself visiting Grandma of my own accord more frequently. Her house became a second home to me; it was my safe haven from the real world. Then one chilly winter’s day around Christmas time she was taken from us unexpectedly. I will never forget sitting in her living room, utterly shell shocked, staring at her empty armchair and trying to comprehend life without her. I was in the middle of planning a wedding and my now husband and I had already talked of having children and taking them to meet Grandma whom he’d grown to adore, too.

We were searching for a house and when Grandma’s house went up for sale, it dawned on me: why didn’t we buy it and make it our family home? So that’s what we did. We modernised the house and put our own stamp on it, but that distinct smell lingered, almost as if Grandma was still around.

When we got the news that we were expecting a baby girl, I was overjoyed that we would get to bring her up in the house where I had so many fond memories. I knew Grandma would have been so pleased.

After five very happy years at Grandma’s, we decided to try to grow our family so we started to look for something bigger. It pained me to know that a stranger might move in. What if they didn’t take care of it? That’s why I couldn’t have been happier when our best friends said they wanted to buy it. Everything just fell into place; some may say an angel was watching over us.

Now our friends are experiencing the happiness of Grandma’s house and her legacy continues in the place which we were lucky enough to call home.

FJ, Shropshire

Further information

What makes a house a home and why does it matter so much? Our new series, 'Moving Stories', inspired by Savills new advertising campaign, explores the complex relationship between home and home-owner with funny, sad and bittersweet reflections on moving out, moving in and moving on.

We invite you to submit your own Moving Stories and we will donate £50 to Dreams Come True for every one we publish on Savills UK Blog. We'll also make a donation for every story submitted for consideration.