What I Own: I bought my Bristol flat for £148,000 — a maximalist makeover means it’s now worth £300,000

Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder.

Harry Matuszewicz-Milne moved to Bristol with his wife in 2011. A year later, they purchased their £148,000 two-bedroom flat where they live with their two-year-old Cavapoo, Bonnie.

It might now be 2025, but inside, it’s 1982 — the very same year The Haçienda nightclub opened its doors in Manchester.

The venue was the epicentre of a music scene that pulsed through the veins of not just Manchester, but rave culture across the UK in the 1980s and early 1990s. Legends from Oasis and The Happy Mondays to The Stone Roses and even Madonna performed there.

As soon as he picked up his keys to his Bristol home, Harry, now an interior designer, knew that he wanted to commemorate the nightclub, which closed in 1997.

Inside, it’s a maximalist dream, with leopard prints, blaring colour and the same yellow and black striped hazard tape that adorned the walls of The Haçienda.

With that in mind, here’s what Harry had to say about his property journey…

Tell us about yourself! 

I’m Harry, aged 42. I’m originally from Aberdeen but have been in Bristol since 2011.

I was a registered mental health nurse until very recently, and then I requalified as an interior designer after I graduated with a first from the University of the West of England (UWE) last summer.

Whereabouts is your property? What do you think of the area? 

Old Market, right in the centre of Bristol. My wife and love it here. We can walk everywhere we need to get to, so I rarely get taxis.

Town is right on the doorstep, but Old Market itself has a great range of pubs, shops, a bakery and places to eat.

When did you move in? 

July 2012.

How much did your property cost? 

£148,000.

How much was your deposit? 

£22,200.

What is the monthly cost of living here now, both mortgage and bills? 

£1,151 per month.

How did you save up for your deposit? 

We were able to save up a lot over the years. When I was a nurse, I worked extra shifts, which would often give me an extra weeks’ pay per month. We also got married in 2008, and were kindly gifted money from our guests.

What was the process of getting a mortgage like for you? Did you find any parts challenging? 

It was relatively straightforward. We used the services of a financial advisor, who talked us through things. In many ways, it was daunting as nobody teaches you stuff like this at school.

Can you share details on your mortgage (rate/term)?

It was a 33-year term.

Where did you live before this – were you renting or living with family? 

We’d been renting a property in Clifton. We were fortunate to have a good landlord, but it was a bit dingy as it was a basement flat. Before that, we’d been renting in Aberdeen.

What made you want to buy rather than rent? 

I wanted to be able to decorate properly! I was really excited about this aspect. And as our flat was relatively cheap, the mortgage ended up costing less than our rent did, and for a much bigger space.

How did you find this property? What made you choose it? 

I think it was through Zoopla. It had been on the market for a while, and the estate agent told us people thought it was too big, which seems insane! I’d rather have this than a pokey wee place.

We chose it for the central location, it being a beautiful historical building, the massive rooms, high ceilings and big windows.

It was also a blank canvas for us as all the walls were plain white to put our own mark on. We knew as soon as we viewed it that we wanted to live here.

How have you made the property feel like home? What’s the inspiration for your interior decor style? 

My love of DJ-ing, acid house, dance music and dance culture eventually led me to reading up about the history and origins of the movement, which is where I first learnt about The Hacienda.

I instantly fell in love with Ben Kelly’s iconic design – it just really resonated with me and turbo charged my interest in interior design, and to studying it at UWE.

Unfortunately, I’m just slightly too young to have ever partied there, but I remain obsessed with it to this day. I wrote my last essay at university about its design, and even managed to interview Ben Kelly as part of it.

I’m very lucky that my wife is extremely laid-back and was fine giving me free reign to go nuts interior-wise when we bought the flat. There are a lot of prominent beams, and straight away I knew I’d paint them like those that were at the Hacienda. We didn’t decorate it all in one go; it’s been more of an organic process.

I’ve always thought most people’s homes are a bit boring really – and I’ve been asked before why our flat is so loud, but I always think, why is everyone else’s so dull?

I’m also inspired by industrial and rustic themes, as well as Bristol’s street art scene, pop art, kitsch, maximalism, dance music/rave/acid house culture and even politics and activism.

What’s your favourite room and why? 

The living room/home bar/nightclub! I feel I’ve poured all that I am as a designer into this room, as well as reminding me that this was essentially the room where I became a designer.

Do you feel like you have enough space? 

Pre-lockdown, yes, we did. But now, the spare room is my wife’s home office. I also really need space for a workshop and my own design studio, as I take the next step in opening my own interior design practice.

Do you have plans to change the property? 

No. But we are now selling up to get a house that will fit in a design studio, workshop (and maybe even a nightclub room).

Are there any problems with the property that you have to deal with? 

Nope!

What do you want people to know about buying a home? 

Honestly, we just got really lucky with a flat that, for unexplainable reasons, couldn’t shift for what was a real bargain price.

But I can’t give people advice on how to have good luck. The housing market is a killer, and I believe the government really needs to do more to help young people get on the ladder.

What are your plans for the future, in terms of housing? Do you plan to stay here long-term? 

We’re selling up and looking to move to a house in Edinburgh for a change of scene – I want to explore more work opportunities and hopefully get a new place to put my stamp on with more space.

Shall we have a look around?

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