Former 'design your dream home' competition winner finds a career in housebuilding

- 16 Feb 21

At the age of nine, Elouise Brazier won a school competition to design her perfect house. Fast forward 15 years, and she is now helping to turn other people’s homebuying dreams into a reality in her job with a Peterborough-based housebuilder. Elouise, 24, is a senior sales consultant with Vistry East Midlands, part of the Vistry Group which comprises Linden Homes, Bovis Homes and Vistry Partnerships. She joined Linden Homes Eastern in November 2018, then transferred to Vistry East Midlands in July 2020, and is currently responsible for sales at Bovis Homes’ Hampton Water development, off Aqua Drive in the town. Elouise was a pupil at Newborough Primary when she won the competition back in 2005. A local developer, which was building in Newborough and Spalding at the time, challenged the schoolchildren to draw a picture of their dream home and give their special development a name. Out of the 70 children who entered the contest, nine-year-old Elouise came joint first with a fellow pupil. Her winning design – called Tulip House, located on the fictitious Tulip Fields development – featured flowers growing up the windows and a home gym, and ended up being framed by the housebuilder for its artistic effort and imagination. That success set her on the path towards a career in the property industry. After starting out as a trainee estate agent at the age of 17, she has since worked for various estate agencies and developers around Essex and the East Midlands. Elouise said: “I had a job lined up at an estate agency as soon as I got my driving licence. I knew I wanted to work in property from a young age because I used to move houses quite a lot and was always fascinated by the layouts and designs of homes. “I enjoy the whole process of selling homes. From watching them being built to handing the keys over to the buyer, it’s a great journey to witness. Part of my job also involves upselling extras and it’s like window shopping for someone else – I love it. “You need to be clued-up to work in this industry, but I like that you can work your way up the ranks without needing a university qualification. No day is the same as we are always dealing with new customers and enquiries. Every day is a learning curve, especially in the current environment which we live and work in.” There is currently a mix of homes for sale at Hampton Water, with prices starting from £259,995. For more information, visit bovishomes.co.uk.