The Ments Family Experience

Jo and Martin Ment grew up in Sweden and South Africa, before heading to London where they met, married, started their family and set-up a series of restaurants. Jo had dreams of a larger home but was priced out of the market in London. Here is their story…

“In 2018 my husband had a change of career and started commuting to Ilford from our north-west London home. With two small children, I was happy not to work evenings in the restaurants and started to think about my own career. I decided to become a teacher and began studying for a degree in history. 
“Post Covid and lockdowns I started to reconsider our priorities, especially now we did not have the restaurants. We lived in a lovely three-bedroom house in a great area of London but were priced out of moving up the property ladder. My friends had started to move out of the city, one to Nottingham another to Chelmsford. Martin’s commute to Ilford meant he was spending hours in the car around the M25, so we thought it was time for a change.

“One Saturday morning we jumped in the car and headed up to Chelmsford to take a look; I instantly fell in love with the city’s parks, Hylands House, we then drove to Southend and wowed the kids with the seaside. We also started to do our research, we could see on RightMove our dream home could be affordable in Essex and we would gain so much more than we imagined.
“We took the plunge and moved to Chelmsford in 2021. We bought a 60s-style property that was desperately in need of a refurb. I could see it had so much potential, and for a 1600sqft property it was excellent value. We have now completed upgrading the house and delighted with our four-bedroom, two reception home which also has a utility, kitchen/diner, everything we ever wanted! 

“The children have come on leaps and bounds since they have started at their new school. There is a bigger friendship group for them, and they are thriving. I am continuing my studies and completing my PGCE to become a teacher, just a short 25-minute drive away in Billericay, everything to so nearby. 

“Whilst London does have everything, you do have to spend time travelling to it. In Chelmsford we are close to the shops, parks, play areas, lovely restaurants, everything is on our doorstep. We have also taken advantage of great-priced attractions, we are family members of Pontlands Park and use their spa and pool. We regularly head up to Colchester Zoo and make the most of our annual family ticket. This summer we have spent days on the beach in Clacton. My husband has joined a new golf club and has made lots of new friends. We are really pleased we moved to Essex.”