 Sarah graduated from Aberdeen University in 1996 with a master's degree in English, and then spent 8 months in Southern Italy, teaching in a private school and learning the language.She became seriously interested in the housing market when she bought her own flat and subsequently worked for three years as an estate agent, valuing and selling residential properties in Berkshire and Surrey.Her natural aptitude for advising clients on how to make the most of their homes, together with her study of interior design and soft furnishings, resulted in her setting up her own home image consultancy.