Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder.
Since the 1970s, Judith Leary-Joyce has been a dedicated eco-warrior.
It started off with her going vegetarian, then vegan, and now, she’s spent £25,000 on a complete retrofit of her St Albans home, which she’s lived in since 1979.
Inspired to pass on everything she’s learned to young people, one day, she decided to post an Instagram reel of her home. That first post went completely viral, and she now has a following of 176,000.
Here’s what Judith had to say about their property journey…
Tell us about yourself!
I’m 76 years old, and I’m a wife, mum, granny, author, Retrofit influencer, InstaGran, and I’ve been an eco worrier/warrior since the early 70s. I want to leave a safe world for younger generations to live in.
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We’ve completely retrofitted our home to make it more environmentally friendly. We insulated and made airtight, added ventilation, installed a heat pump and solar panels. After one year of living in the retrofit, we found we’d gone from using 25,500 kwh a year for the house and the car to using 6,000 kwh. We’re considerably warmer and have been told that the house is worth in excess of 10% more than the equivalent house without a retrofit.
I’m also the author of two books: Beginner’s Guide to Eco Renovation, which I wrote after the retrofit, and What the Builder Won’t Tell You.
I have one daughter who lives opposite, and the other round the corner, so I’m blessed with three grandkids who can all walk to visit when they want to.
Whereabouts is your property? What do you think of the area?
St Albans in Hertfordshire. I’ve seen it go from a sleepy town to a thriving, busy city that’s home to London commuters. We moved into this house in 1979.
How much does your property cost?
The house cost £27,000. I earned £1,100 per year as a fully qualified teacher.
A mortgage was given on 2.5 times my ex-husband’s salary, and mine wasn’t taken into account because I was a woman. I wasn’t able to sign papers without him present.
I now own it with my second husband of 43 years, as we bought the other one out. We spent around £25,000 on the retrofit, and our mortgage is now paid off.
Can you share details on your mortgage (rate/term)?
We had a mortgage for 25 years, which was the maximum. The interest rate was at 16%.
Did you know…
The Married Women’s Property Act made it legal for women to own property from 1870, but it wasn’t until 1975 that the Sex Discrimination Act forced banks to treat men and women equally. But, as Judith’s story shows, there was still a lag between policy changing and women being able to easily access mortgages.
How did you become an eco-warrior?
I’ve been an eco warrior since the early 1970s.
I started to look for every way I could reduce my negative impact on the planet. I was a veggie for 50 years, and now a vegan; I drive an EV; I take the train rather than fly, and I don’t use single-use plastic if I can help it.
Could you tell us a little bit about your influencer journey?
I was so surprised by the following I managed to build. It began with the dishwasher. I filmed myself emptying it, and that was my first viral reel (it received 5 million views). In the first month, I went from 311 followers to 30,000, hence the family calling me Insta-Gran.
I’ve been offered many brand deals, but I’ve chosen not to take them. The message is more important than making money.
Have you had any younger people asking you for advice?
I want young people to see what’s possible. It’s so tempting to focus on what the home will look like and forget to consider how it’s going to function.
How did you teach yourself to do all of this?
Trial and error. I’m always learning something new and trying new ways – I’ll pick every brain I can.
When I’ve had work done on the house, it’s not always easy for builders to take me seriously.
Breathability is one subject that separates those who actually know from those who think they know, or talking about the benefits of clay plaster… (which is brilliant for moisture management) because most builders have no idea about that. Generally, they come around soon enough.
How have you made the property feel like home?
I want it to be a good place to relax, play, socialise, and not a perfect show house.
Every ornament and picture in the home tells a story of events or travels in our lives, including the singing bowls from Nepal, the wire tree from South Africa, the painting from Bhutan, and the musical bird from Peru.
What’s your favourite piece of furniture in the house?
I love my sideboard – it’s a sleek modern take on a Louis 16th style. We also have a white leather sofa shaped like a shell. My favourite room is the family kitchen, which we created when we extended and did the retrofit. I love to cook, and now I can do that with family all around me.
Do you have plans to change the property?
We’re planning to add clay plaster to the bathroom to assist the heat recovery ventilation unit with moisture management. We’re also going to add a water conditioner to reduce limescale.
Are there any problems with the property that you have to deal with?
With an old house, we always have to stay on top of little problems, but nothing major since the retrofit.
What do you want people to know about buying a home?
Take your time – if you lose your favourite property, trust that something better is going to turn up for you. Never be pushed into spending more than you can afford, as it’s miserable.
Have a good survey done and make sure energy efficiency is included, then take your time reading it. Make sure you understand everything that’s being said. If you have any questions, ask for clarification.
Check the direction of the roof to see if you can add solar panels. South is best, east and west will also work.
Do you have any energy-saving tips?
Open your windows twice a day to get rid of the moist air. If this isn’t done, moisture will condense on the walls, and wet walls are much harder to heat.
Do you plan to stay here long-term?
They will carry me out of here in a box!
Shall we take a look around?
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.