Mark Egan plans to leave a home logbook for the buyer of his beautiful house in Driffield

Soon after Mark Egan and his family moved to their gorgeous Grade II listed home in Driffield, a handwritten note dropped through the letterbox. To their delight, it was from someone who had lived in the property between 1988 and 1994 and contained five photographs of the house, thought to have been taken in the 1940s. The letter signed off with the words “I hope you are enjoying your home as much as we did”.

“They had clearly loved the house and that felt very reassuring and an endorsement that we had chosen well, given that buying a home is such a big financial and emotional investment,” says Mark, who framed the old photographs and put them on display.

The letter and the black and white pictures also sparked an idea that he is putting into practice now that he, his partner, Frances Dainty, are reluctantly selling their much-loved home to relocate for work. Mark is planning to present the buyers of St John’s Croft, which is on the market with Ullyotts for £595,000, with a house logbook.

“The letter we got was such a beautiful gesture and showed that we are custodians and we are passing something on. It also made me think how strange it is that there has never been a tradition of leaving a house logbook with some history of the house, a welcome note, photographs, local knowledge, an introduction to neighbours, useful contacts and so on.

“When people move they usually just pack their things and take off, never to be seen again,” says Mark who hopes that future owners will add to the logbook and that detailing historical and useful information will catch on and become common practice in the UK.

“It’s remarkable that we might leave a tea-stained manual for the oven but not much more. It would be lovely for all homes to come with a logbook that gets handed over to new owners.

“It is important for historical detail and also for practical reasons. I’ll be listing the Farrow & Ball paint colours we have used, contact entails of good tradespeople who have worked on the house, the best spot for sitting in the sun and the plants in the garden, along with happy memories we have of living here.”

He has also created an Instagram account for the five-bedroom property, which he is happy to pass onto the next owner. “It is another way of documenting its story and preserving pictures of it,” he says.

Mark’s interest in what we do and do not leave behind when we move home is not just personal. He is a lecturer in organisational psychology at the University of York and specialises in researching our attachment to spaces and how any form of organisation, including the home, is full of memories, culture, belongings, love and values.

One of his favourite quotes is this from the Nora Roberts book Key of Knowledge, which he believes eloquently expresses why a home is so much more than bricks and mortar. It says: “It was a mistake to think of houses, old houses, as being empty. They were filled with memories, with the faded echoes of voices. Drops of tears, drops of blood, the ring of laughter, the edge of tempers that had ebbed and flowed between the walls, into the walls, over the years. Wasn’t it, after all, a kind of life? And there were houses, he knew it, that breathed. They carried in their wood and stone, their brick and mortar a kind of ego that was nearly, very nearly, human.”

During their five years at St John’s Croft, which was built in the 1700s, Mark and Frances have carried out a comprehensive and sensitive modernisation while retaining the many Georgian and Victorian features. One of their best finds was the enormous ornate mantelpiece that had been removed from the historic fireplace in the sitting room and consigned to the cellar. It has now been reinstated.

They also moved the largest of the fabulous and ornate antique radiators to a prime position where it can be seen and admired. A grand piano was a must as was the zinc-topped dining table that sits on vintage legs and complements the built-in Georgian cupboards. A makeover of one of the bathrooms has also been a great success thanks to twin antique sinks found on eBay.

“We have been very respectful to the house. We have used modern paint colours and contemporary furniture and accessories but these can all be easily changed sao they don’t permanently impact on the property,” says Mark.

St John’s Croft has already attracted would-be buyers thanks to its abundance of period features and its stylish interiors. The location is also a big draw as Driffield is fast becoming a property hotspot.

Mark says: “We wanted a home that was about half an hour from the university’s Heslington East site where we work and Driffield is a 35-minute drive away. This house really beguiled us and that was the main reason why we bought in Driffield and it has turned out to be a fantastic place to live. The people here are really friendly, there is a great sense of community and the coast is a short drive away.

“We are selling with a heavy heart as we love living here but work commitments mean we have to move. As the person who sent us the letter wrote, I hope the people who move in after us enjoy it as much as we have.”

Get the look: sitting room furniture from Audenza, lighting from Olive and Sage, barcart from Oliver Bonas, wall art from Maisons de Monde and drinks tray from Sledmere House farm shop. Dining room: Farrow and Ball Hague blue cupboards, dining chairs from SKLUM, plants from Rafters greengrocers in Driffield.

*St John’s Croft, Driffield, is for sale with Ullyotts for £595,000. Set in half an acre of walled garden it has 3,300 sq ft of space, which includes a hall, cloakroom, drawing room, study, snug, dining room, kitchen, utility room, playroom and garage/gym plus a large cellar. Upstairs, there are two en-suite bedrooms, three further bedrooms and a house bathroom.

For details contact Ullyotts, tel: 01377 253456, www.ullyotts.co.uk.

*Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you'll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers. Click here to subscribe