"With million pound pads as common in the City as drunken bankers at Corney & Barrow, gone are the days when the Pet Shop Boys could get away with dubbing the east a 'dead end world'. We seem to recall one of the Pets is a contented Clerkenwell loft dweller these days."

From East End Boys and West End Girls, Property Guide, Summer 2004

Property can make pretty grim reading: endless repetitions of prices, square footage and a limited selection of abused, over-used adjectives.

It doesn't have to be so tired. Whether writing about broad trends, new developments or one apartment in particular, I keep things fresh. Buying and selling houses and flats is about more than just money, and writing on the subject should reflect the enthusiasm and excitement buyers and vendors often feel.

As the editor of a series of property and lifestyle titles for London-based Guide magazines (and current editor of Property Guide), I have built up good contacts and background knowledge of the property market in the City of London and Docklands. And alongside the bread-and-butter property stories, I've researched and written interiors and lifestyle features to keep the editorial mix lively.