I moved house this week. Woohoo! It feels great (when I forget about the boxes remaining in each room) and it brings back memories of my previous houses. Memories of a non-billionaire woman.

My first house was made out of cushions, sofa cushions trying to stand and stay together, best thing to annoy Mums. Cushions and blankets with forever changing architecture, plenty of doors, windows, and always room for a little pillow. No matter how little the house, I always found a way to fit a big pillow. The roof was the hardest bit, usually falling off as blankets never stay still. So I spent more time outside, fixing the roof or leaning toys to keep my house in place.

My next house was made out of Elgo. Yes, you read it right, not Lego but Elgo. The brand was a combination of the two founders’ names: Hal Eliott and Sam Goss. Red plastics bricks building different house styles. I had to start my house with a bit of planning, as the most important thing was the base, getting the long white bars that would hold the pieces together. It was all about the structure. And as they advertised “Doors and windows that open” -back in the 90s that was amazing!

Thanks to the TV, my idea of a dream house grew more ambitious and it needed a pool, or a sea view. Then my first job came along and I realised I had to work harder and save a lot of money so the budget could stretch. One day!

Now, after lockdown, I realized a house with any garden will do. As we were all forced to spend time at home, we started valuing the place where we live. That’s when I found my favourite house. The one that challenged me to do everything under one roof, a mix of chaos and happiness, not perfect, but real. A place that gave the planet a break and sparked long-term changes to look after it. A space where I’m safe and I wake up knowing my love ones are too. My favourite house became more human and understanding, here it’s normal to tell the boss ‘Yes, I’m in a meeting and I have kids’, it’s a messy house that makes me smile, and a tidy one when it’s bed time.

Moving house means making space, not filling up a space. It’s the chance to filter, to get rid of things, to give, and to change the expression ‘in the future’ for ‘the next 5 minutes’. The future needs some space, an empty room for new plans and memories.