E leanor and Dominic Charles’s wishlist was typical of most city dwellers looking to get a foot on the property ladder: a bit of outdoor space, ideally a house rather than a flat, and somewhere with character. But they ended up being bolder than most first-timers, taking a punt on a run-down, pint-sized 19th-century coach house in Camberwell, south London.

“We’d viewed other properties, but often they’d been flipped and had uninspiring interiors we’d want to rip out, which just felt wasteful,” says Eleanor.

Blue, aluminium windows hint at the contemporary interior behind the period facade

The couple stumbled across the auction listing for the coach house and were drawn to its cottage-like features and quirky character. It had been converted into a residential property some time ago but had fallen into complete disrepair. “It was like a Georgian doll’s house,” says Eleanor.…