A St Neots family business has celebrated 40 years of finding people their "dream homes".

Lovett Sales & Lettings was founded by Sue and Terry Lovett in March 1984 trading as Keys Estate Agents from the former Cross Keys hotel in the Market Square.

Successive economic ups-and-downs have been reflected in the housing market since then, however, few would see the average Cambridgeshire house price rise from £26,000 in 1984 to a staggering £320,000 today.

“It has been a roller-coaster ride on occasions” said founder Terry Lovett.

“When the then Chancellor, Nigel Lawson, announced scrapping dual tax relief on mortgages in the April 1988 budget, house sales fell off a cliff as we entered the early nineties recession”.

"In the mid-nineties the firm was one of the first estate agencies to offer a Property Management service to Buy-to-Let landlords which turned Lovett’s into one of the largest letting agents on the county.

“By applying estate agency techniques to rental properties we quickly built up a loyal landlord base, many of whom remain with us to this day. In fact, we often help their children and even their grandchildren!”

In 2005 the firm moved from the Cross Keys to the handsome Georgian premises on the south side of the Market Square where a team of 13 colleagues help to find suitable homes to buy or rent.

The Hunts Post: The current premises on the Market Square in St Neots.The current premises on the Market Square in St Neots. (Image: Tim Lovett)

Terry and Sue’s son Tim joined the business in 2015, taking over as managing director of the family firm two years later and allowing Terry and Sue to take a step back.

The Hunts Post: Tim Lovett is the managing director of the business which has been serving St Neots for 40 years.Tim Lovett is the managing director of the business which has been serving St Neots for 40 years. (Image: Tim Lovett)

Tim says: “Unlike the property legal process which appears to have changed little for decades, modern estate agency and the way people engage in the buying and selling process has changed dramatically in recent years, and is something we’ve thoroughly embraced.

"With St Neots becoming one of the fastest growing towns in Cambridgeshire it seems the Lovett Team are well set for another 40 years."