Owner takes reins to turn family home into dream business venture

A family home overlooking the creek at Frogmore has become a thriving holiday business after its owner was forced to take matters into her own hands.

For Suzy Greenwood, Seaflowers is far more than a holiday let. The property has been part of her family for 35 years, carrying memories of childhood summers, family milestones and, more recently, the blood, sweat and tears of turning a much-loved home into the business she had dreamed of creating in Devon.

Suzy bought the property from her parents in August 2023, having sold her London flat and belongings to make the move.

She had initially planned a relatively straightforward transition, with a local holiday letting agent brought in to secure bookings while she continued her demanding corporate career.

But six months passed without a single booking.

With another six months remaining before the summer season, Suzy decided to end the agreement and take control herself, shifting the approach from delegation to determination.

“I could have panicked,” she said. “Instead, I negotiated myself out of the contract. I realised I needed to make it work myself.”

Giving up was never an option. The house had originally belonged to Suzy’s grandparents as a much smaller property before her parents renovated and extended it.

When Suzy eventually bought the house from her parents, she wanted to preserve its family connection while creating something distinctly her own.

Suzy set about renovating the property herself – often before and after a full day working in her corporate job.

“I bought Seaflower because I wanted to keep it in the family,” she said. “I’d have felt like I’d let my family down if I didn’t make it work.”

The interiors were built around the work of Dartmouth artist Bert Fowler, of Bert and Buoy, each room now featuring one of his distinctive characters.

She also brought in local photographer Sue Porter to capture the completed rooms. The photographs, branding and compelling story proved enough to generate media interest, bringing the first national coverage and, ultimately, the first major summer booking.

From there, Seaflowers grew. Suzy has since left her corporate career and now works full-time on Seaflowers and Seaflowers Studio, which she launched in February this year.

The idea for the Studio emerged almost by accident. After successfully handling the marketing for Seaflowers, other local entrepreneurs began asking for advice about promoting their own businesses.

“I didn’t plan on starting Seaflowers Studio,” she said. “But people asked, and I knew I could help.”

The Studio helps small businesses build confidence in telling their stories, from social media and PR to developing a stronger founder profile.

Her first ‘Find Your Story’ workshop will be held at Seaflowers on September 22, focusing on how business owners can identify their story, communicate it consistently and build their public profile.

For Suzy, the venture is also about creating stronger links between local businesses, working to build a collaborative community she wants to see develop in South Hams.

Despite its transformation, Seaflowers remains, at heart, the place where her family’s Devon story began.

“I’ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world and stay in a lot of nice places, so I knew exactly what type of place I wanted to build,” Suzy said. “But when I look around, I know every inch of it because I put the work in. That makes it mean so much more.”