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Sarah Haran Accessories launched in 2018. After a successful career in tech, Sarah took a leap of faith in March 2017 to focus on bringing joy to her customers through her luxury handbag and accessory designs. With a unique concept that allows her bags to be restyled in seconds, Sarah’s creations offer endless looks from just one bag. Lynda Clark sat down with Sarah to talk about her first home, her fascinating career, and her advice for first time buyers At home with: Sarah Haran
slow, so we eventually told the builders they had five weeks to finish or we would be joining them for Christmas! They certainly picked up the pace after that. FTB: Tell us about your career? SH: I started in IT, even though I’m not very technical. My strength lies in processes, procedures and managing people through projects. I joined a start-up as the first employee, working with two founders who’d previously had success in business. We were at the very beginning of the internet era and became one of the first companies in the UK to offer broadband. I worked there for 17 years, managing operations and customer service – the business was listed on the AIM stock exchange with over 400 staff when I left. One thing that I’ve always loved is making things. I used to make clothes for myself and always dabbled in crafting projects but had gotten so caught up in work. Then one day, while at a show in San Diego, someone asked me what I did outside of work – and I realised I didn’t have an answer. I was just working and looking after the kids, with no hobbies of my own. I decided it was time for a change. I didn’t want to make dresses or shoes, so I decided to try making handbags. I picked up some denim from a local shop, created a basic pattern, and discovered it was quite similar to dressmaking. What I loved was that you make all the parts separately – a strap one evening, a pocket the next – and bring it all together at the weekend. The construction process fitted around my full- time job perfectly. I then wanted to work with leather, so I spent about two years researching materials and components, and took various courses and workshops along the way.The company I was working for at the time was promoting websites for small businesses, so we built one for my handbags as a demo.That led to a few commissions, and it made me stop and think: does this business have legs? FTB: So what did you do next? SH: I’d just turned 50 and felt ready for a new chapter, so I launched the business properly. But then Covid hit. I was in
FTB: Tell us about your first home? SH: My first home was a two bedroom, ground floor maisonette in Haywards
Heath, Sussex, which I bought for around £5,000. I’d saved hard for it, and while that may seem like a bargain now, it was a big sum at the time. I only had enough left over to buy a bed and a chair – and not even a nice chair! It was dark brown velvet and probably would be considered retro now and worth three times what I paid. Over the following months,
with some kind donations and careful budgeting, I furnished it bit by bit. I lived there for around two years before moving to Scotland, at which point I rented it out and later sold it for £60,000. Looking back, I probably should have kept it, but at least I made a small profit.
FTB: Where do you live now?
SH: I live in Scotland in a beautiful old Victorian Arts and Crafts property, designed in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It has stunning stained glass windows and
five en suite bedrooms. We took on a major renovation project when we purchased the property – it hadn’t been touched in 45 years. The previous
owner, a gentleman in his late 70s, was very proud of his original boiler, which looked like something from the Titanic! It was still working but completely impractical. We didn’t move in for four months after we purchased due to the renovation works! They were
“MY GOAL IS TO CREATE VERSATILE BAGS THAT CAN TAKE YOU FROM THE OFFICE TO AN EVENING OUT”
14 First Time Buyer October/November 2025
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