How one couple turned downsizing into smart saving with Flagstone

In conversation with Felicity and John Warren

Downsizing is rarely just about bricks and mortar. For Felicity and John, it marked the start of an entirely new chapter.

After raising four children in a large Oxfordshire farmhouse, they reached a moment familiar to many families: the house felt too big, the kids had moved on, and it was time to make a change.

For the first time in their lives, they found themselves managing a lump sum after selling the family home. They wanted their savings to stay flexible, to work around their plans, and to keep earning along the way. A trusted financial adviser introduced them to Flagstone – and a new way of managing their cash.

What brought you to Flagstone?

We’d never really had savings before. It all started when we sold our house. We’d got to that age where we were downsizing. We had a big old farmhouse with four kids and my mother-in-law living in the garden. But the children had all gone and so had my mother-in-law, so it was time to scale down.

We sold in the summer of 2022 and bought something smaller. That generated some money, and we needed to do something sensible with it. We’d never really saved before – four kids are a pretty effective way of spending any money you have!

We were advised by our Financial Adviser at St. James’s Place, and he put us on to Flagstone.

What were your priorities when managing this lump sum?

We wanted to keep things fluid. We weren’t entirely sure where we wanted to live. We had plans that might have involved moving abroad, so we knew some of the money might be needed quickly, while some wouldn’t be touched for 12–18 months.

We were incredibly lucky to hit the market when interest rates were high. It was important to keep the money accessible while making the most of those rates.

Did you have a savings strategy when you started using Flagstone?

Yes, at the start we had a strategy. We split the money depending on when we thought we might need it. Some went into short-term accounts, some a little longer. But we always stayed under the FSCS protection limit per bank.

We didn’t tie money up for more than 12 months because we didn’t really know what we were doing yet. We wanted to keep things flexible.

Now, after a couple of years, we’ve more or less settled down. We’ve bought our new home, and we’re looking to invest what’s left in other areas, like stocks and shares ISAs.

How did you find the process of using Flagstone?

Flagstone as a brand was completely unknown to us at first. But because we came through St. James’s Place, we trusted the referral.

Seeing familiar names like HSBC on the platform was reassuring. We stuck to banks we recognised, even if it meant slightly lower rates, because that felt safer.

A safe home for your savings

Felicity and John didn’t set out to become seasoned savers, but when they sold their home, they made sure their money didn’t sit idle.

By moving their cash into high-interest savings accounts with Flagstone, they kept it secure, accessible, and earning more – all in one platform.

Whether you’re downsizing, planning a move, or simply rethinking where your money sits, Flagstone gives you access to 200+ savings accounts from more than 65 banks. Each is eligible for FSCS protection up to £120,000 per bank, helping keep your money safe while it steadily earns interest.

Build a sample portfolio to see how you could protect and grow your cash.

Build sample portfolio