A Harrogate dad has fulfilled a long-held ambition by opening his own barber shop on Otley Road.
Vadim Sagin opened The Old House Barber in July after renovating the premises with his wife while juggling work, moving house and looking after their young son.
Vadim, who has lived in Harrogate for around ten years, had been considering starting a business for seven or eight years.
With more than a decade of barbering experience, he decided it was time to take the next step.
Vadim said:
“Eventually, I realised that I had been waiting for the right moment for too long.
“If you want something more from life, sometimes you just have to take a risk and try.”
Finding the premises involved an unexpected second chance.
Vadim had arranged to view the Otley Road property, only to be told two and a half hours beforehand that it was no longer available.
Six months later, while travelling to view a new family home, he happened to drive past the same premises and spotted that they were available again.
Vadim said:
“It was the exact same place I had lost six months earlier.
“We contacted the company, arranged another viewing and, when we walked in, we immediately felt that this was the place.”
After securing the keys, the family spent around six weeks renovating the shop, often working late into the evening.
They designed the interior themselves, creating a space with two barber chairs, comfortable seating, books and a children’s area with toys and a PlayStation.
Vadim said:
“We wanted to make things easier for parents who bring their children, and we wanted customers waiting for their turn to actually enjoy being here rather than feeling that they were simply wasting time.”
The interior even prompted some confusion among people passing during the refurbishment.
Before and after: The Old House Barber on Otley Road.
Vadim said:
“Because of the atmosphere they could see through the windows, many thought it would become a café, restaurant or pub.
“When they found out it was going to be a barber shop, they were surprised. That reaction still makes me smile.”
His wife is also developing a small beauty space within the shop, offering lash lifts and brow lamination.
Vadim hopes to bring another experienced barber into the team as the business grows, and says seeing customers return has been particularly rewarding.
Alongside building the business, he hopes the experience will set an example for his son.
Vadim said:
“I hope that one day he will look back and understand that we didn’t simply talk about our dreams – we actually tried to build them.”
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