THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / FEATURE PROPERTY Page 13

Burnbrae97 Bleachfield Road, Selkirk

Guide Price £185,000Details on page 39

Burnbrae ticks all the boxes for a family home in Selkirk

Margaret McCreadie and her husbandDavid have lived in Burnbrae, their detachedhome in Selkirk for 30 years, yet Margaretcan still recall what it was that drew her tothe house initially.

“It was partly the location, which is veryquiet and near a farm, so there are lots oftrees and wildlife and very little traffic – andpartly the kitchen, which had – and still has- a warm and friendly feeling in addition tohaving great storage space,” she says. “The large cellar was an unexpected bonusand it provides valuable extra space as acombined workshop/ laundry room.”

Built around 112 years ago the blondesandstone one-and-a-half storey house hasa perfectly symmetrical facade, with anattractive front porch and row of dormerwindows.

Inside, the spacious and well-presentedlayout comprises a large living room withwindows to the front and rear, well-equippeddining kitchen with double doors intoa utility, which in turn gives access to astaircase leading to the cellar. Upstairs arethree bedrooms and a large bathroom witha four-piece suite and separate showerenclosure.

In move in condition throughout, thiscomfortable and spacious family homecombines traditional features and modernamenities - as in the living room, which haspicture and dado rails, wood-panelledwindow surrounds, natural wood finishesand a stone fireplace, the latter fitted witha user-friendly inset Living Flame gas fire.

The kitchen is fitted with solid pine floorand base units that tie in with the originalvarnished floor and pine-lined shelvedrecess and window surrounds.

It also has an integrated double oven, gashob and overhead extractor and more thanenough space for a large family-sizeddining table and chairs.

The adjoining utility is similarly well fittedwith units and built-in cupboards, whichstill leaves space for freestandingappliances, such as a dishwasher andfridge freezer.

Margaret and David have carefullymaintained and improved the property– most recently the bathroom has been re-fitted, a new combi boiler was installedlast year, and the main bedroom nowhas a full wall of built-in wardrobes.

The McCreadies, who are now hoping todownsize, have also put a great deal oftime and effort into the garden, which is amajor feature on its own.

Fully enclosed, it incorporates areas oflawn, trees, shrubs and planted borders,plus there is a single detached garage,greenhouse, and a particularly prettysummerhouse, an ideal place for sitting ordining out.

“The front of the house gets the sun in themorning but it moves round to the backgarden in the early afternoon and remainsthere until sunset,” Margaret adds.

A door in the utility reveals the staircasethat leads down to the cellar, a usefuladditional space that would suit avariety of uses – currently it is a secondutility/workshop/storage area that housesa large ceramic sink and laundryappliances amongst other things. Thereis also a toilet and a door to the garden.

The two front-facing bedrooms bothhave a three-section dormer window,which from the inside translates astraditional combed ceilings and a usefulrecess space.

The third bedroom is an L-shaped roomwith a large window overlooking the reargarden.

The gardens are a delight and attract awide variety of birds and other wildlife,and while the setting has a distinctly ruralfeel, it is within walking distance (10-15minutes) of Selkirk’s town centreamenities.

The house is also well placed forcommuting to Edinburgh via the city by-pass.