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BSPC FEATURE PROPERTY
Location, location, location is the mantra When Ron and Joan Darling moved to Earlston twenty-eight years ago they bought and refurbished a cottage – but always said that if a house ever came up for sale on Lauder Road – widely regarded as one of the most desirable residential areas in the village - they would move. Eleven years later a house did become available and, true to their promise, Ron and Joan acted promptly and bought it.
One of Ron and Joan’s initial projects was to open up what had been two separate but adjoining public rooms to create one very large area that is perfect for entertaining – but with the addition of a double set of solid bi-fold doors to ensure the two areas could still be used separately if required. They also reworked and re-fitted the bathroom to create more room in a bedroom that was previously only a boxroom and give the house four good-sized bedrooms.
Built circa 1936, the couple’s sandstone semidetached home has an elevated setting off the road that gives it the most glorious views across the Leader Valley almost to the Carter Bar, the point at which the A68 crosses the Scotland-England border and forms a pass at the top of Redesdale in the Cheviot Hills. “The view is so spectacular it’s hard to get the window cleaner to focus on the windows when he comes,” says Ron.
Tastefully decorated and presented in immaculate condition with neutral cream carpeting extending throughout the ground floor and staircase to maintain visual continuity, this property is a dream home for a family.
Location is a major attraction not only for the views but also for commuting. Earlston’s position on the main A68 Edinburgh to Newcastle road makes the capital a mere half-hour’s drive, while Galashiels is only ten minutes away by car. Earlston also has excellent facilities for day-to-day living, including a primary school and purpose-built Earlston High School.
Light, airy and spacious, the two-storey layout includes a vestibule with the original tiled floor and a welcoming hall, off which is a useful downstairs cloakroom with a circular stained and leaded feature window. The ground floor is complete with a most attractive living room where a front-facing bay window frames the most amazing view, an adjoining formal dining room – the two rooms linked by doors that when open turn this into a sizeable 32ft living area – a breakfast room that is ideal for casual everyday dining, and a good -sized kitchen.
BSPC FEATURE PROPERTY
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for a family semi-detached villa in Earlston The kitchen is fitted with a range of solid wood floor and wall units with neutral worktops and ceramic-tiled splashbacks and space for a slot-in cooker (overhead extractor included) and other appliances. There is also a large walk-in larder cupboard. Upstairs, past another beautiful original stained and leaded glass window on the half landing, are four bedrooms (master with bay window and more mesmerizing views) and a bathroom with a white suite incorporating an over-bath shower and glass screen. Some of the rooms have traditional shelved alcoves with storage cupboards – there are shelved/cupboards elsewhere and plenty of space in the two largest bedrooms for freestanding furniture. And while the view from the bay window steals the limelight in the living room, this lovely room does also have a feature fireplace and inset Living Flame gas fire as a secondary focal point.
Braeside, Lauder Road, Earlston, TD4 6EE Guide Price £225,000 Details on page 34
The gardens are easily maintained – the front comprising mainly lawn with shrub and plant borders and a private parking space. Ron and Joan altered the side area to create a patio seating / barbecue area with a low-maintenance paved surface, while the rear garden is again mainly lawn with planted sections and a shed. To put it succinctly, Braeside is all-round winner for family living.