THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / FEATURE PROPERTY
Page 15
Rural but not remote, an idyllic – and deceptively spacious - country cottage near Hawick
Kirkton Cottage was a case of love at first sight for present owners Rod and Karen Harling, who bought the property in 2006. “We saw it advertised and both thought it looked gorgeous,” explains Rod. “We came to see it the same day and the reality was even better, so much so we bought it less than 48 hours later.” “More than anything else this is a home, not a house,” adds Karen. “It’s rural – we have sheep and cows in the fields next to us and our nearest neighbour is a quarter of a mile away, yet in no way remote.” Built in 1915, the cottage was extended in the 1960s and occupies an elevated half-acre plot that includes lovely gardens, mature trees, a variety of low-maintenance heathers, and an extensive patio garden – a real sunspot in summer. Rod and Karen have considerably upgraded the property in their time here – completed projects include a new damp course, wrap-round monobloc driveway and patio, new oil-fired central heating system and re-fitted bathroom. There is also a garden shed and boiler room/cellar with external entrance. This is a house that cannot be judged solely from photographs. For a start it has a deceptively spacious interior spanning 1,980 sq feet, with a versatile split-level layout and both side and front entrances and halls - the large square-shaped front hall is the size of (and could easily be) another room.
Off this is an area currently used as a computer den - but could also be a very useful coat/boot area as it adjoins the cloakroom - and a spacious living room with French doors to the rear garden. From the living room, steps and an archway lead up to the accommodation in what was the original cottage, which can also be accessed from the side entrance and hallway – dining room and adjoining kitchen, which in turn opens into a lovely conservatory, glazed on three sides with doors to the garden. There is also a utility/laundry room (accessed off the conservatory), three double bedrooms, a second cloakroom/toilet, and a ground floor shower room. An attractive staircase leads to a very spacious fourth bedroom and bathroom on the upper floor, along with extensive storage/wardrobes. This quirky home is full of delightful features, like the large astragalled floor -to-ceiling window in the largest hallway, which makes a really lovely sitting room; the much larger living room has an inglenook fireplace and marble hearth, which houses an electric stove. The well -equipped kitchen is fitted with modern wooden units and includes a built-in hob, oven and microwave, wine rack, integrated fridge freezer and a dishwasher – the floor and splashbacks are tiled in a neutral white to complement the worktops.
The same practical floor tiling also extends into the adjoining conservatory, a sizeable and very bright space that offers many potential uses and at present provides a very pleasant informal dining/sitting room looking on to the garden and patio. Two of the three ground floor bedrooms overlook the front garden – one is a particularly large double room, currently used as a work/hobbies room, while the other front -facing room has a natural wood floor and modern fitted wardrobes with opaque glass doors. The principal bedroom upstairs is a charming room, full of character that comes from having a coombed ceiling and recessed front-facing window, below which is a built-in window seat, beautifully upholstered with matching cushions – a lovely spot from which to admire the views of the garden and countryside beyond.
This room also has a walk-in wardrobe under the eaves, in addition to built-in wardrobes with louvred doors. Also on the upper floor is a re-fitted family bathroom, which has attractive tiling to floor and walls, a white suite with over-bath shower, vanity basin storage, and a linen cupboard. Set back from the road on the approach into Kirkton from Hawick, this cottage is a sizeable family home but would also suit downsizers or anyone looking to work or run a business from home.
Kirkton Cottage, Kirkton, Nr Hawick, TD9 8QJ
Guide Price £295,000 Details on page 18