Page 43 - October 2023

AT HOME WITH...

in any rush; we enjoy the process of it evolving renovated it more times than we can count!
slowly, and it feels like we are making better Back in the 90s when we bought it, Edinburgh
decisions because of that.” wasn’t as competitive as it is today. The plan is
to keep it to contribute to our future pension, or
Neneh and Stuart have plenty of experience for our children to live in if they decide to stay
in the Scottish property market, as The Linen in Edinburgh.”
Townhouse is the third property they’ve
purchased together – and they have always As seasoned homeowners, landlords and
used ESPC to find them, thanks to its ease renovators, Neneh and her husband have
of use. plenty of advice to share for those embarking
on their own property journey.
“We kept the two previous properties that we
lived in and let them out as investments. We “Trust your gut – with our three homes, we
sold our last home, a Victorian lodge outside always knew when we had found the right
Dunfermline, a year ago, after renting it out for one. Stay open-minded and flexible about the
five years. It was easy to sell, as the market for type of house and area you are prepared to
country homes peaked after the pandemic – view, and do not underestimate how long it
we had 150 viewings over a couple of weeks! can take to renovate a home, or how much
We still own our first home, a Georgian attic it can cost. Always retain a buffer! We didn’t
flat in Edinburgh’s beautiful New Town. It’s tiny with our first two homes and had some
and so charming, in an ancient building where tough months when the numbers didn’t add
you can really sense the history. We found it up. Better living in a smaller home and not
through ESPC in 1996, and loved our time there worrying about the bills!”.
so much that we kept it and let it out when we
“It’s our dream home,” Neneh says. “We love but we haven’t even started on the third needed somewhere bigger to have a family.
period properties with history – our last two bathroom. Bathrooms are so costly to renovate, Over the years, it’s been a holiday let and a
homes were a Victorian lodge house and a so we’re taking it slowly!”
Georgian attic flat – and the frontage, the long-term let, and lately our daughter has lived
space and the light of this home bowled us The couple also installed a new kitchen, and there while at university. We’ve painted and
all over at the first viewing. The layout indoors built a bespoke bookcase in the sitting room,
was a little convoluted, but we knew we could as well as replacing flooring, repainting every
change that.” wall and generally breathing new life into the
property, all in Neneh’s signature elegant style,
In the six years that the family have been living with a soft, neutral colour palette to enhance
in the property, dubbed The Linen Townhouse the light the property enjoys. However, Neneh
due to its history within Dunfermline’s linen- tells us that they aren’t quite done with the
weaving industry, they have made several overhaul just yet.
significant changes to its interior, which Neneh
has documented online. “We still have so much to do! We are benefitting
from the previous owners’ beautiful planting
“We started by knocking down the interior walls choices in the front garden, but we haven’t
on the ground floor to create an open-plan touched the back garden at all, and there’s so
kitchen and dining room, and then created a much potential. We want to create another
large opening to the sitting room, to enhance home office on the top floor, as we both work
space and flow, with the light bouncing around,” from home most of the time, and there’s also Follow Neneh’s renovation journey on
Neneh tells us. “We’ve renovated one of the a plan to create a basement pantry in the old Instagram @thelinentownhouse, and get plenty
three bathrooms, using pale natural stone, and box room – the ‘room of doom’ as we call it! It of period home inspiration from her other
we’re halfway through our en suite renovation, is very much a work in progress, but we aren’t account, @periodhomestyling.

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