Page 40 - February 2024
P. 40

AT HOME WITH
                                      colour                                                the right catchment, and Jamie knew the area



                                                                                            well. We tried to view it that day, but the owner
                    A world of                                                              wouldn’t  accept  viewings  ahead  of  the  open
                                                                                            day that weekend. We decided to offer blind
                                                                                            there  and  then,  but  it  was  turned  down; the
                                                                                            owner wanted us to see the house first.”
                The winners of BBC’s ‘Scotland’s Christmas Home of the Year’
                                                                                            Unperturbed, the couple persisted: “I couldn’t
                   show us all around their vibrant home, found on ESPC.
                                                                                            make the open viewing, so Jamie and then-18-
                                                                                            month-old Beth went without me. Jamie had a
                                                                                            good feeling about it, so we offered again the
                                                                                            next  morning.  I  trusted  his  instincts  –  we’ve
         f  you,  like  us,  are  avid  watchers  of  BBC
         Scotland’s  fantastic  series  ‘Scotland’s
      IHome of the Year’, then you’ll be familiar
       with the Edinburgh property that secured the
       win in the glorious Christmas special: Bay Tree
       House. Located in Willowbrae, on the east side
       of Edinburgh, owners Katie and Jamie Morris
       have  transformed  this  1930s  terrace  into  a
       joyful family home since they moved in almost                                                                              watched so many home programmes on TV
       six years ago.                                                                                                             and  we  never  disagree  on  the  ones  we  like,
                                                                                                                                  so it was a safe bet! This time our offer was
       “This was my fifth property purchase, but our                                                                              accepted, on the condition that I wouldn’t view
       second  purchase  together,”  explains  Katie.                                                                             it in person until the missives were signed. In
       “We sold our previous home in Midlothian to                                                                                the end, these weren’t signed until the morning
       be closer to Jamie’s daughter in Edinburgh, and                                                                            of the move, so the first time I stepped inside
       this was the fifth property we offered on. We                                                                              was when we got the keys!”.
       knew we wanted to be in the east of Edinburgh,
       with  a  good  school  catchment  area  for  our                                                                           Luckily,  Katie  and  Jamie’s  instinct  on  the
       daughter, Beth, but we knew we couldn’t be                                                                                 property  proved  right,  and  they  have  spent
       too extravagant with our requirements, as we                                                                               much of the last few years gradually turning
       were downsizing to afford to live in the city.”                                                                            the house into a cosy, colourful and charming
                                                                                                                                  family home. The works undertaken have been
       The  couple  listed  their  previous  home  with                                                                           anything but small, with renovations including
       ESPC  solicitor  estate  agents  McDougall                                                                                 a large-scale basement conversion.
       McQueen, and while that sold within a week,
       it  took  them  two  months  to  have  an  offer                                                                           “After  18  months  in  the  house,  we  started
       accepted,  after  getting  caught  in  several                                                                             renovating the basement to add some much-
       bidding wars.                                                                                                              needed  extra  space.  We  wanted  to  ensure
                                                                                                                                  it  would  be  in  keeping  with  the  rest  of  the
       When  a  1930s  two-bedroom  terrace  just  a                                                                              house, so we had an architect draw up plans,
       hundred yards away from Holyrood Park came                                                                                 and  went  out  to  tender.  The  prices  were
       onto the market, Katie and Jamie decided to                                                                                eye-wateringly  expensive!  We  found  one
       act quickly: “I [Katie] saw this home on ESPC                                                                              affordable quote and decided to go with it –
       one Friday, and I loved the look of it. It was in                                                                          and then the pandemic hit.”

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