Page 43 - ESPC_Nov24
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AT HOME WITH

 A labour of love  Take your time and let the home come together on



                your terms. It’s so easy to look at home inspiration

                accounts on social media and feel the pressure, but
                 you need to go with your gut (and your budget!).


 TV producer Allanah Langstaff and her husband were searching for a bigger
 property in their much-loved neighbourhood and found the perfect place that
 they’ve been transforming into their ideal home.
         firm  understanding  of  exactly  the  type  of
         property they were hoping to find too: “We
         wanted  a  large,  three-bedroom  flat  with
 llanah Langstaff and her husband   period features, and we liked the idea  of
 Andy had been happily settled   a double upper, so we’d have a bit more
 A in  their  first  property,  a  flat  in   space, especially an extra bedroom/study
 Edinburgh’s stylish Stockbridge, but started   and a bigger kitchen. Ideally, we wanted a
 feeling  the  urge  to  find  somewhere  more   renovation project too, but one we could
 futureproof back in spring 2023. With a   live in while doing the work.”
 strong desire to stay in the area, the couple
 were  nervous  about  the  reality  of  finding   The couple hadn’t really started their
 everything they were looking for – but as   search in earnest, when a property that
 luck would have it, the perfect property was   ticked every box appeared in front of them,
 almost literally, right on their doorstep.  as Allanah shares. “We found it by total
         chance – it was the first property we saw,
 “We’d been keen to move into a bigger   and  it  galvanised  us  to  finally  start  the
 place for a while, but a combination of   process. One day, I was walking through
 the pandemic and being away a lot for   the neighbourhood  and spotted a ‘for
 work  meant  we’d  been  stalling,”  explains   sale’ sign, on a Victorian double upper in
 Allanah. “We really wanted to stay around   Comely Bank. I immediately looked the   but had really good bones, and we knew that
 Stockbridge and Comely Bank; we love   property up, as it was really close to our   the work we’d put into it would be worth it. I
 this part of the city and couldn’t envision   then-flat. It required significant renovation   loved the original Victorian features that are
 ourselves living anywhere else. There’s so   (from roof repairs to rewiring, boiler and   dotted around,  and the fact that it  was so
 much we love about it; it’s quiet and there   gas pipe upgrades!), but it had so many of   close to where we were already living really
 are so many lovely walks nearby, especially   the elements we had said were our ‘non-  helped seal it as we loved the area so much.
 Inverleith Park in every season! There are   negotiables’”.  We used the ESPC website to look for other
 great independent shops and eateries, it’s a   properties  in a  similar  price bracket, as  we
 short walk into the city, and I travel a lot for   From there, it was a rush to view the   wanted to make sure we were seeing what
 work, so it’s ideal for getting to the airport   property, but once they were inside, they   else was on the market. It was really handy
 or Haymarket quickly.”  knew it was the one.  being able to whittle properties down by
                                             price and use the map, and we did go on a
 It wasn’t just the location that the couple   “The first time we walked through it, it felt   few other viewings, but they only affirmed our
 had their hearts set on, as they had a   right,” says Allanah. “It needed a lot of TLC,   decision on the first property.”

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