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Lauder is one of the Border’s property hotspots owing to its easy access to

Edinburgh via the A68 road and now rail, with a new station nearby in Stow.

The town also has good local facilities, including a new primary school - and

falls within the catchment area for the recently built High School at Earlston.

All of which makes it a popular choice for families who want to be able to

commute to the city but enjoy the advantages of a small town in picturesque

rural surroundings – and Number One St Leonards is a family house that fits

the bill on all counts.

A semi-detached family home nearLauder that’s come a long way from

its farm cottage origins

St1 St Leonards Farm Cottages

WHEN YOU’RE BUYING OR SELLING PROPERTY . . . IT HAS TO BE BSPC12

Featured Property

1 St Leonards Farm Cottages, Lauder

In Region Of £290,000 • Details on: Page 22

The new open-plan living area is theundoubted star of this home owing to the waythe L-shaped space has been configured togive a sun lounge with windows/doors onthree sides including French doors to the deckand a partial wall housing a double-sidedmulti-fuel stove forming the focal point in thedining area and kitchen on the other side.

The new layout also includes the original entrancevestibule and hall, cloakroom, good-sized fitted utility,original sitting room and two further upstairsbedrooms, one with an original fireplace.

The family also invested in sophisticated additions,including a Sonos multi-room sound system integratedthroughout the house, while the main living area hasinternal wiring for a surround sound system – theoutside deck is also fully wired for external speakers.

Located two miles southeast of Lauder, this impressivesemi-detached house was a much smaller typicalfarm cottage when Kim and Kevin Wilson bought itseven years ago. “We just fell in love with the areaand the fact that we could commute to Edinburghin thirty minutes,” says Kim. “And with young children,the large garden was another incentive. We also sawthe potential to extend the property and turn it into anideal family home.”

In fact, the Wilsons didn’t build a simple extension – they actually doubled the size of the property byadding an outstanding open-plan living/dining/kitchenspace on the ground level, with a spacious en suitemaster bedroom and family bathroom on the floorabove.

St1 St Leonards Farm Cottages

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“We just fell in love

with the area and

the fact that we

could commute to

Edinburgh in thirty

minutes,”

Finished to a high specification throughout, the kitchen is fitted with quality wall and base units with contrastinglaminate worktops, red splashback tiling, integratedappliances, island breakfast bar and a large American-style freestanding fridge freezer (included). Also a notablefeature, the ground level has wide-plank solid oakflooring, which is particularly striking in the welcomingentrance hall.

While the extended living area is the hub for everydayfamily living, having a separate sitting room is alwaysan added advantage - this one is carpeted and has adouble aspect with windows at the front and Frenchdoors onto the rear deck. It also has an attractive stonefireplace, open fire and tiled hearth.

Upstairs, the master bedroom has two sets of built-inwardrobes with sliding doors, natural wood finishes,Velux windows and a spacious en suite shower roomwith corner shower, vanity basin and attractive tiledsplashback.

On the same level, the family bathroom is notable forits generous size and freestanding roll-top bath withclaw feet, which is bathed in light from a Velux skywellabove.

Completing the first floor, bedroomtwo is another large double bedroomwith plenty of room for freestandingfurniture and still space to double as a playroom. The original fireplace isnow a decorative feature. The thirdbedroom has a partly coombedceiling, oak flooring and hatch withladder access to the floored attic –carpeted with lighting running thelength of the highest central point, itcurrently makes an ideal space for aScaletrix track – or alternatively, a train set.

Outside, an outstanding rear gardenensures this home’s desirability beforeyou even step across the threshold. Areal labour of love – all undertaken byKim and Kevin – the garden includesan extensive area of decking next tothe house (accessed from both thesitting room and sun lounge) withspaces for dining and sitting and anarbour over the stair access.

Beyond the decking, attractive stone walls border well-stocked sloping flower beds on either side of stone stepsleading to tiered lawns, another sizeable planted bed –and at the top, bounded by a low-level child-safe fence,is a dedicated children’s play area with an assortmentof play equipment and trampoline.

The Wilsons also built a wall at the front of the house andadded raised beds and pretty planters. There is also achipped parking area at the front.

Number One St Leonards has come a long way from itsfarm cottage origins to make an outstanding family homein an accessible and very desirable location.