Preparing to say goodbye to their labour of love are the Valentine family from Buckie, writes Susan Welsh
The majority of people would have viewed it for what it was – a derelict steading and perhaps a challenge too far.
But when Steve and Gillian Valentine bought The Steading in 2004, they could see it had potential and set to work transforming the rubble into two impressive family homes.
The project was to take up most of their two sons, Josh and Sam’s childhood.
Two years after buying, they’d completed the first part, the East Steading, and briefly moved in before putting the property on the market in 2007, a move that allowed work on the adjoining side of The Steading to continue.
The Valentines’ love of the building was clearly infectious as they sold the house to the first people who viewed it, who weren’t from the area but were just passing through during their last day there – it was simply fate, Gillian states.
The West Steading took longer than planned so the family had to move into another property in Elgin before the build was finally completed in 2007.
West Steading, immaculately presented and decorated with fine period details, is now on the market with a guide price of £370,000.
It sits in the desirable area of Aldroughty, formerly part of The Aldroughty Estate, and enjoys spectacular views of the Moray countryside and the River Lossie.
The couple ensured that the elegant stone steading retained many of its original fine details and character while restoring it into a contemporary living space.
Gillian Valentine said: “Josh and Sam were aged eight and 10 when we first purchased The Steading, they are now both at university and college, so this house has formed a big part of their childhood.
“We have so many good memories of the project as a family.
“It’s going to be a very sad sale for us all but it feels right that we move on now and another family can experience the benefits of this home.”
The West Steading has five spacious bedrooms and offers flexible living over two floors. On the ground floor, a well-lit hallway leads to the dining room and main reception room which leads out on the mature landscaped gardens with an additional outside seating area.
The kitchen has an excellent range of wall and base units with a marble work top and Rangemaster gas cooker and double Belfast sink.
Also on the ground floor there is a double bedroom and shower room and a study-cum-second-sitting-room creating a versatile space for family living.
Upstairs, there are three double bedrooms, a modern bathroom and a striking master bedroom, which has a walk-in dressing room and en suite bathroom.
The master bedroom offers a superb space, with large glass doors allowing plenty of natural light into the room and access on to a terrace with open and unrestricted views over the gardens, river and countryside beyond.
Outside, the gardens extend to about 0.75 acres and have been meticulously maintained and landscaped. The main gardens have been laid to lawn with an entrance drive to the side providing off-street parking.
There is a superb double garage with electric doors with a loft above and the garage has electricity and a tap.
The mature gardens, which offer privacy and seclusion, have a variety of plants, borders, mature trees and fruit trees including apple, pear and cherry.
There are two seating areas suitable to put a table and chairs for dining. The gardens stretch down to the River Lossie, making the property a haven for wildlife and giving it a beautifully peaceful and tranquil setting.
Scott Holley, handling the sale for CKD Galbraith’s Elgin office, said: “West Steading has been a real labour of love for the Valentine family for nearly a decade; their passion for the building and its history is evident in the care and consideration they have given to its restoration.
“The property is an absolute delight and is very well situated with easy access to the Cairngorms and Moray coast but close enough to the city of Elgin that has an excellent range of local amenities and direct access to Aberdeen and Inverness.”
For more information contact CKD Galbraith’s Elgin office on 01343 546362.