When you’re going to start a family, you want to raise your brood somewhere safe; in a place where they are free to ride their bikes and kick a football around without the worry of crime or heavy traffic.
But at the same time, you want to be close to amenities and entertainment spots for the little ones – and that’s why the Mollisons chose to live in Kemnay.
Graeme and Kirsty Mollison moved to number eight Craig Lea 11 and a half years ago. Kirsty, 44, the research manager for Aberdeen University’s clinical trials unit, was eight months pregnant at the time, and so the couple’s daughters, Tilly, 11, and Tabitha, 9, have lived in the four-bedroom home their whole lives.
“We had a one-bedroom flat in Aberdeen but we were starting a family and wanted to move out to the shire,” recalled Graeme, 49, who works as a head teacher.
“When we drove up to this house we immediately liked it.
“It’s not part of a scheme or anything – there’s only about 18 houses and they are all different styles and ours is on a dead end.
“It’s so safe for the kids growing up, they could play on their bikes and there’s no through traffic at all.
“We are also quite central so when they got a bit older they could walk up to the park and it’s safe there as well.”
The home, which is on the market for offers over £319,000, is extremely spacious with plenty of room for personal belongings and children’s toys.
The Mollisons even have a play room where the girls can watch TV and play in with their friends while Graeme and Kirsty enjoy some peace and quiet in their room.
“One of the big selling points was the space and the size of the bedrooms,” said Graeme.
“The two upstairs bedrooms are very big. They have built-in wardrobes and you don’t often get rooms this size nowadays.”
One of the family’s favourite rooms, however, is the kitchen.
From eating meals together to entertaining guests, it’s a great place to relax in no matter what the time of day.
“We spend a lot of our social time in there sitting around the table just eating and chatting and drinking,” said Graeme.
“In the evening, the sitting room’s lovely as well – the sun comes right round it and it’s nice and quiet.”
The home was just five years old when the Mollisons moved in, and needed very little work. But to suit their personal taste, Graeme and Kirsty revamped the house to make it their own.
“It still had the original carpets from when it was first built.
“We redid everything – put in a new kitchen, new flooring, the works.”
But Graeme is reluctant to take credit for it, admitting his wife is the brains behind the home’s eloquent style.
“It’s a lovely home; my wife has good taste,” he said.
“She’s styled it really well.
“The doors were all mahogany but now they are white so it’s a lot brighter and cleaner and looks more spacious.”
The family also love the village of Kemnay, which Graeme describes as a really active place to live in with plenty of sports, dance and drama clubs to keep children occupied with.
“Kirsty works in Aberdeen and in non-rush hour you can be there in 25 minutes,” he added.
“It’s really handy as you have the best of both worlds – a two-minute walk and you’re in Fetternear Woods alongside the River Don and you’re still close to Aberdeen.”
Luckily for the Mollisons, they’ll still have access to all the things they enjoy in Kemnay as they don’t plan on moving far. With Tilly and Tabitha keen horseriders, Graeme has been tasked with finding a home with a little bit of land for the girls to enjoy their hobby on.
When the time comes to leave their first family home, Graeme said it will be the memories he will miss the most.
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“We brought our first child into the house and have seen both grow up here.
“All the kids have ever known is this house.”
Contact The Kellas Partnership on 01467 627333.
