One man’s meat is another man’s poison. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Put it any way you like but the fact is, while some homeowners in Aberdeen have seen the value of their property decrease because of changes in the oil and gas industry, the reduced prices have allowed other house seekers to take a step on to a property ladder that previously had been out of their reach.
Such is the case for Kay and Brian Dunn. The couple, who have a two-and-a-half-year-old son, Archie, both work in Aberdeen and face a commute of between 75-90 minutes each way from the city to their lovely home, The Elms, on Portsoy’s South High Street.
“Brian is from Aberdeen while my family are from Sandend, Buckie. When we were looking to buy a house 11 years ago, we would have liked to have been able to buy in Aberdeen, but the prices then meant it just wasn’t possible,” said Kay.
“Loads of people like us work in management and the public sector and have good jobs and are committed to working in Aberdeen for years, but we were pushed out of the property market.”
They found their property pound went further outside the city, so initially moved to Monymusk before moving to Portsoy six years ago where they bought The Elms, a charming, large linked detached family home which had previously been fully renovated.
“I loved the house straight away as while it was fully renovated, it was still full of character,” said Kay, 41.
“The house is one that everyone in Portsoy knows as it’s been here since the late 1700s and was a manse at one point, so we always felt we had just borrowed it from the community.
“There’s also three gardens including a flat front garden, a back terrace, further garden and decked area. The house sits in an elevated position and the back of it overlooks the whole of Portsoy, so there’s lovely views to be enjoyed from here.”
On the market at a fixed price of £255,000, the accommodation within the three-storey house includes an entrance porch with stained-glass window which gives access to the hallway, sitting room, dining lounge and staircase.
Both the sitting room and dining lounge have lovely feature fire surrounds with wood-burn stoves installed by Kay and Brian, while the dining lounge also has charming recessed shelving and purpose-built cupboards and a feature Elm tree trunk and beams with exposed wood from the staircase.
The kitchen is fitted with a good range of base and wall units with contrasting worktops, has a Raeburn stove, fridge and space for a fridge/freezer. From here, a door leads to an inner hall which gives access to a utility room, walk-in cupboard and WC.
A staircase with wooden balustrades and handrail leads up to the first floor landing off of which there are two double bedrooms both with built-in storage space and en-suite shower rooms.
A further staircase leads to the top floor landing and two further bedrooms with coombed ceilings, one of which is currently used as a home office.
Outside, there are large gardens and a detached wooden garage with power and light.
It’s easy to see why the couple enjoyed living in this special house, but they are also quick to sing the praises of life in Portsoy too.
“It’s a very friendly place. After moving in, Brian and I visited the local pub and the second time we went there discovered they’d ordered in Brian’s favourite beer and whisky.
“That convinced him buying here was right,” said Kay, who is employed through the NHS and is lead planning manger working on the redesign of primary care in the new Health and Social Care Partnership.
“Within three months of moving to Portsoy, I found myself roped in to all sorts of things ranging from helping to build a skiff, the annual boat festival and taking part in Doric singing.
“Portsoy is a fantastic community, but the property market in Aberdeen has changed.
“We haven’t been able to afford to live in Aberdeen for the past 11 years, but prices have dropped just enough for us to get a foot on the market, so we feel the time is right for us to move back.
“We still won’t be able to afford a house as big as this one, but it does mean we’ll be living closer to work and Brian’s family.”
Contact: Stewart and Watson on 01261 818883.