12 Mile-End Avenue, Aberdeen
Who: Stuart Common, 38, the managing director at Mackie’s of Scotland, his wife Louise, 33, a communications manager at Macphie and their 10-month-old daughter Charlotte.
What: A charming ground floor self-contained apartment with period features.
Where: Mile-End Avenue in Aberdeen’s west end just a short walk away from the city centre and close to Victoria Park and Westburn Park.
As told to Rosemary Lowne
“After viewing a number of properties, I found this home on ASPC.
The prime location of this property was what led me to arrange an initial viewing as it’s just a stone’s throw from the city’s bars and restaurants as well as the hospital and the AWPR, making it easy to get out of the city when we need to.
First impressions of this property upon viewing were incredible.
The spacious hallway with high ceilings offered a promising indication of what was to come.
The living room follows the same theme with a stunning bay window while the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom are all great spaces too and the walk-in wardrobe was a huge plus-point – it certainly became handy when Louise moved in.
So I moved in back in 2016 and Louise joined me in 2020 before we married in 2021 and our daughter Charlotte was born in 2023.
The property has two bedrooms, a vestibule and corridor as well as a walk-in wardrobe, a bathroom, kitchen and a coal shed for storage.
Outside, there is a large back garden which is shared with one other property and a dedicated front garden space.
The previous owner had renovated the property which meant that the kitchen and bathroom were brand new.
All we’ve really had to do is put our own stamp on the place, decorating each room to our taste.
Prior to Charlotte arriving in 2023, we used the second bedroom as a home office but we’ve turned it back into a bedroom for our little girl.
In terms of interiors, we’ve tried to make the most of the historic nature of the property, while adding a modern twist to it.
We decorated it in a neutral way to bring out the features of the flat and to help the furniture stand out.
Decorating has been done in stages over the years, using local tradesman Paul Fox from Fox Decorating.
The latest work we did was changing the second bedroom from an office space into a nursery.
To transform the room, we used Liberty wallpaper from Kynoch & Robertson in Rosemount and we also replaced the floor in this room.
Our greatest challenge when making alterations has always been working with a building which is very historic and which would have originally been created for living in a different way to which we do now.
The thick granite walls don’t always make for easy ‘smart’ living, but thankfully technology has developed to make this easier.
Much of our home can now be controlled using a mobile phone.
We love all aspects of the property and everything that we and the previous owner have done to modernise it.
The thing we love most about this property is the location.
There are lots of restaurants and bars on your doorstep including Milton on the Corner, Tarragon and The Queen Vic.
However, despite it being in the heart of the city centre, it’s quiet and we have incredible neighbours who we’re sad to leave.
The garden space is great too as it’s designed to be low maintenance and it gets the sun all day.
My advice for anyone who is renovating would be to take your time to find local trades people who you can trust to do a good job – you will not regret it.”
12 Mile-End Avenue, Aberdeen, is on the market for offers over £240,000.
To arrange a viewing contact Aberdein Considine on 01224 589589 or check out the website aspc.co.uk
If you would like your home to feature, simply email features@eveningexpress.co.uk
Conversation