Most young lads dream of owning a bachelor pad, perhaps something along the lines of a cool and trendy urban apartment.
So it’s no wonder a lot of Darren McWhirter’s friends thought he was slightly bonkers when, at the age of 26 and single, he decided to buy The Grange, a large detached Victorian villa in Elgin.
Built originally as a family home and used at one point as a manse for a nearby church, it was a combination of location, size and design that attracted Darren to the house.
“I’d grown up in a big house, so living in a large, older property held no fears for me, plus there was plenty of space to have the odd party or two,” said Darren who, since buying the house, has married Debbie and is dad to two lively youngsters, Bruce, 12 and five-year-old Callum.
“Before I bought The Grange, I’d looked at other properties including the Park House Hotel, but as soon as I viewed this one I knew it was right for me simply because, despite being an older house, it’s extremely light inside.
“There’s dual windows in almost every room so even on a dull day, the house feels bright and airy.”
Having bought the house at 14 Seafield Crescent in 1997, Darren admitted that for the first few years, he treated it like a bachelor pad using only a few rooms such as the lounge, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom unless, as was often the case, his pals ended up back there after a night out.
“The house needed a fair bit of work done to it such as putting in a new kitchen, heating system and repairing all the chimneys, but many of the original features such as the ornate plasterwork on the ceilings and pitch pine woodwork were in excellent condition,” said Darren, whose family run the popular Elgin store Decora.
Another nice link with the past can be seen in the kitchen where a box housing an old electronic bell system for maids, fitted by the Elgin Electronic Supply Company Limited, takes pride of place.
“During renovation works, we found evidence of an earlier pre-electric maid’s bell pulley system under the floorboards – the clips for it are still in place,” said Darren.
“I’ve also been told that what is now the dining kitchen used to be the servant’s quarters.”
Today, the dining kitchen is a lovely space, with an excellent range of high-quality wall and base units.
From here, there’s access to a large utility room, plumbed for washing machine and dryer, and a door leading to a handy shower room with WC.
There’s plenty to love about this impressive, double-fronted, stone-built house which has large rooms across three floors and which has a guide price of £440,000.
The accommodation begins with a large vestibule which opens into a broad reception hall with sweeping staircase.
Turn left and you’ll find yourself in the main reception room, a tastefully decorated drawing room with large bay window, beautiful cornincing, feature fireplace with wood-burning stove and a glass door which leads to an area of the front garden once devoted to growing herbs.
Across the hallway, there’s a formal dining room with a superb wood-panelled window and wood-burning stove. With windows to the front and side, it’s also bright and airy and houses a superb plasterwork ceiling rose.
This floor also has a further reception room, currently used as a family room and overlooking the large back garden.
Moving upstairs, there’s a wide staircase with traditional and decorative balustrade leading to the first floor which has four very large and naturally bright double bedrooms, plus an enormous family bathroom with a superb Victorian-style cast iron bath.
Open a door in the hall and instead of finding a cupboard there’s a hall and further staircase which leads to a third floor.
Here, there is a new shower room and two huge rooms with several Velux windows, which could be used as guest bedrooms, games room or home office.
Outside is just as spacious.
The front garden has a lawn and established plants, plus a large drive for off-street parking and a garage capable of housing up to four cars.
The rear garden, which is fully enclosed and child-friendly, has been laid to lawn, with a selection of shrubs and mature trees.
There is a timber-built summer house with power, a decked area, a further shed and small stone outbuilding.
The drive extends to the back of the house where there is the benefit of a carport which gets a lot of use as Darren, a self-confessed vintage-car fan, is co-owner of Moray Motor Museum which houses a superb collection of veteran, vintage, classic cars and motorbikes.
The house is tastefully decorated in neutral tones throughout and stylishly furnished and dressed and one suspects it’s Debbie that’s largely to thank for the subtle shift from bachelor pad to family abode.
“It is a lovely house and ideal for bringing up a family,” said Debbie.
“The children and their friends love playing hide and seek in the house, and because of the big windows throughout, the house has a light and friendly feel to it.
“Another good point is the location as everything is within easy walking distance such as the High Street, retail park and two primary schools.”
Amenities in Elgin include primary and secondary schools, major supermarkets, library, a good selection of independent shops, sporting, recreational facilities and a train station providing direct links to Aberdeen and Inverness.
Aberdeen and Inverness provide all of the facilities expected from modern and prosperous cities, with an excellent selection of shopping, retail parks and associated services, rail links and airports.
Full of charm and character, one suspects the decision to sell The Grange wasn’t easy.
“I’ve always had a hankering to have a house with a bit more land,” said Darren. “My parents are downsizing so we are going to move into their house as it sits in two acres of ground which is why we’ve taken the decision to sell.”
Contact: CKD Galbraith on 01343 546362.