Buyers give developer top marks for new home

A RESTORED Edinburgh landmark has welcomed another happy buyer, a local couple who made their dream move into one of Boroughmuir’s incredible top floor vaulted apartments.

After making the decision to move, Edinburgh-born Alison Murphy and her husband Mark set out to find a home in the heart of the city that had the perfect combination of character and style.

With a move hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple found their dream home at the refurbished former Boroughmuir High School, where they purchased a light-filled, three-bedroom corner apartment with original feature beams and beautiful crescent windows.

Alison said: “When we decided to move, we knew we wanted to be near to the centre of the city where we could walk everywhere.

“We travel a lot, and so we wanted something hassle free with private parking and some outdoor space without the upkeep. As well as its location, what attracted us to Boroughmuir was its setting within this beautiful old building which oozes character, but is completely brand new and modern inside.”

“Interestingly, we are on the south west facing side of the building, and so although we’re on the side without the views of Edinburgh castle, our home is filled with light which really won it for us.”

Alison and Mark made the decision to move last year, and sold their home in January in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. They have both praised CALA for its team’s efforts to get everything ready for the couple to move into their new home as quickly as they could.

She added: “The sales consultants, did their best to make what was a difficult year for buying and selling a house as smooth as possible. The service has been exceptional, from the sales team to the site staff and everyone has been so pleasant and welcoming.

“It was very difficult to move during a pandemic, but the CALA team couldn’t have made it easier – without a doubt, they’ve bent over backwards for us. We’re so lucky we’ve now got this super place to call home.”

Alison has also commended the housebuilder for Boroughmuir’s attention to detail – including the authentic feature beams across the original 7m ceilings.

She said: “My favourite thing about the property is its quirkiness and the history of it, knowing it was a chemistry classroom before really adds to its character.

“Boroughmuir has just ticked so many boxes for us, especially its amazing location. We’ve lived on the west side of Edinburgh for forever, but to be able to now walk to the shops is brilliant.”

Nestled in Bruntsfield, Boroughmuir is surrounded by plenty of bars, restaurants, and independent shops, and only a short distance from Haymarket and the vast greenery of The Meadows.

Boroughmuir is regarded as one of the Scottish capital’s most prized school buildings, constructed pre-WWI between 1911 and 1914. The Grade B-listed building is the innovative creation of renowned architect John Alexander Carfrae and was notably one of the first in Edinburgh to utilise a steel frame for architecture.

Each of the apartments comes with lift access, off-street allocated parking with access to electric vehicle charging points and access to a relaxing private residents’ courtyard.

Buyers at Boroughmuir also enjoyed an added peace of mind of a 10-year NHBC warranty, 24-hour response service for emergency calls and after-sales service for 2 years.

For further information on Boroughmuir, or to book an appointment for a tour of its recently launched second show apartment, please visit: 

https://www.cala.co.uk/homes-for-sale/east-of-scotland/boroughmuir/

Top of the class for Boroughmuir apartments

A RESTORED Edinburgh landmark has landed its latest happy buyers, a couple who have snapped up a two-bedroom, ground floor apartment.

First time buyers Mark Love and Leon Macmillan had been renting for five years in Quartermile before they set out to find a home in their favourite area of Edinburgh, Bruntsfield.

After hearing about the transformation of the former Boroughmuir High School from a colleague, the couple found their dream home in a south-facing apartment with a main door access from the landscaped courtyard.

Mark, a product development director, said: “I’m originally from Glasgow and Leon grew up in Leith, and in 2015 we agreed we’d rent for a little while and wait for something to come on the market that we both liked.

“Nothing had really come up that we loved but as soon as we saw Boroughmuir, there was no doubt in our minds that we’d go for it. We spend a lot of time in Bruntsfield at the weekends, but we never really passed the old Boroughmuir High School so we didn’t know it was being converted into apartments.

“We had originally wanted a one-bedroom apartment but through discussion and seeing the homes in the flesh, we realised this is going to be our home for some time so we decided to go for a two-bedroom apartment.

“We had this affinity with Bruntsfield and had always said we didn’t want a fixer-upper, we’d prefer newbuilds or newly renovated homes so this ticked a huge box for us. It’s this amazing grand building in the heart of Bruntsfield – a pristine new home with a historic building around it, it’s really the best of both worlds.”

Mark and Leon chose a ground floor apartment with four large windows looking out from the front of the building, with a second bedroom that many residents have converted into home offices, overlooking the resident’s courtyard.

The couple has praised the team at CALA for their consistent communication while buying a home during a pandemic.

Mark added: “They say buying a home is one of the most stressful things you can do but to be honest it was amazingly stress-free. We can’t fault CALA at all, they were great from the outset.

“I think that’s probably what made it a lot easier, the constant communication from the Sales Consultants, they kept in touch about deadlines and guided us through the process. There was never a need to chase them, we were kept fully informed throughout.”

Nestled in the heart of Bruntsfield, Boroughmuir is a collection of one, two and three bedroom apartments. Most of the homes have elevated ceiling heights, with some up to seven metres, innovative mezzanine levels and carefully retained original features. .  

Boroughmuir is regarded as one of the Scottish capital’s most prized school buildings, constructed pre-WWI between 1911 and 1914. The Grade B-listed building is the innovative creation of renowned architect John Alexander Carfrae and was notably one of the first in Edinburgh to utilise a steel frame for architecture.

The development’s location in Bruntsfield means it is surrounded by plenty of bars, restaurants, and independent shops, and only a short distance from Haymarket and the greenery of The Meadows.

Each of the apartments comes with lift access, allocated parking with access to electric vehicle charging points, access to a private residents’ courtyard and a ten year NHBC warranty.

For further information on Boroughmuir, or to book an appointment for a tour of the show apartment, please visit: 

https://www.cala.co.uk/homes-for-sale/east-of-scotland/boroughmuir/

Vassals of the Muir: Minister opens new Boroughmuir

The new Boroughmuir High School was officially opened at a special ceremony by the Minister for Higher and Further Education and Science Shirley-Anne Somerville yesterday. Ms Somerville was joined by Councillor Adam McVey, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, Deputy Leader Councillor Cammy Day, Education Vice Convener Councillor Alison Dickie and Head Teacher David Dempster.

New Boroughmuir High School
Continue reading Vassals of the Muir: Minister opens new Boroughmuir