20 Merchiston Gardens, Edinburgh, EH10 5DD

The property

This terraced Victorian house retains the style of a late-Victorian property. Incorporating six double bedrooms, two reception rooms, three bathrooms, an office, and a south-facing aspect, it sits in mature gardens, with private access to Merchiston Gardens Park, directly opposite. It offers a single garage nearby, and proximity to local amenities. A path through the rose garden leads to the front door. An ample vestibule with stained-glass windows and original floor tiling then opens into an entrance hall. With its dusky-pink decor framed by the elegant cornicing to be found throughout the house, this reception hall with its solid-wood floor offers space for furniture and is contiguous with a substantial cloakroom. On your right, you step into an a generously- proportioned living room. Here are untouched architectural features such as a ceiling rose and an ornate fireplace. A south-facing bay window with a paneled surround frames the sun-dappled trees in the park opposite. Continue along the hall, and you reach the dining room. The rich-red decor here complements the elegant features to be found throughout the house, and a French door leads to the garden beyond. A wide opening leads from the dining room to the kitchen, also accessible from the hall. The kitchen has extensive wall and base cabinets, plentiful workspace, decorative tiling, and a wood floor. An AGA stove warms both body and spirit, a microwave is integrated, and there is a plumbed-in refrigerator. Beyond, a utility room has further storage space together with laundry appliances, and affords access to a pantry, a bathroom with a shower, and the back garden. A flight of stairs from the kitchen leads to a room currently equipped as an office. The first-floor landing has two storage cupboards and is lit by a cupola skylight. The master bedroom on this floor mirrors the features and outlook of the living room below. One of the remaining bedrooms on this floor is currently being utilised as a shelved study. There is also a four- piece family bathroom comprising a corner bathtub, a separate large shower enclosure, a traditional-style WC-suite, all themed in blue. Ascend the stairs to the second floor to arrive at a galleried landing leading to the three remaining bedrooms and a further family bathroom. The front-facing bedroom has French doors opening onto a sun-kissed stone-built balcony. The remaining second-floor bedrooms to the rear offer views of an exceptionally leafy suburbia. The bathroom on this floor sports a freestanding rolltop bathtub, a corner shower enclosure, and a traditional-style WC- suite, as well as a linen cupboard. The house is heated by a gas central heating system and retains its original sash-and-case windows. There are mature gardens to the front and rear. The walled rear garden features a lawn, a secluded seating area that remains a sun trap well into the evening, a wealth of mature, colourful trees and shrubbery, a shed, and a greenhouse. Access to Merchiston Gardens Park, opposite, is with a key obtained by payment of an annual fee. EPC Rating - E. Extras: All white goods, including the fridge (plumbed in); dishwasher, washing machine, dryer and freezer are to be included in the sale. With tree-lined streets, established gardens and large villas, it is not hard to find why the Victorian suburb of Merchiston is one of the most sought-after and prestigious places to live in Edinburgh. Writers such as JK Rowling, Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith have all called Merchiston home over the years. Lying south-west of the city centre, the area boasts a wide variety of cafes, restaurants, coffee houses, bistros, independent shops, galleries, boutiques, a luxury cinema, theatres and various supermarkets including Waitrose and M&S. It offers a unique and independent atmosphere whilst being very close to the city centre. Further world-class shopping, eateries and amenities can be found in George Street, St. Andrew Square and Princes Street. Outstanding schooling is nearby, including George Watson's College directly adjacent tp Merchiston Gardens, Boroughmuir High School, Merchiston Castle School and Steiner School. The area is very well served by public transport, superb cycle paths and picturesque walkways along the canal or up Easter Craigs hill.