Ordinarily, when an extension happens a small bit is added to a big bit.
Not so in the case of the Old Manse in Newbigging.
“The original building was a wee but ’n’ ben dating from around 1791,” explains owner Graham Haig.
“Then the much bigger manse part of the house was added in the 1890s.”
Graham and his wife Liz have lived at the Old Manse for 33 years.
Sweethearts since their school days, the couple have raised three children in the four bedroom home.
Graham, a retired vet, and Liz, a former pharmacist, bought the house in 1983.
“It was a bit of a fixer-upper,” Liz says. “When we got there the only heating was an Aga in what was then the dining room and is now the kitchen.
“We’d huddle around that during the winter, when the single-glazed windows would ice up.
“We put a gas stove in the hallway to try to get some warmth into the rest of the house.”
The Old Manse is now a much more comfortable place.
There is oil-fired central heating, wood burning stoves, the trusty Aga, and quality double glazing.
Eighteen years ago the couple added a marvellous conservatory to the side of the house which is where they now spend most of their time when indoors.
Downstairs there’s a dining kitchen, sitting room and lounge, dining room, utility, shower room and conservatory, while upstairs are four bedrooms and a family bathroom.
The Old Manse sits in a fraction under an acre of garden ground.
Graham is incredibly green fingered and the garden is a welter of colour. Rhododendron and azalea have been cleverly planted so as one’s colour fades the next is bursting into bloom.
“I do the weeding but Graham is the one who has the talent in the garden,” a proud Liz says. “We get a six-month spread of colour.”
For those who don’t need or want an acre of garden there is the option to sell off the bottom portion of land – the Haigs applied for and received planning permission for a bungalow.
Graham’s gardening endeavours have uncovered treasures from the past.
“At one point there was the village tennis court in the bottom of the garden. Not much of it was left when we moved in.
“And I once found a concrete cap in the garden. When I dug it up I found an old well underneath.
“That’s now been turned into a feature – although I’ve put wire over the top to stop curious cats and dogs jumping in.”
The Haigs are building a house at nearby Pitarlie Farm.
“We’ve loved being here but it’s too big for us now,” Liz says.
“We’re both 62,” Graham adds.
“The upkeep is fine now but in a few more years who knows if we’ll still be up for looking after such a big house and garden. It’s time to hand it on to someone else.”
The Old Manse is on sale through Blackadders with an asking price of offers over £435,000.
www.blackadders.co.uk