Standing in the living room it’s easy to see what first drew Jane and Russell Graham to their Cellardyke home.
Looking through the open-plan kitchen/dining room the sea glitters just a few yards away.
Located right on the waterfront in one of the East Neuk’s prettiest villages, 77 George Street has a superb location.
The Grahams bought the house a little under three years ago, having previously lived in Anstruther.
When they moved in they immediately set about renovating the house. “Structurally it was sound,” Russell explains. “There was nothing really wrong with the fabric of the house. Everything inside was just a bit tired and hadn’t been touched for a long time.
“The central heating system was old and on its last legs. There were Artex ceilings. The kitchen and bathroom were both in need of renewal. Really the whole house just needed a bit of an overhaul.”
The couple got stuck in straight away, stripping out the old kitchens and bathrooms.
Renovating
One of the finest of the new features is the downstairs flooring. The living room and kitchen floors are weathered pine. The thick, time-worn boards look like they’ve been there for much longer than just a couple of years.
“It’s reclaimed Canadian pine that we got from a merchant in Preston that we’ve used before,” Jane explains. “It’s a very old house so modern flooring would have looked out of place.
“These boards are nicely weathered and have a natural grain and knots. They’re all different widths, from eight inches to 12 inches. Our joiner was rolling his eyes trying to fit them but we think they look fantastic.”
A new kitchen was installed, with units on either side of the room leaving a clear and uninterrupted view to the sea outside. LED downlights were fitted in both kitchen and living room.
Another great addition was a large wood burning stove in the living room. “It pretty much warms the whole house,” Russell says. “We had family staying in the attic room a while back and they said it was cosy up there.”
Jane and Russell installed a modern gas combi boiler which supplies heating and hot water. To fit in with the home’s age, they also installed vintage style radiators.
While most of the work went smoothly there were one or two small setbacks.
“When we took off the tiles in the bathroom we discovered more tiles underneath,” Jane groans. “Whoever had previously done the bathroom had just put new tiles over the old ones instead of removing them. That meant it took twice as long to strip the room out.”
Taking a tour
Built in 1850, 77 George Street is a terraced house that would most likely originally have been home to one of Cellardyke’s many fishing families.
A low entrance door in the sandstone wall opens into the hallway and living room. The living room has a window facing onto George Street and views out to sea from the kitchen window.
Beyond the kitchen is a small sunroom that was added around six years ago. It has two large windows and amazing views out to sea.
“In all the time we’ve been here we’ve never got tired of the views,” Jane continues. “In the summertime you can see dolphins out there nearly every day. Ferries run across to the Isle of May and you can see fishing boats dropping their lobster creels.
“Wild swimmers often come swimming past as well.”
A door from the sunroom opens onto a small rear garden with a stone sea wall. While the garden isn’t big there’s more than enough room for outdoor seating and a bbq.
The couple’s two-year-old collie Jess clearly loves being outside and would be off if Russell didn’t grab her collar.
“She’s forever running along the wall to say hello to the neighbours,” Jane says.
By the sea
Meanwhile, the steady rush of the waves and the sound of seabirds are extremely relaxing: “In the summer we love to have our bedroom window open at night so we can go to sleep and wake up to the sound of the waves.”
While the sunroom is small, with just enough room for two chairs and a table, there are plans in place to expand it.
“We have planning permission to extend the sunroom so it’s the full width of the kitchen,” Jane says. “It would have a full wall of glass and glazed doors opening onto the garden. Decking would extend to the sea wall and there would be a glass balustrade to offer protection from the wind.”
At the top of the stairs a window frames the view out to sea. The master bedroom takes full advantage of the outlook with two windows. From this elevated first floor position the views are, if anything, even more spectacular than from ground level.
A second double bedroom looks over George Street and has built in wardrobes. The family bathroom has been fully refurbished and has a bath with a mains-powered rainfall shower above it.
Attic space
A set of steps lead up to the attic room. Because the stairs are narrow and steep, this room can’t officially be classed as a bedroom. It’s more than big enough to be used as one, however, or alternatively it would make a fantastic home office.
A skylight window gives views out to sea and an exposed stone wall adds character and charm.
Jane, 55, works in the local Royal Mail sorting office while Russell, 52, recently retired from Police Scotland.
The couple are originally from the west coast of Scotland and they love hosting family and friends in their Cellardyke home.
“It’s not hard to get to the East Neuk from Glasgow and the last bit of the journey is very scenic,” Russell says. “Our family love coming to stay here. They always say it feels like being on holiday.”
77 George Street, Cellardyke is on sale with Thorntons for o/o £415,000.
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