6 Lamington Street, Tain, Ross-shire, IV19 1AA

No longer for sale but available for Holiday Let - click HERE Spacious 200 year old 3 Bedroom Flat completely renovated summer 2009   YOU GET A LOT OF SPACE FOR YOUR MONEY! This large bright flat has recently been totally renovated. The traditional sash windows and doors have been stripped back to reveal their warm wood colours and the building retains many of its original features.  It is situated on the "sunny side of the street" and the large front windows allow the sunlight to flood into the flat for much of the day.  The property offers the convenience of small town centre living whilst being within commuting distance of Inverness by car, bus or train and only minutes from the glorious countryside of Ross-shire and Sutherland. For the golfer Tain has its own 18 hole course, whilst the famous Royal Dornoch Golf Club is only 10 miles distant.  For more about Tain visit the Tain Community Website or Undiscovered Scotland. Not everybody wants to live over a chip shop and a bookies! However the chip shop was completely rebuilt in 2008 and operates using the most modern of equipment. They use only vegetable oils, and although the vent is not far from the flat kitchen window, even if the window is open, the aroma is not unpleasant. The chip shop closes at 9pm and the owner assures me that will not change. Fireproofing is to modern standards. Although Ladbrokes is sometimes open until 10pm there is little noise or disturbance from them. The location of the flat offers every convenience. All shops, all four major banks, schools, professional services and public transport are within a few minutes walk. There is a co-operative store open until 10pm just 1 minute walk away, buses stop nearby and the railway station is about five minutes walk. There is only short-term parking outside the flat, however a large free public car park is less than 1 minute walk away. The property, being totally self contained, would also make an ideal holiday home or investment opportunity. Accommodation over two floors consists of two spacious airy attic bedrooms and a walk-in storage cupboard, fully tiled bathroom, master bedroom with fitted wardrobes and large ensuite bath/shower room. Living room featuring a traditional cast iron fireplace with double doors to fitted kitchen including washer/dryer, dishwasher, built-in fridge and cooker/hob with electric cooker hood. There is also a large storage cupboard under the stairs containing the electricity meter.   All plumbing has been renewed and a new electric combined hot water/central heating boiler system installed. The building has been completely re-wired and extensively fitted with low-voltage halogen lighting. The electricity supply uses the Economy 10 tariff supplied by Scottish Hydro Electric, giving 10 hours a day of cheap rate electricity.   The original sash windows have been removed, renovated and returned with new pulleys, cords and insulating. The doors have been stripped back to their original wood finish, oiled & waxed with new Carlisle Brass furniture fitted.   All rooms have been decorated in neutral colours and the flat is fully carpeted with laminated flooring in the kitchen and vinyl flooring in the ensuite bathroom.   The flat is in walk-in condition requiring only the addition of the purchasers choice of curtains/blinds.   CONSTRUCTION   Constructed of stone with slate roof and mostly original sash windows. Most of the walls are of plaster and lath construction and therefore due to their age, although sound, display much of their 'character'  - don't expect plasterboard perfection!  The bathroom is a more modern addition made of wood and formed as a rear dormer, faced with what is thought to be cedar shingles and a flat felted roof.   The roof has been inspected and repaired by a qualified roofer. The property has been treated for woodworm and a 30-year guarantee is available. All plumbing work has been carried out by qualified plumbers the electrical work has also been carried out by qualified persons and a 10-year inspection certificate issued.   The first floor, floor boarding has been completely renewed.      Original cast iron gutters at the rear of the flat, (This looks like a double image, however the top gutter is for the rear roof and the lower for the front roof, which is channeled via the side wall to the back), cleaned and painted. The new flooring in bedroom 1. The front door.   ACCOMMODATION   Entrance and upper hall    From left: The first floor landing, cupboard under upper stairs and stairs to top floor, inside the cupboard.   Entrance through double doors with security lock and hinges to a small entrance hall with stairs to upper hall. Sash window and large storage cupboard under the stairs to the second floor. Two low-voltage halogen lights, pendant light and mains powered smoke detector. (The smoke detectors on both landings are linked and will be activated simultaneously). Mains powered door chime. Double socket. Central heating radiator. Original plaster coving. The cupboard contains the electricity meter and consumer unit (with mini circuit breakers and RCD units) and is fitted with brass coat hooks and a double socket. There is also a removable panel giving access to the Saniflo (Saniplus) unit which serves the ensuite bathroom.   Living Room - 4.55m x 3.85m    From left: Main door right, and door to kitchen, press and fireplace and the picture window.    From left: Fireplace and double doors to kitchen, the fireplace, the press.   A bright and spacious room with a large picture window to the front. Ornamental cast-iron fireplace with wooden surround and Caithness stone hearth. (There is a chimney, which has previously been used, however it is not known if the chimney is lined. We are suggesting that the fireplace is only ornamental, however the use of an open fire may be possible, although, we would suggest you get the chimney checked by a qualified person beforehand. There is, of course, little provision for the storage of solid fuel or its remains)! Original press with glass shelving, concealed light and cupboard. Illuminated by 12 adjustable low-voltage halogen lights. Original plaster coving. Four double sockets and TV point. Double central heating radiator. Central heating control. Double wood and glass doors leading to:   Kitchen - 4.35m x 1.85m    From left. View from the Kitchen window, kitchen looking towards doors into the living room, general view of the kitchen units.   Galley-style kitchen with window to rear giving open views across the firth to Dornoch. Schreiber fitted floor and wall units (7 wall and 4 base units). Heatrae Sadia Electromax central heating/water storage unit. Bosch slim dishwasher, Zanussi ZWD12270W1 Washer Dryer, Schreiber fitted larder fridge, Select 620 Diplomat fan oven and Matsui MEH60WH hob with recirculating fan over. Space for small dining table or freezer. Illuminated by five low-voltage halogen lamps and two under wall unit strip lights, plus light incorporated within the cooker hood. Four double sockets. Central heating radiator. Laminate flooring.   Bedroom 1 - 4.65m x 3.90m    From left: Main door and, right, door to ensuite, the fitted wardrobe and picture window, the fitted wardrobe and door to ensuite.   Another spacious and airy room situated to the front of the property and benefiting from a large picture window. Featuring a fitted mahogany coloured wardrobe unit across one wall. Illuminated by six low-voltage halogen lights in a circular formation. Four double sockets and double central heating radiator. With door off leading to:   Ensuite bathroom - 4.5m x 1.7m    From left: Quadrant shower unit & towel rail, bath, sink & shaver mirror.   New modern bathroom suite consisting of bath, washbasin, close-coupled toilet and electric Triton quadrant shower. The shower, washbasin and bath are protected by "wet-wall". Circular mirror with light and shaver socket over. Five low-voltage halogen lights. Heated towel rail working off the central heating system.  The waste water is removed using a Saniflo - Saniplus unit.   Bathroom - 2.23 x 2.03m    From left: Basin & wall cupboard, basin, WC & bath, fitted cupboard.   Situated halfway up the stairs to the upper floor. New modern bathroom suite consisting of bath, washbasin and close-coupled toilet. Fully tiled with white tiles. Large shelved storage cupboard. Wall mirror and cabinet. Double central heating radiator. Extractor fan. Electric wall fan heater and four low-voltage halogen lights. Window with secondary double glazing.   Upper landing    From left: The top landing, showing doors into the cupboard (left) and bedroom 2, looking down towards the bathroom, looking back up from the bathroom.   Original stairs with an open bannister lead to the top floor. Small central heating radiator, two low-voltage halogen lamps, wall light and mains powered smoke detector. New double glazed Velux roof light. (Subject to permissions etc., it would not be too difficult to make a small staircase out through the roof and to create a wonderful rooftop area on the bathroom roof). Large walk-in cupboard with strip light and adjustable shelving.   Bedroom 2 - 4.55m x 4.28m    From left: View from bedroom 2, looking towards the door, looking towards the window.   A lovely bright room with coombed ceiling and dormer window giving fine views of Tain's main street. Two double sockets.Double central heating radiator, Three fixed and two adjustable low-voltage halogen lights.   Bedroom 3 - 4.6m x 4.28m    From left: View from bedroom 3, looking towards the door, looking towards the back wall.   As bedroom 2 -  A lovely bright room with coombed ceiling and dormer window giving fine views of Tain's main street. Two double sockets. Double central heating radiator, Three fixed and two adjustable low-voltage halogen lights.   DECORATION   Walls and woodwork. All rooms have had their walls lined and painted. Both stairs and landings are decorated in white and magnolia with white woodwork; the living room, malt chocolate with dusted damson feature wall and magnolia paint work; the kitchen, white with white and magnolia woodwork; bedroom one, daffodil white with magnolia woodwork; ensuite bathroom Japanese maze with Italian garden woodwork (both light greens); bathroom and bedrooms two and three all white. Sash window panels, doors & fireplace. Stripped, treated with Danish oil and coated with light coloured wax. No attempt has been made to repair blemishes to the wood work and many old key holes etc., remain, this just adds to the original 'feel' of the premises.   Outside. All windows painted white, metalwork and front doors painted Oxford blue.   Spare paint is available for all colours for touch-up purposes.   Floor covering. The entire flat has been carpeted with a medium "oatmeal" colour wooldale (loop pile) (40 % wool 30 % caractere 30 % polypropylene) carpet and "Cosi Comfort 8mm PU foam underlay", with the exception of the kitchen which has laminate flooring, the bathroom has "bathroom quality" carpet and the ensuite bathroom, vinyl floor covering. There is a large piece of carpet spare for patching or repairs.   SHARED LIABILITIES   The three properties (the flat and two shops) share common liabilities, the roof, outside walls, foundations etc., split on the basis of floor area. It should be noted that both the shops, particularly the bookmakers have large basement areas, which would count towards their share.   HISTORY   The building was most probably built in 1808 on land forming part of "The Grove", a large house to the rear of the property. It was formally known as Cameron House, and later Cameron Buildings - probably named by a Mr Murdoch Cameron when he bought it in 1849. In 1946 it was bought by Primo and Emilio Pieraccini, confectioners of Inverness. (Although they obviously occupied the property long before then. We found their name on the wall under the wallpaper in bedroom 3, with the date May 1931). They sold it to Luigi Celestino Volante in 1988, who's family lived in the flat and operated both shops until 2006. Trading as a chip shop and cafe, ice cream shop and sweet shop, known as Cafe Volante.  Visit Tain Through Time to find out more. The flat is also know as "The Chocolate Shop Flat".   LAMINGTON STREET   The name Lamington Street  is taken from the Scotsburn area, west of Tain.  Just beyond Quebec bridge and the entrance into the Aldie Burn walk, there used to be a croft called Easter Lamington, now gone but the surrounding wood is marked on maps as East Lamington wood.  A little further west was a croft called Wester Lamington now called Easter Lamington and beside that is an area of woodland known as Lamington Park.  A hamlet called Lamington lies just a little bit further west of what is now Easter Lamington, so it was a well known local name but where the name came from originally is not known. (Information thanks to Margaret Urquhart, Tain Through Time).   LISTED BUILDING   The group 4, 6 & 8 Lamington Street (the flat and both shops) are listed by Historic Scotland in category C(S) which means: Buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style, or building type, as originally constructed or moderately altered; and simple traditional buildings which group well with others in categories A and B.   The listing was made on 29th October 1982 and described as: Earlier/mid 19th century, 2 storey and attic, 3 bay shop and dwelling. Snecked coursed rubble, painted tooled ashlar dressings. Centre door with flanking shop entrances and modern shop windows. 3 tripartites in 1st floor with 12-pane glazing; 2 later 19th century canted dormers; corniced end stacks; slate roof.   It is unlikely that this listing would have any effect on the use of the building other than changes to the roof and windows. The Highland Council Planning Department should be contacted to confirm this.   Less than 1% of property in Scotland is listed.   COUNCIL TAX   The property is in band B. The tax payable in 2009/10 including water and sewerage charges is £1210.67.   RENOVATION   Some views of the renovation work    From left: The living room stripped back (over ten layers of paper), The living room fireplace in its original position in bedroom 2, The doors outside "Strip-eeze" in Lossiemouth after being "dipped & stripped".      From left: The outside showing the window spaces protected with canvas sheets whilst the sashes were being renovated, The living room floor removed and the original tiled fireplace, Bedroom 2 showing the old water tanks.   CONTACT   For further information or to receive a copy of our Home Information Pack, or to arrange a viewing please contact: mail@tainflat.co.uk Mobile 0773 187 6369 Telephone (office hours) 01862 811501 Fax 01862 811600   Offers Offer should be made in standard Scottish form to: Arthur & Carmichael, Cathedral Square, Dornoch, Sutherland, IV25 3SW.   Disclaimer These particulars are for guidance only and whilst all care has been taken in preparation, they are not intended to form part of a contract of purchase. No liability will be accepted for any deviations.   Seller Inkandstuff Limited, Dornoch Business Park, Dornoch, Sutherland, IV25 3SF.