Melby House

Key details

Overview

‘Melby House’ is a stunning, 6 bedroom, detached family home, immaculately presented with all the comforts of a modern home within a traditional exterior, set in around 0.9 acres while enjoying fantastic sea views eastwards to Muckle Roe and up the north mainland coast as far as Eshaness to the north and across to Papa Stour. Lerwick is approximately 30 miles.

The double-glazed, grade ‘B’ listed accommodation is arranged over three floors and comprises of six large double bedrooms (five en-suite), a stunning main sittingroom, a beautifully fitted breakfasting kitchen with ‘AGA’, separate hall / living room, bathroom, cloakroom / WC, office and utility / laundry room.

The large site includes garden areas to the front and the rear, plenty of parking, a large shed / workshop, plus additional space offering scope for possible further development, perhaps some self-catering pods, or a polytunnel, subject to any necessary consents.

If not used as a spacious family home, as most of the bedrooms have en-suites (the remaining bedroom has plumbing in place for an en-suite), the property has obvious guest house / B & B potential offering tourist accommodation in this beautiful setting.

General Information

‘Melby House’ is situated in an idyllic rural setting at Sandness in the West Mainland of Shetland, the ‘sunny’ westside, at the end of the Melby side road just above Melby’s fine, long and sandy beach where seals and otters can be seen, and across the Sound of Papa from the island of Papa Stour.

Sandness is a quite scattered crofting community in an area boasting stunning coastal scenery and walks. Amenities in the immediate area itself include a primary school and village hall, further amenities being available at Walls (approximately 8 miles) where there is a local shop / post office with fuel, another primary school with swimming pool for private hire, and a health centre, or at Bixter (approximately 13 miles back towards Lerwick), another shop, again with fuel, another health centre, vet’s surgery & garage. The West Mainland Junior High School and leisure centre / swimming pool are situated at Aith just three miles north of Bixter.

Further information about the westside area of Shetland can be found at:- https://www.shetland.org/visit/plan/areas/westside

Melby house is a traditional Shetland Haa house, a former laird’s house, understood to have been built around 1800, the seat of the Scotts of Melby until 1985.

This stone-built property is grade ‘B’ listed. It is understood that the roof was re-slated in the early 2000’s, the property has had extensive renovation which has effectively created a ‘new build’ property within the traditional exterior, resulting in a property of immense character yet still benefiting from all the comforts of a modern home including double glazing, all windows being conservation style sash & case units, and central heating provided by an electric ‘Gabarron’ boiler housed in a built-in cupboard in the main bathroom which also houses the ‘Megaflo’ hot water tank. A solid-fuel stove in the main sittingroom provides a cosy alternative heat source. A modern extension replaced a previous extension to the south side of the house, adding a utility / laundry room, office and cloakroom.

Internally the house has been finished with considerable flair, the interior, though new, retaining a ‘period’ feel throughout. Much of the ground floor has been laid with hardwearing ‘Karndean’ flooring, including the decorative floor in the front porch.

The sale will include all carpets and other fixed floor coverings, the curtains and blinds, and light fittings.

Accommodation

The formal access to the property is from the roadside to the east, gates opening to a brick paved path flanked by lawns to either side surrounded by established planting and stone dykes, leading to a porch with decorative flooring and a window enjoying the fine view out to the sea. A glazed inner door leads to a striking, generously proportioned, open-plan hall / additional living area, the recessed ceiling being a distinctive feature, and the window, like the porch, again enjoying the sea view.

Solid oak doors from the hall lead to an east-facing double bedroom (bedroom 2) to the right, ahead to a lobby leading to the kitchen and another bedroom, and to the accommodation in the side extension to the left. A carpeted stair with oak bannister, and period style paneling below concealing a small under stairs cupboard, leads up to the first floor. The east-facing bedroom is lined out and plumbing and drainage connections are already in place allowing for the installation of an en-suite if required.

The lobby to the rear has doors to the kitchen, a lovely family bathroom, the second ground floor bedroom, and a stair up to the main sittingroom. A built-in cupboard provides storage. The breakfasting kitchen is a fabulous double height space, the substantial glazed area to the south-facing roof flooding the room and also the main sittingroom upstairs which overlooks it, with natural light, additional light coming from two south-facing windows both with window seats below. The room is attractively fitted with units which provide extensive cupboard and worktop space beautifully finished with cornices and other detailing. The four oven electric ‘AGA’ range (it also has two gas hobs) housed in a recess with tiled splash back is included in the sale along with the ‘American’ style fridge / freezer which also incorporates a wine chiller and is housed in a floor-to-ceiling run of fitted units to the wall opposite. A matching island breakfast bar unit with solid granite worktop provides additional storage. Also separate integral oven, concealed dishwasher & ‘Franke’ 1½ bowl sink.

Next to the kitchen, is a family bathroom, attractively finished with painted paneling below a dado rail, the room including a white suite with double ended bath with centre mixer tap / shower fitting, plus a WC and wash hand basin with large wall mirror behind. The bath / shower rooms in the property generally have ‘period’ style fittings in keeping with the original style of the property, the showers mostly having ‘rainfall’ shower heads and separate hand held fittings. A built-in airing cupboard houses the central heating boiler and water tank. Next to the bathroom is a spacious, rear-facing, carpeted double bedroom with built-in wardrobe and a well-appointed en-suite with large shower, WC & wash hand basin, the arched window being an interesting feature.

The stair up from the lobby outside the kitchen leads to the stunning main sittingroom which overlooks the kitchen, a very generously proportioned carpeted space, again with lots of natural light, as in addition to the large roof glazing over the kitchen, there is a substantial picture window with upholstered window seat below to the north which enjoys fantastic views to Papa Stour. The impressive fireplace surround houses a solid-fuel stove. Again like the main hall, the ceiling features recessed panels with perimeter spotlighting providing an abundance of artificial light.

A second door leads from the kitchen to a large utility / laundry room in the side extension which has further fitted cupboard space including an inset circular bowl sink and plumbing for a washing machine (appliances included) plus a separate unit with an electric induction hob, and plenty of space for a freezer or other appliance. The utility room can also be accessed via the large lobby with attractive black and white tile effect vinyl flooring which runs from the main hall / living space to a second entrance door to the south, the lobby also providing access to a handy office with fitted desk and window again enjoying the view to the sea, a great home working space, plus a beautifully decorated cloakroom with white WC and wash hand basin set on a fitted cupboard unit.

Back off the main hall, the carpeted main stair leads up to a first floor landing lit by an east-facing window overlooking the front garden, with doors to two large en-suite double bedrooms, and a handy built-in cupboard. Bedroom 3 to the right is a stylish, dual-aspect room with windows to the south and east, and a lovely en-suite with ‘metro’ style wet wall lined shower enclosure, and a ‘period’ style WC and wash hand basin with mirror with wall lights at either side, over. The chandelier light fitting in the bedroom will remain. The second first floor bedroom also benefits from the fine view east, and again, a beautifully decorated en-suite.

Finally the stair continues up to the second (top) floor where there are two further double bedrooms, both a good-size and en-suite, bedroom five ahead having Velux windows to the front and rear plus a further small window to the gable wall. The en-suite to the second room (bedroom six) has a WC & wash hand basin.

Rooms Sizes (All approximate)

On the Ground Floor:-

Main Hall / Living Area

4.3m x 7.4m overall at longest point (14’ x 24’4”)

Kitchen

5.25m x 4.55m (17’3” x 14’10”)

Bedroom 1

3.75m x 3.2m (12'4” x 10’7”)

En-Suite Shower Room

1.7m x 3.25m at longest point (5’10” x 10’8”)

Bathroom

2.85m x 2.75m at widest points including cupboard (9’4” x 9’)

Bedroom 2

4.3m x 3.2m (14’2” x 10’6”)

Utility / Laundry Room

4.4m x 2.25m (14’4” x 7’5”)

Office

2.6m x 1.25m (8’7” x 4’2”)

Cloakroom

1.65m x 1.25m (5’6” x 4’2”)

Front Porch

2.55m x 2.2m (8’4” x 7’3”)

On the First Floor:-

Main Sittingroom

5.15m x 7.2m at longest point (floor area) (23’8” x 16’10”)

Bedroom 3

4.35m x 4m at widest points including en-suite (14’3” x 13’2”)

En-Suite Shower Room

1.75m x 1.65m (5’10” x 5’5”)

Bedroom 4

4.35m x 3.1m at widest points (14’3” x 10’2”)

En-Suite Shower Room

2.35m x 1.1m (7’8” x 3’8”)

On the Second Floor:-

Bedroom 5

4.35m x 3.95m (floor area) (14’4” x 13')

En-Suite Shower Room

2.1m x 1.8m (floor area) (6’10” x 5’10”)

Bedroom 6

4.35m x 3.1m at widest points (floor area) (14’4” x 10’3”)

En-Suite

1.8m x 1.2m (floor area) (5’10” x 3’10”)

External

As noted the property sits in a large site estimated to extend to around just under 0.9 acres or thereby, much of it enclosed by stone dykes. The more ‘formal’ garden areas are situated to the front and rear of the house, the front garden being as described with brick paved path flanked by lawns either side leading to the front door. There is a substantial parking area to the south side of the house, steps from here leading up to a large lawned area, and an additional lawn / drying green immediately behind the house.

To the north side of the house is a greenhouse (approx. 3.5m x 3.15m (11’5” x 10’3”)), with power supply, a great space for a hot tub, a sheltered decked seating area with views to the sea, and a pergola leading to a large walled enclosure to the north.

By the parking area is a detached shed / workshop (approx. 4.5m x 2.7m (14’9” x 8’10”)), again with a power supply. Also included is the grassed area between the parking area and the roadside.

Any development of the remainder of the site would be subject to obtaining any necessary consents and prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves in this regard.

Council Tax

Understood to currently be Band D. Prospective purchasers should however contact Shetland Islands Council directly for confirmation. Council Tax Bands may be reassessed by the Joint Valuation Board when a property is sold. Details of Council Tax rates can be found on Shetland Island Council’s website at:

https://www.shetland.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-charges-bands

Property location

Drive into Sandness and continue past the school to Jamieson’s Woollen Mill. Follow the road around to the right to Melby and continue right to the end of the road. ‘Melby House’ is on the left just before the pier at the end of the road.

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