USP Looking for love

Remember when it was easy for those who couldn’t afford their dream home? In the 1970s, it felt that those on a tight budget would simply buy an unloved property in need of TLC at a vastly reduced price, then slum it for a time while doing up the house over weekends of DIY.

Nowadays distressed houses in the best areas are fought over by owner occupiers, developers and would-be property investors, sometimes driving up the price to levels of a comparable property in perfect nick.

Stanley Road is in a residential street in the popular area of Trinity, which is leafy and within half an hour’s walk of the city centre. The street has easy access to the city cycle network and the Water of Leith walkway.

So a house in such a family-friendly location, which needs work, such as No15, is likely to pique a lot of interest.

Certainly the Victorian semi-detached house requires comprehensive upgrading but it is very attractive, with a grand sitting room, kitchen, dining room and study, four bedrooms and a bathroom and a morning room at basement level leading to a sizeable back garden.

It screams potential – whether you are a property mogul or just fancy getting stuck into a long-term DIY project.