Victorian hospital to dream home

Buyers torn between old and new properties can enjoy the best aspects of both thanks to a sensitive restoration of a former hospital, writes Stephen Emerson

They offer such large living spaces due to how the development has been designed around the original hospital structure

Springwell House, Edinburgh Prices from £305,000 to £667,000

It is a classic homebuyer’s dilemma – whether to go for a new-build, with its modern finish and lack of impending repairs, or to opt for an older property which will offer space and character.

But Edinburgh-based developer AMA Home’s new project in the city’s Dalry district, could remedy this problem for buyers in the Capital with its restoration of the former Springwell Hospital.

The new Springwell House development will see 48 new units built in the walled grounds of the late-1800s building, and sits at the intersection of Gorgie Road and Ardmillan Terrace. They will consist of 35 apartments, five duplexes, six townhouses and two lodge houses.

A total of 17 homes at the site have already been sold, with new owners set to collect their keys this month.

Behnam Afshar, director of AMA Homes, says: “This development has taken us as a company back to our roots 38 years ago, as we started out in property refurbishment.

“Springwell Hospital had been forgotten about and was hidden from view, but after our restoration it has become a very prominent building and is a nice focal point.

“About 99 per cent of our buyers so far have bought these homes to live in and not to rent out, and we believe this is because they offer such large living spaces due to how the development has been designed around the original hospital structure.”

Restoration work on the former hospital has been painstakingly carried out with the roof replaced, brickwork restored and its sash-and-case windows returned to their original condition.

Afshar observes: “When you enter each property, you are met with a very large volume of space, and the ceilings are very high, so you don’t feel as if you are hemmed in.

“The development sits next to Gorgie Farm and the townhouses have great views over the fields. You wouldn’t know you were right in the middle of the city.

“The properties sit back from the main road, so they are secluded, and we have also retained the cherry trees of the property which add to the character and feel of the place.”

A new hybrid model of domesticity and office working will likely emerge for the residential market after the pandemic, and how suitable a property is for working from home is becoming a key buying consideration.

Afshar says: “The properties we have sold so far have been to first or second-time buyers. Many of the buyers are professionals who can,

for at least some of the time, see themselves working from home.

“There are large spaces within each property that could be designated as a work space. All flats have car parking spaces and there are very good bus links for when office workers do have to go into the office.”

Elsewhere in Edinburgh, AMA Homes has 16 luxury apartments still available at its Pavilion development in Inverleith, and the developer is also working on a project at Torwood in Murrayfield which will see 29 high-end apartments created around a restored Victorian property.

To book a viewing at Springwell House, or for more information on its other projects in the Capital, contact AMA Homes on 0131-226 1780.