Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Tuesday Tidbit: J.K. Rowling

SELLER: J.K. Rowling
LOCATION: Merchiston, Edinburgh. (That's Scotland, puppeenuh weenuhs)
PRICE: £2,250,000
SIZE: 6,847 square feet, 8-9 bedrooms, 3 full and 2 half bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: As already discussed by almost every other celebrity property gossip on the planet, near billionaire British writer J.K. Rowling "She-Rah of the wildly lucrative Harry Potter books" recently put a Victorian-era residence with 8 bedrooms and 3 full and 2 half bathrooms, situated in the affluent Merchiston area of Edinburgh, on the market with an asking price of £2,250,000, an amount otherwise known, according our currency conversion contraption, as 4,053,280 U.S. dollars at today's rates.

There (probably) aren't any wizards in the basement or magic potions in the cabinets, but marketing materials for the 6,847 square foot former residence indicate there are—among other features—a top-notch security system (that may or may not include magic wands), under-floor heating and at least half a dozen fireplaces for taking the damp edge off Scottish mornings, a cross-shaped entry/stair hall with (truly mortifying) buff-colored wall-to-wall carpeting, a 35-plus foot long family/dining room with two fireplaces offering direct garden access, a modestly-scaled main floor master suite and a concealed door that disguises access to the ground floor service quarters.

In addition to the the fully refurbished and restored main house, the walled, gated and fully landscaped mini-estate encompasses several outbuildings that include (but may not be limited to) a couple of semi-detached storage rooms, a summerhouse, detached two-car garage and a low-slung, just under 700 square foot split-level contemporary structure comfortably equipped with kitchen and bathroom and suitable for use as a home office/writing room, guest and/or in-law accommodations, a meditation retreat and/or—quelle horreur—a man cave.

Miz Rowling will hardly be left homeless when she unloads her already vacated Merchiston manor house. She reportedly owns another estate in Edinburgh, purchased for about two million pounds in 2009, a townhouse in London and a getaway estate in Perthshire. That's also in Scotland, laddies and lassies.

listing photos and floor plan: Rettie