AN EDINBURGH flat has appeared on the market for a bargain price of just £59,000 – but buyers will have a massive clean-up job on their hands.
The one-bedroom flat in the city’s Leith area was listed last Wednesday and has already been jokingly touted as the home of Scots author Sir Ian Rankin’s character, Inspector John Rebus.
With Rebus being described as an untidy and dishevelled man himself, the flat’s grim, messy interior is the major talking point of the property.
Situated on the top floor of a traditional tenement building, the clean set of stairs and the welcome mat outside the front door do much to hide the horrors within.
Upon entrance to the property, viewers are immediately met with mountains of litter and disgusting rubbish flooding the floors of the home.
Inside what is presumed to be the living room, there is barely room to move thanks to the debris crammed into the small room.
A small television can be spotted in the corner, but appears to be covered in some sort of indistinguishable mould or mess.
Another photo shows a large kitchen laden which has been turned into a dumping ground for furniture and loose boxes and bags.
The countertops and appliances are covered in what appears to be bird poo and dirt, whilst the dull walls of the flat look to be developing mould.
The small bedroom could be a clean freak’s nightmare as the double mattress is filled to its edges with clothes, bric-a-brac, letters and an underbelly of dirt.
Cloth material – possible remnants of curtains – can be seen attached to a large set of windows as a white door is barricaded off by a wooden board.
A mountain of bin bags can be seen piling up in the opposite corner of the room as a pink and blue tropical shirt hangs in a half-constructed wardrobe.
The bathroom appears rather skeletal, with pried up floorboard and tiles missing from the walls above the remains of what was once a full bathtub.
The property was placed on the market by Auction House Scotland last Wednesday and is currently advertised as a “refurbishment project” for £59,000.
They wrote in the description: “If you’re looking for a fantastic refurbishment project in a hugely popular location then your search is over with this one-bedroom flat in Leith, Edinburgh.
“The property requires a full programme of refurbishment works, which offers an exciting opportunity to add massive value, whether for ultimate resale, rental or owner/occupier.
“With high demand for rental properties in the area, the post works yield potential is outstanding, and we expect strong levels of demand.
“We recommend you move quickly to avoid missing out on this one. Council Tax Band: B. Please note that this property is currently uninhabitable so no Home Report will be available.”
One house-hunter took to social media today to share the unusual listing, writing: “At the more affordable end of the Edinburgh property market, we have this, er, fully-furnished offering in Leith.
“May require mild removal of guano.”
One commenter posed the suggestion of Rebus being the former inhabitant writing: “Could it have belonged to retired Inspector John Rebus? Just the kind of place I imagined him living, reading Rankin.”
Mandi Cooper, Managing Director for Auction House Scotland said:
“Although in need of a significant refurbishment throughout, the flat offers a new owner the opportunity the chance to bring an empty home back into use.
“Set in a fantastic location in the vibrant area of Leith, surrounded by various shops, bars and restaurants and less than two miles from Edinburgh city centre, the property could be a great buy for a young professional or landlord looking for a prime rental investment in the capital.”
