by From time to time you come across a property that stops you in your tracks. Whether it’s while you’re scrolling on Rightmove or out for a drive, there are some eye-catching homes you can’t miss.
The same for Alastair Rigby and his wife, who were out walking in Saddleworth Moor one morning when they stumbled upon their dream home. But it was no ordinary house – it was a very remote house that had not been lived in for 60 years.
Despite its abandoned state; the couple fell in love with it, tried to find its owner and then bought it. Fast forward nearly ten years after a ‘no-expenses-paid renovation’, it has now been transformed into a stunning state-of-the-art residence – now on the market for £1.1 million.
READ MORE: ‘We spent 18 months creating a beautiful forever home – now we’re selling it’
Alaster, 62, from Saddleworth, spoke to the Manchester Evening News as part of our Where I Live series. Each week we speak to a different home owner who lives in the north west to hear about their home buying and renovation journey, while taking a look inside their property.
“We went for a walk on Saddleworth Moor one day and found it in a derelict state. We fell in love with it because of its remote location. It might be the most remote house in the area. It’s like Wuthering Heights, but It wasn’t that bleak Manchester Evening News.
“We didn’t necessarily want to move houses at the time, but seeing it sparked a desire to live there. We did some digging and found the owner who was a farmer. We talked to him and he wasn’t selling it, but we asked to buy it.”
The couple bought Edge End Farm in Greenfield in December 2015, knowing they had a mountain of work on their hands. “The condition when we found it was remarkable, the pictures speak for themselves,” said Alaster, “It was built between 1822 and 1850. It was last occupied in 1957 so it had been empty for around 60 years .”
Situated in the ‘centre of the town’ in a plot of around four acres, the house has no neighbors for miles and the nearest tarmac road is half a kilometer away.
“We knew it would be a leap of faith, but if you want to live somewhere amazing like that, that’s what you have to do. We’ve done a big renovation and build before so we knew what that we were doing,” Alaster said.
Like most renovation projects – especially one this large – the couple had their challenges. “We had a lot of trouble with Oldham Council, our biggest challenge, so it took us a while to get going,” Alaster said.
“But as soon as we started renovating, it was quite simple. While we were renovating we lived down in the village in Glasgow. I got a tradesman in to do the work but I took some time off work to manage the entire construction.
Work began on demolishing the old house and starting from scratch. “Essentially what we did was dismantle the old building, and then rebuild it using modern methods of insulation,” Alaster explained. “We wanted it to look like an old house. As it is now, you’d think it was an old house, but it’s actually a brand new house.”
Alaster and his wife finally moved in in January 2019 after 18 months of work. Since then, the pair have been living completely off the grid with no mains utility services whatsoever.
“Everything works like a modern house but there’s no electricity, gas or water and it’s really cheap to run. We use solar panels so it costs around £400 a year for our electricity when we don’t have enough there is solar, like the diesel generator. it has to charge the batteries, which is not so often, from March to October it never comes on,” explained Alaster.
“Our gas there is about £840 and our water is free from the local spring. It makes you realize how much people are being cut as a nation.”
The couple’s rural property is surrounded by stunning scenery of hills and reservoirs, which Alastair says he never touches. “It’s so beautiful living here, it’s very peaceful. We have the sheep but it’s very quiet and there’s no traffic,” he said.
“There are 360 degree views around the house, so you never get tired of sitting on the bench at the top of the garden and taking in the scenery. There are many walks you can do from here, Dovestone reservoir is nearby. “
Two months ago, Alaster and his wife decided to put their beloved home up for sale after asking for a change. “We’re in no rush to sell it, so it doesn’t matter how long it takes. We just want something cheaper in the village so we can spend some of our hard earned money,” he said.
“There is some interest but we know it’s a unique property. We’ll be very sad when we sell it and it’s very worrying that we haven’t lived in a house for six years and the traffic is coming down. of a key.”
The three-bed detached has a beautiful full-width kitchen, as well as a living and dining space that spans the ground floor. Upstairs there are three generous bedrooms, with the master having a dressing room and en-suite four-piece bathroom, while the second bedroom also has an en-suite shower room.
The listing by Ryder & Dutton reads: “Situated in an enviable location under Pots & Pans, this lovely family home has been lovingly and carefully rebuilt in 2018 in a no-expenses-paid renovation intended to create a home full of period charm .
“A personal inspection of this stunning home will reveal an abundance of delightful character features mixed with contemporary fixtures and fittings. Edge End Farm is fully equipped with state-of-the-art grid technology resulting in a home that is extremely economical to run.”
You can see more of the property on Ryder & Dutton’s listing.
