I've stayed at Allison's annex flat from September till December due to a semester abroad at Napier University and really liked it.
Positive aspects:
- On my first day when I arrived, Allison spent half an hour showing me around, explaining me several things and also telling me important things like where I could find the next supermarket, how to get to the city, etc., which was very helpful. She also explained to me where I can get a monthly ticket for the busses and that I need to have the correct amount of money when buying a daily or single-use ticket, because the bus drivers cannot give you change
- Allison was always there, whenever I needed help and provided me with nearly everything I needed (e.g. additional bed covers for guests)
- The bus connection to the city, airport, etc. is great. It runs 24/7 and busses to the city centre will arrive every 10-15 minutes during the day
- The WIFI-connection is great. Even though another guest said that it wasn't that great, I cannot say anything negative about it. I never had problems with it and it was fast enough to do online research or watch something on Netflix / Amazon Prime
- Scotland has HUGE spiders (never have I ever seen such spiders in Germany) and sometimes they come into the house, which made me freak out, because I'm really afraid of Spiders. But Allison's son was so helpful and brave, as he caught them and brought them outside alive.
- The annex flat is located in a beautiful suburb, which is great to go for a walk, go for a run, etc. and the supermarket (5-7 minute walk) and the bus stations (5 minute walk) are located really close
Negative aspects:
- Never have I ever slept on such an uncomfortable mattress. I had back pain from the first till the last day of my stay and when I went home during my semester abroad for two weeks, my back pain was gone after one night and returned after the first night in this bed again. The mattress itself is really saggy, too soft and you can feel where most of the people are lying, because it is extra saggy there, so your hips sink much more in the bed in the middle of the bed, than they do when you are lying on one bedside.
- The house itself is really badly-soundproofed, so you hear Allison and her family (which live partly on top of you [on the first floor] and partly next to you) talking and walking and it sounds quite often as if they are standing next to you. Allison always tried being very careful regarding noises, so it was not such a big deal and I only had problems falling asleep one or two times, but I think that mentioning it could be important especially for people, who are very sensitive when it comes to noises.
- When I arrived, many of the plates, dishes, etc. were not really clean, because every guest cleans them up on his/her own.
- The pans are really old and it is nearly impossible to fry/roast anything in it, because whatever you try to fry/roast (e.g. scrambled eggs, chicken or fish) it will stick to the base of the pan and burn there, which makes cooking a really frustrating thing.
- The couch is so old and worn out that sitting on it is basically impossible. On parts of the couch your body sinks so much in, so that it is impossible to find a comfortable seating or lying position. My mother tried sleeping on it (as it is a sofa bed), but she had really bad back pain the next day and said that she nearly didn't sleep at all because it was so uncomfortable, so I would definitely recommend buying a new couch.
- I cannot recommend this annex flat if you will study at Napier University Craighlockhardt Campus, because it will take you 60-90 minutes (depending on the traffic) do get there). So if you will study at Napier University, find out at which campus you will be located and have a look how long it takes you to get there from Clermiston, for example the Sighthill Campus is only 20 minutes away (by bus).
Summing up, I would recommend this annex flat, but I would also recommend Allison to get some changes done - for example buying new pans, a new couch/sofa and a new mattress. Allison was a really loving and welcoming host and there are so many aspects which I really liked about the annex and only a few (which are easy to improve), which I would criticize. If I return to Edinburgh in the future, I'll definitely come back and rent this beautiful annex again. All in all, this annex was a beautiful home for the months of my semester abroad and I really enjoyed staying there.