Scottish Property Round-up - Happy Burns Night!

Glasgow is the most neighbourly city in the UK

A recent survey by First Direct has revealed that 58% of Glaswegians are friendly with the people next door, nearly twice as many as those in Birmingham (30 per cent), Leeds (39 per cent) and Bristol (44 per cent).

70% of Glaswegians believe that being friendly enough to pop next door and borrow a cup of sugar makes them feel very community focused, and 43% of them would even count their neighbours as close friends!

Scottish property prices set to rise in first quarter of 2016

With a buoyant December behind them, Scottish homeowners can look forward to a lively first quarter of 2016, with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Scotland expecting a rise in transactions in the January to March period, with 24% of surveyors also expecting average prices to increase in this quarter.

Scotland’s housing future being shaped by new manifesto

RICS launched its manifesto ‘Shaping Scotland’s Housing Future’ which aims to inform political parties of the role property plays in driving Scotland’s economic growth ahead of the parliamentary elections in May.

It calls on policy makers to recognise the scale of the housing crisis, and elevate housing to the top of their political priorities as well as increasing the supply of housing and taking action to maintain and renew Scotland’s existing housing stock.

The report also recommends a review of tax and incentives around all properties and the creation of a Housing Land Agency, which would work with local authorities and developers identifying land, primarily in areas of market failure, and installing any necessary infrastructure for sites.

‘Adequate housing supply is vital to economic growth and the much coveted stabilising of house prices and rents. It is estimated that between 25,000 and 35,000 homes need to be built, per year, to meet demand adequately. This target covers all tenures, not just affordable housing,’ the report says.

No caps in the capital’s rent

According to a recent survey, average rental rates in Scotland have dropped from £757 per month to £747 - just as the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill was under consideration, with a provision for rent caps.

Such figures don’t apply to Edinburgh though. The City has just overtaken Aberdeen as the most expensive city to rent in Scotland, following and 11th successive quarterly rise. Average rent how stands at £951 a month, with the market predicted to continue to rise throughout 2016.

And finally...

The tropics of Scotland

As quirky garden features go, this property in Scotland has really branched out – the world’s most northerly palm tree!

A well as the 20ft palm tree, the buyer of Scourie Lodge in Sutherland - located six hours North of Glasgow - will be able to enjoy a five-bedroom shooting lodge which has hosted many famous visitors, including the Queen Mother and Prime Minister William Gladstone.

Many people will prefer to remain in the house that enjoy the palm tree from through a window through, as regular gales, driving rain and temperatures that can drop as low as minus 12 °C make the expansive grounds a rather chilly place to be!