Relocating to Scotland | Expert guidance from property professionals
Those thinking of relocating to Scotland will need to consider not only where to live but also the intricacies of the Scottish property market. Whether buying or renting a property in Scotland, there are several wonderful places to move to.
There are multiple times in a person’s life when moving home isn’t a choice based on personal preferences; it’s an essential move required for work or other reasons.
When relocating to Scotland, an important first step is to understand the priorities for the move. If a place of work is a driving factor, what is the second most important element?
Are you moving with family and need to consider local schooling options? Or perhaps your lifestyle would benefit from being close to places to explore outdoors, perhaps with your dog.
Scotland is a wonderful place to live, here we share information relevant to those considering relocating to Scotland.
Scotland property market
Scotland is a shining example of a market charged by such buyers; and we are seeing increasing numbers relocating to Scotland’s ‘central belt’; namely the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh and their surrounding commutable locations; please see our blog on the best places to live outside Edinburgh.
According to industry research, there was a net-in migration to Edinburgh of over 22,000 people from overseas and over 10,000 from within the UK over the past five years, indicating a 12.5% growth.
These statistics are testament to how popular the city is not only for those moving from abroad, but also those relocating within the UK itself.
Why move to Scotland?
So why are so many relocating to Scotland?
Expanding on our area guides contained within this website, to say you get ‘more bang for your buck’ remains an understatement if we are to compare cities such as Edinburgh and London; the direction in which a great number of our clients come.
A family looking to buy their first family home in, say, the affluent area of Fulham in London, would be able to buy a pleasant four bedroom terraced house that would be roughly 1,500 square feet in size. Looking for a similar property in the city of Edinburgh and similar money will buy them a 4,000 square foot Edinburgh townhouse for sale in the heart of the capital, or likewise a colossal detached Georgian family home with land just a few miles outside.
When considering just the property element of relocating to Scotland, it is often easy to see why so many choose to move north of the border.
Cost of living in Scotland
All things considered, the property is just the beginning for families such as these when it comes to future expenditure; the cost of living has been recorded as 32% cheaper in Edinburgh than London according to data collected from Expatistan.
When it comes to schooling there are some extremely popular and much more affordable options for those sending children to school in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.
According to the Telegraph, The Glasgow Academy and George Watson’s College in Edinburgh are some the best choices of schooling from a performance and affordability perspective.
Taking price out of the equation, Edinburgh, Glasgow and the surrounding areas are becoming ever more exposed to both UK based and international buyers, greatly helped by significant investment being pumped into both cities along with ever expanding flight paths, they offer some of the best places to live in the UK by lifestyle alone.
Scotland Relocation
Aside from the clear advantage of property value for money mentioned above, many say that the decision to relocate to Scotland is driven by the quality of life on offer.
Edinburgh has its own gorgeous beach and Arthur’s seat is a mountain offering daily hiking in the centre of the city. Some might compare this to other popular expat cities such as Hong Kong.
It has also been recognised that there are more trees per head in Edinburgh than any other UK city, and you can find yourself in the rolling country hills within a fifteen-minute drive from the city centre.
For those relocating to Edinburgh, and in fact any other Scottish city, getting around town both for commuting purposes and just general getting around is as near to enjoyable as possible for such a task.
Glasgow has its own subway, Edinburgh has a tram and the buses are renowned for their reliability.
It also takes roughly 45 minutes to get across both these cities by foot, and less for smaller cities such as Dundee and Aberdeen.
For those looking for rural living, regular train services bring commuters into these cities within 30 minutes, where buyers can expect to enjoy sizeable homes in and around quaint country villages and coastal locations such as North Berwick, which is pretty special if you compare the same time in London, which will merely bring you to another suburban area of the city.
How does the Scottish property market work?
Those considering relocating to Scotland are wise to brush up on their knowledge of how the Scottish property market works. From Home Reports to Land and Building Transaction Tax – Garrington page dedicated to buying property in Scotland might be a useful read.
Relocating to Scotland
Harking back to needs based buyers, often clients may feel priced out of London or other UK locations and are unable to live in the right space or location; it is no wonder that those requiring new homes are coming north for the quality of life – property-wise and beyond.
If you’re considering relocating to Scotland and would like to discuss your plans and our services without obligation please contact us to talk to a member of the search team.
