Every year, Scotland is gaining in popularity as a place to live, work and visit. Whether you want a highlands retreat or a cosy corner in a bustling city, there’s plenty on offer. Find out what makes the northernmost part of the UK such an appealing prospect, as we rank some of the best new homes in Scotland.
What is Scotland famous for?
Primarily, Scotland is world-famous for its inspiring scenery – everyone has heard of the Loch Ness and its infamous monster, but Loch Ness is just one of 30,000 lochs across the country. Along with the rugged beauty of the highlands, wild coastline and unspoilt islands of the Hebrides, Scotland is overflowing with natural beauty. In fact, it is frequently voted the ‘most beautiful country in the world’ by popular publications.
Scotland is also something of an architect’s dream too. In Edinburgh and Glasgow, you’ll find plenty of examples of stunning Palladian-style grand houses and mansions. Not to mention neoclassical revival and the internationally influential “Glasgow style” of design made popular in the mid-twentieth century.
Culturally and historically, Scotland is an influencer of everything from poetry and novel writing, to modern theatre and dance. Famous scots include Robert Burns, Adam Smith, Alexander Fleming and, more recently, James McAvoy, Tilda Swinton and Andy Murray.
Of course, it’s also known for brewing internationally beloved whiskey, the wearing of tartan kilts, and the bagpipes. But these are just small parts of a deep and rich cultural heritage that is alive and well today.
Why live in Scotland?
Apart from the previously mentioned fact that it’s gorgeous to explore, Scotland is also a great place to live, work and thoroughly enjoy yourself. There is a high standard of living, and growing hubs for tech-facing industries like healthcare, pharmaceuticals, engineering and computing.
Free access to its renowned universities is another big draw for living in Scotland. If you’re not from Scotland originally, you will have to have lived there for at least three years before applying to university, in order to qualify for free tuition. Even if you aren’t eligible, you’ll still pay much less for university education in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.
Is Scotland an expensive place to live?
While parts of Scotland – Edinburgh for example – have a reputation for being expensive, overall it’s generally cheaper to live here than in other parts of the UK. Household weekly costs are around 10% than UK averages. They’re more than 20% cheaper than London, on average.
You may end up paying more for utilities (heating, gas, broadband internet, etc) than elsewhere, depending on your available providers. However, when it comes to food, entertainment and travel, Scotland is comparable to, or better than, UK averages.
What are average property prices in Scotland like?
For November 2021, Zoopla has the average property price in Scotland as nearly £217,500. This is a significant rise of 8.8% during the past 12 months. In March 2021, the BBC reported that Scotland had seen the biggest house price hike in 14 years, rising 11%.
Part of the reason for rising house prices in Scotland is pent-up demand being released post-lockdown. It’s also partly due to a shift in priorities for house hunters. More people are looking for more space and access to nature today, and Scotland can supply both needs.
Compared with England, Scotland is still highly competitive in terms of property prices. Buying a house in Scotland is roughly £54,000 cheaper, when compared to the country-wide average for England of £271,500.
New homes in Scotland: Top 10 best developments
Fancy exploring the idea of living in Scotland further? The following list is a good place to start. These are Scotland’s 10 top-ranked property developments listed on HomeViews. As always, the list is determined by the scores given by verified reviewers, giving you an entirely informed opinion in each case.
*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how recently reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. More recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.
If this has put you in mind to explore Scotland further, click on the area guide link below. This will give you more information on the key areas, attractions, schooling and other important factors that make living in Scotland appealing. There are also details of dozens developments offering new homes in Scotland, with constantly updating review scores and comments.
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to recognise high performers and help improve standards in the built environment.
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