Buying houses in Scotland

need_my_wedge

Has Now Found His Wedgie
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
6,645
Location
Kingdom of Fife
Visit site
I might move to the North East of England at some point (not allowed to say why on here).
How does buying a house in England work please?

Seems a bit easier than moving to Scotland. The house is put up for the price the owner hopes for, if you view and like it, you make an offer, that can be (and is likely to be) lower. They decide whether they want to accept it or not, you haggle until you agree or you move on. There seems to be a lot more on the Scottish side with home reports and binding deals on handshake etc. I'm just trying to understand the full process.
 

Jimaroid

Journeyman Pro
Joined
May 15, 2014
Messages
3,734
Location
Fife
Visit site
Swings and Roundabouts. The Scottish system is better in a sellers market which is what we are in at the moment. In England you are more likely to get stuck in chains and for them to collapse or get gazumped.
 

Oddsocks

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
16,613
Location
Croydon, Surrey
Visit site
I might move to the North East of England at some point (not allowed to say why on here).
How does buying a house in England work please?

I just hope it’s nothing like the south which appears to be trading more like Scotland. An ex employee is a first time buyer, was looking at places in the 280-300 range all going for 350+ due to housing shortages and people moving out of the cities to more total areas thanks to hybrid working.

Ours has gained around 20-25% in 4 years which is when we purchased it. Open house viewings selling same day well over asking
 

Robster59

Tour Rookie
Joined
Aug 7, 2015
Messages
5,162
Location
Jackton
www.eastrengolfclub.co.uk
When we were putting some of our stuff in storage (there is a week between when we leave our old house and enter our new house), we were talking to the manager, and he reckoned that about 3/4 of the storage was taken up by English people who are moving up to Scotland. He told us the story of one (black) woman who was moving to Scotland as she had had enough of the racism in London. She had a 2 bedroomed flat in Kensington, that was on at offers over £1.2 million. She got £2 million for it.
We actually considered moving to the North East coast, Lincolnshire/North Yorkshire, especially as we would not want to stay in Scotland for, at a guess, the same reason others may move out. We may still do if it happens.
 
Last edited:

Robster59

Tour Rookie
Joined
Aug 7, 2015
Messages
5,162
Location
Jackton
www.eastrengolfclub.co.uk
I just hope it’s nothing like the south, which appears to be trading more like Scotland. An ex employee is a first time buyer, was looking at places in the 280-300 range, all going for 350+ due to housing shortages and people moving out of the cities to more total areas thanks to hybrid working.

Ours has gained around 20-25% in 4 years, which is when we purchased it. Open house viewings selling same day well over asking
Our house was sold within a week of going on the market (as I say, it's a sought after area) and we bought our new one within a week of going on the market. It's mental up here at the moment. But, as I say, I think everyone is desperate to buy a house before the mortgage rates go up.
 

Oddsocks

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
16,613
Location
Croydon, Surrey
Visit site
Our house was sold within a week of going on the market (as I say, it's a sought after area) and we bought our new one within a week of going on the market. It's mental up here at the moment. But, as I say, I think everyone is desperate to buy a house before the mortgage rates go up.

We’ve seen the biggest driver being home working, everyone is needing that extra room and more people are happy to commute for the 1 or 2 days a week needed.

Unfortunately it’s not only driven ours up, but it’s impacted a lot of areas we’ve been considering next.
 

Robster59

Tour Rookie
Joined
Aug 7, 2015
Messages
5,162
Location
Jackton
www.eastrengolfclub.co.uk
We’ve seen the biggest driver being home working, everyone is needing that extra room and more people are happy to commute for the 1 or 2 days a week needed.

Unfortunately, it’s not only driven ours up, but it’s impacted a lot of areas we’ve been considering next.
You could be right. Ours is a 4 bedroom detached with a grandad flat on the back (for the Father in Law who passed away earlier in the year). It's also got a large patio and a big (400m2) garden at the back and a double garage. It has a lot of potential for people to do things to it. Interestingly enough, the people who bought it were a young couple with a baby, so I do wonder what their plans are.
 

AliMc

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
642
Location
East Lothian
Visit site
I might move to the North East of England at some point (not allowed to say why on here).
How does buying a house in England work please?
We're the same (and for the same reason that you're not allowed to say) hopefully still be able to drive to Dunbar but if not Goswick would be a good alternative, been following house prices in Berwick and surrounding areas
 

road2ruin

Q-School Graduate
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
2,285
Location
Surrey
Visit site
We’ve seen the biggest driver being home working, everyone is needing that extra room and more people are happy to commute for the 1 or 2 days a week needed.

Unfortunately it’s not only driven ours up, but it’s impacted a lot of areas we’ve been considering next.

We sold in August 2020, it was a 3 bed house in a nice area and we'd spent a decent amount getting it into the condition it was however the stamp duty holiday brought forward our plans as it gave us an instant cash saving. Anyway, ours went on the market on the Saturday, had 4 offers over the weekend and was sold by the Tuesday. Everyone who viewed had spent lockdown in a flat and had kids so were desperate for space and a garden. We got 15% over asking.
 

Lord Tyrion

Money List Winner
Moderator
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
26,695
Location
Northumberland
Visit site
I might move to the North East of England at some point (not allowed to say why on here).
How does buying a house in England work please?
I think the English system sounds better up to the point where the sale is agreed. At that point the Scottish system is superior.

Now, a logical body would look at both, take the best aspects and create an improved system for both countries. Bizarre this has not happened.
 

Oddsocks

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
16,613
Location
Croydon, Surrey
Visit site
Is there such a thing as a logical body? ?

The house market almost seems a very expensive version of eBay and I can’t help but think I’m it’s current form a lot of people are panic buying or sticking offers in on multiple houses just so they do not miss out. I’m not sure about Scotland but I am aware this is going on heavily in the south east.
 

Brads

Active member
Joined
Sep 2, 2021
Messages
269
Visit site
I would not.
My friend recently sold at 20%+ in a matter of days.

I sold a family property early this year at £ 40,000 over asking [home report] price.
We had 39 views and 11 bids over the asking price in 10 days.
It is a very busy market ATM.
I honestly would not care.
I’ll pick a price I’m happy with based on the valuation and let it sell.
I hate the offers over system so I’d hate to use it.
 

BiMGuy

LIV Bot, (But Not As Big As Mel) ?
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
6,385
Visit site
The downside south of the border is gazumping.

You need to set expectations very clearly from the start. And deal with buyers yourself rather than only through an agent.

We had someone try it with us after making it very clear that any attempt to change the price after we had agreed one would not be tolerated and I would pull the sale rather than reduce the price.

Sure enough, the day before exchange the agent called to say the buyer was reducing their offer. They were told to do one. They called back with a slightly increased offer, but one still under the agreed price.

At this point I told the agent to stay out of it and sent the buyer a message directly to tell them the price is now £10k over the agreed price and if they didn’t agree the sale was off. At this point the wife was losing her mind.

Sure enough, an hour later I got a message to say they would pay the original agreed price.

We’ve just had the opposite when selling a house. We had 12 people look round on the first day it was up for sale. We agreed a sale to a young couple after after a number of offers.

A landlord was trying to buy it and made a couple of offers well under the asking price with the usual tales of how much it will cost to get the property up to scratch etc. He was told to do one. Just before we exchanged he came in with an offer just over the price we’d agreed to sell at. Quite how he knew that I’m not sure ?.
Again, he was told to do one, despite the agent pushing us to go with him.

House buying and selling would be a lot easier if people where honest.
 
Top