PROPERTY SPECIAL
could go out to shows and come home to sleep on the boat every night. Living on a boat gives you a lot of freedom and flexibility.‘
Distillery worker Alex McMicking bought his houseboat for £25,000 and spent around £10000 doing it up. He is moored at a basin between Kilsyth and Croy. ‘I couldn't possibly get a mortgage.‘ he says. ‘and this was one of the only options available to me. I got a personal loan to cover the cost and I know that these boats. fitted to the standard that l have here. can sell for twice that amount.
‘Running costs are much cheaper than a house and it‘s surprisingly comfortable. I‘m in the countryside but less than an hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh and even closer to Stirling. I work in the west of Glasgow and it’s so easy to commute. It’s even better when I finish work and I can come home and just go for a sail up the canal. It’s a beautiful area and the views are stunning. It can be really windy but you're right in the countryside so it’s really peaceful.‘
Avoid the open market An increasing number of solicitors are now offering a private sales service. While buyers should be prepared to pay what would be considered a good price on the open market. this can provide access to the rarely available properties that are usually quickly snapped up. Barbara Armstrong. property manager at Maxwell MacLaurin solicitors in Edinburgh. helps buyers track down choice finds before they hit the market. “Some types of properties are very hard to find. for example a new town flat with a garden.’ she says. ‘But no matter what my clients' requirements are I've always found a suitable property within four months.’
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Average price for one- and two-bed properties £133,700
Annual increase 13%
Amenities Good primary schools, lots of parks 3 and the large percentage of houses with gardens ’1 make this a family friendly area. Scotstoun also i a has an international sports stadium. i 1 Transport Close to the city centre and served
by good bus and underground links. Car owners have easy access to the Clyde expressway. ; Social The lively west end is particularly close i and Dumbarton Road has a strip of bars. cafes and restaurants.
Positives Scotstoun is in a conservation area so the green spaces will remain that way.
5 Negatives Not typically a first time buyer area i but many properties are reasonably priced. The 5 west end is increasingly popular and house
I[ prices here are likely to soar.
24 THE LIST 12—26 Apr 2007
Minimise your Ion term
costs wrth an eco ouse
lithical living is a priority for a growing number of house buyers. Ron and Lil. Johnston recently bought an eco house in (‘arnoustie (pictured below) which was commended in the Angus Design Awards for New Builds. The property is built from sustainable timber. has solar panels and is heated using an under-floor hot water system. A tank in the garden collects storm water
which is recycled for household use. "The house was very reasonable to buy.‘ says Ron. ‘Now we are in. it‘s pretty much mainterrance-li‘ee. We are happy to be minimising our impact on the environment. and we save a small fortune on bills.‘ For information see wwwbrunton designstudio.co.uk or www.sci-scotland.org.uk/ consultancyphp or www.arc-architects.com
Tr a shared ownership
SC eme
The Scottish Executive‘s shared ownership scheme. which was launched in 2005. allows single prospective buyers earning under {19.700 or those in larger households earning under {25.100 to buy a stake in their home. purchased
jointly with a housing association.
Applicants take ottt a mortgage for part of the property. typically between 60—80%. and the government owns the rest. After two years yott are entitled to increase your share of the property. Profits will be split accordingly when the property is sold. The option to buy a stake in an open market property. previously only
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Outside the cities
As house prices in Glasgow and Edinburgh continue to rise, many buyers are moving to outlying areas within commuting distance of the city where they are guaranteed to get more for their money.
Buyers forced out of Glasgow are moving west to Paisley where the average house price is , 21 10.000. only a 5.9% increase on last year. Scotland's largest town is only ten minutes from Glasgow by train and has the popular Braehead shopping centre on its doorstep.
Other popular areas are Airdrie and Coatbridge which lie to the east of Glasgow. Coatbridge has seen large increases in house prices in the last year although the average house is still under $100,000. The trend looks set to continue as road links to Glasgow via the M8 and the M74 are excellent.
With an average property price of 21 15.000. Musselburgh in East Lothian is an attractive option for people keen to escape the soaring house prices in Edinburgh. West Lothian is also growing in popularity, with towns such as Linlithgow. Bo’Ness and West Calder experiencing a surge in buyer interest. House prices in West Lothian are the lowest in the Lothians with a typical one- or two-bedroom flat costing less than £97,000. Again. links to Edinburgh via train and motorway are very regular.
available in lidinburgh. is now being rolled out across Stirling. Aberdeen. Moray. Perth and Highland local authorities. Communities Scotland (www.cornmttnities scotland.gov.uk) will guide you through the application process.
Sonney Murray took on a shared equity scheme after splitting from her partner. She says ‘lt was the only way I could get on the property ladder. Renting felt like a waste of money. I‘d rather own (30‘)? of something than 100‘}? of nothing. I hope to increase my share of the property. bttt selling even 60‘)? would leave you enough profit for a deposit on a fttll mortgage. l have a son so the security of owning something is very important to me. I would definitely recommend this to anyone.’
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