Families move to Scotland for myriad reasons—to work, to study, or to set up a business—but mostly to enjoy a superb quality of life for themselves and their families that few other countries can offer. Moving to a different country, let alone a new city, can be an overwhelming and uprooting experience. Aside from finding a new home, there are numerous other considerations including finding suitable schools, mastering the local transport system, opening bank accounts understanding the culture and customs, and adjusting to the accent.
If you are moving to Scotland with your employer, you may be offered the service of a relocation agent, who can help with the logistics of your move, or a specialist like Rettie, who can assist with finding a suitable rental home.
We would recommend that you consider the following items prior to your move and during the search for your new rented home:
- Identify areas within the city where you would be happy to live or determine if you would prefer to be in the countryside.
- Research the travel options, connections, and timetables from those areas to your workplace and schools.
- Research educational facilities in the area to determine whether they cater to you or your children’s learning requirements. It is always best to make appointments to personally view schools and talk with administrators.
- Have a firm budget that considers upfront deposits, utilities, and council tax.
- Organise and keep accessible all important documents such as passports, visas or work permits, bank statements, proof of a UK bank account, employment letters, and proof of previous good tenancy for completion of rental applications. This is especially important if you are moving from outside the UK.
It is important to choose the right school for your child for them to reach their full potential both inside and outside of the classroom. If you plan to enrol your child in a state school, you will need to take into consideration which catchment area you look for properties, as the catchment area determines which school your child is entitled to attend. If you plan to send them to an independent private school, the location of your home is less of a concern, although it is sensible to live in an area within easy commuting distance to the school.
You can easily search for school locations and catchment areas on the Rettie website for each of our rental properties using our handy school catchment checker feature.
Some useful school websites include:
Some useful websites if you are relocating from outside the UK include:
Find out school term dates in Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Borders:
- Glasgow City Council school term dates
- Scottish Borders Council school term dates
- Edinburgh City Council school term dates
Other useful Scottish websites include:
- Talent Scotland
- Scotland: The Official Online Gateway
- Jobs in Scotland
- My Job Scotland
- The Scottish Government
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about renting a property in Scotland through Rettie, please get in touch with our team.