The Rettie Blog

Welcome to the Autumn 2024 edition of Prestige Scotland, where we share with you our latest collection of some of the best luxury living Scotland has to offer. As ever we are delighted to showcase a number of beautiful properties, across Scotland, from our Sales, Lettings and New Homes teams.

As we approach Scottish Housing Day on Thursday 18th September, the focus this year is on "Homes for Life." It's a perfect opportunity to reflect on how the housing sector in Scotland can better support people in later life, especially as needs and priorities evolve.

We are pleased to have added to our market-leading team based at our St Andrews office in Fife, with Jill McCulley joining as Associate Director and Laura Wallace appointed as a Sales Consultant.

In a market where regulations and landlord compliance is ever changing, managing your lettings property or portfolio can be overwhelming at times. One of the most important decisions you may find yourself making as a landlord is deciding how hands-on you want to be.

Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword; it’s a way of life that influences everything from the food we eat to the clothes we wear. The next frontier in this journey is our homes. With a few thoughtful changes, we can make our living spaces not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Below, we’ll explore sustainable options for heating, flooring, wall finishes, and furniture that will help you create a greener home.

New build developments can offer a number of advantages over older homes, including modern amenities, open-plan living, and accessibility. But what about the sustainability benefits of living in a new build development? In this blog post, we will discuss the various ways in which new build developments can be more sustainable than older homes. In the next part of the series we will also cover some tips for choosing a new build development that is as green as possible.

No Matter Your EPC Rating, Claim Up to £2,000 for Green Home Improvements with Halifax.

So, you’re looking to buy your own home but finances are a bit tight. Luckily, you can always count on a little help from your friends, so you agree to invest in a property with a mate, spreading the costs between the two of you. Although this seems simple enough in principle, there are still legal considerations to bear in mind and documents you should have in place.

According to an independent research report from Homes for Scotland (HFS) released this week, the proportion of housing delivered by SME home builders has fallen by half since 2017. The proportion of new homes sold by those building between 3 and 49 homes per annum has fallen from around 40 per cent in 2017 to 20 per cent in 2023.

Interest rates have risen 14 times in short order from 0.10% in March 2020 to 5.25% in August 2023 where they have remained. Higher interest rates mean different things for different people. An increase in mortgage cost for borrowers versus investment return opportunities for those with savings. In this piece, we partner Rettie Financial Services and Hamilton Financial to look at the interest rate outlook, the impact of interest rates on personal finances and consider several scenarios and what it could mean for both savers and borrowers.

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Rettie’s Director of Research, Dr John Boyle, has featured in a set of podcasts in recent weeks in which he gives his latest take on market changes as well as the impact of new legislation and how to address Scotland’s housing problems. Each is summarised here with a link to the podcast itself.