Key Findings
- The rise in house prices experienced across Scotland in 2017 (when they rose 4% overall), with higher growth in the main cities, looks set to continue as the market remains one of excess demand.
- Rettie is forecasting Scottish house prices to rise by a further 19% over the next 5 years.
- Demand is also spilling out into wider geographical areas around the cities. House sales in East Lothian, for example, grew by 16% over 2017, well in excess of the national growth of 4%.
- Stock levels, however, remain tight. In some core Edinburgh neighbourhoods, lev-els are down one-third in Q1 2018 against where they were in the same period in the previous year.
- These conditions are also being seen in the rental market, with rising rents again the result of excess demand conditions. In some popular Edinburgh postcodes, rents are up 7-13% in Q1 2018 compared to the previous year.