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Property in Inverness, Aberdeen and the Highlands
Property News
17 July 2008:
Aberdeen estate agency RE/MAX is seeing a huge rise in demand for its services as the changing market conditions see sellers move away from its more traditional competition.
Owner Ryan Forbes, who opened the franchise on Union Street in January, is launching a huge recruitment drive to meet demand.
“Since opening we’ve been growing by several hundred percent a month and we now desperately need agents to meet demand.
“People should not be put off a career in property by the recent negative reports. Yes, things have changed, but things are still moving – we can’t keep up with demand from both buyers and sellers.
“We offer a great opportunity for those interested in working as an estate agent, not just in Aberdeen but throughout Grampian and Moray. The market has changed and those selling are moving to agencies like ourselves, who are more pro-active in the marketing of properties.
“There’s no doubt people are still buying, particularly in the north east of Scotland.”
RE/MAX is the largest and fastest growing estate agency in Scotland, with over 300 agents and more than 80 offices.
Mr Forbes added: “Our agents have a huge range of backgrounds, from recent arts graduates to hospitality. All you need is an interest in property and confidence. All ournew starts benefit from comprehensive RE/MAX training at our headquarters in Glasgow.
Property Links
More and more people are opting out of the urban lifestyle, and those that make the move to the Highlands and Islands and Aberdeenshire for a better quality of life are rarely disappointed with the career opportunities available.
The Highlands and Islands are the northern-most area of mainland Scotland, from Fort William in the southwest, to Thurso and Wick in the northeastern corner.
Aberdeenshire features Britain’s oil capital, beautiful Royal Deeside and a string of coastal and rural towns and villages from Banff in the north west to Stonehaven in the south east of the area.
Inverness is the Highlands and Islands’ principal settlement and is also the main transport hub for the rest of the region.
To the west are the islands of Mull and the Hebrides. Skye and Lewis are the best-known islands, and regular ferry crossings connect them to the mainland and each other.
To the east, the landscape is gentler and less mountainous. Off the north coast are the beautiful Orkney and Shetland Islands, which are almost treeless, and where the climate can be windy. Hot summers are rare, and the temperatures are frequently the lowest in Britain.
Major towns
Inverness, Elgin, Fort William, Thurso, Wick, Aberdeen, Ullapool, Oban, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Lerwick (Shetland), Kirkwall (Orkney) and Stornoway (Lewis).
The property market
Remote and magnificent, the Highlands and Islands are the perfect choice for property buyers with a passion for outdoor pursuits seeking a better quality of life. The remoteness of the area means that the Highlands and Islands are the ideal platform to achieve this aim. This fact has not gone unnoticed during the recent property boom experienced throughout Scotland, and demand for the rural idyll that many parts of the area represent is at an all-time high.
According to the Registers of Scotland Executive Agency, prices between January and March 2004 were 27% higher than they were for the same period in the previous year. However, the average house price for the Highlands during this period stood at £92,348, well below the Scottish average of £106,932.
Oban, for example, is one of the most popular towns in the Highlands, situated on the west coast. According to Neil Fraser at Alexander Dawson estate agents in Oban, the town, known as the ‘capital of the Western Highlands’, is becoming more and more popular for people seeking that elusive slower pace of life. However, demand is far outstripping supply in a town with a population of just 8,500. Many come seeking the perfect waterfront cottage and leave disappointed. However, prices are still good compared to the south, and when they do come onto the market, 4-bedroom waterfront properties sell for around the £500,000 mark. Oban is not well connected by road so commuting to larger towns, such as Glasgow to the south, will be time consuming.
Inverness-shire is better connected and is also increasingly popular. Inverness has been, for some years, Europe’s fastest growing city, with a flood of people moving to the area from throughout the UK seeking a better quality of life. As well as being accessible thanks to the airport, Inverness-shire boasts wide and beautiful open spaces, and good broadband connectivity. As a result prices have almost doubled in the last three years, but again, prices are still reasonable compared with the south.
According to John Bound at CKD Galbraith, a good 4-bedroom manse (vicarage) with an acre or two of land will cost around £400,000. Larger country estates rarely come onto the market, however, when they do, expect a price tag of at least £1 million. The most sought after areas are those outside of Inverness city centre, but within a twenty-mile radius, such as Black Isle to the North, Strathnairn to the south, Beauly to the west, and Tomatin to the southeast.
The Highlands and Islands property market has enjoyed the boom and prices in general are on the up. However, the further north you look, the lower the prices are. Country estates do come on to the market, but be prepared for a fight!