NW Highland prices just went mad
Discussion
a311 said:
Government has a lot to answer for, cheap borrowing for too long and lack of rules and enforcement of local occupancy restrictions.
Some building societies are taking a different approach.https://shorttermrentalz.com/news/leeds-building-s...
Also the govt doesn't set rates and hasn't for a long time.
a311 said:
My wife is from Oban we live in the Lakes where I grew up and there are some parallels. Lots of second property owners in Oban are from there and bought up second properties to rent out several family members and friends do this. There's also plenty from southern England that have sold up and made the move. It's making it very difficult to recruit for the service type jobs in the town a few cafés and restaurants have had to reduce their openning hours. Unlike where we're at there's not really anywhere to live cheaper that's within a commutable distance.
Even in the lakes the places outside the national park prices are crazy. With the current interests rates I don't know who's buying them but an EA I was chatting to said that at least 60% of sales are by buyers from outside of the county.
Government has a lot to answer for, cheap borrowing for too long and lack of rules and enforcement of local occupancy restrictions.
I live a few miles north of Oban and can concur with your comments.Even in the lakes the places outside the national park prices are crazy. With the current interests rates I don't know who's buying them but an EA I was chatting to said that at least 60% of sales are by buyers from outside of the county.
Government has a lot to answer for, cheap borrowing for too long and lack of rules and enforcement of local occupancy restrictions.
Very little available for locals, and there's a steady stream of people moving to the town, generally for employment reasons with daily postings on FB looking for ANY accom.
Students moving here for SAMS can't find anywhere to rent as there are so many holiday lets.
Now here's the rub of course. Why are house prices so high? Folk complain that everywhere is Air B&B etc BUT it's the people who lived here who sold up for high profit gains that made the killing on the prices. Don't blame Air B&B etc. And all the tourists in the town are spending money - if they can find somewhere open other than the "Tartan Tatt" shops. Bossards closed, Taste of Argyll Closing soon, Roxy's has queues out the door in summer.
Suppose I should add that i retired here, y wife was still working until a year ago though and my son spent 6 years at the high School
Skyedriver said:
Now here's the rub of course. Why are house prices so high? Folk complain that everywhere is Air B&B etc BUT it's the people who lived here who sold up for high profit gains that made the killing on the prices.
I'm imminently facing the prospect of my family home in Sutherland becoming empty - out of principal my brothers and I will sell to a local family, we've lived here too long and witnessed the slow death of this beautiful place we call home to do anything differently. We need to keep young people and kids here otherwise it becomes a retirement home for those who can afford and a theme park for others.On the subject of selling to the highest bidder - kids have long since had to move away to get employment and as parents age and pass away many have little choice but to sell up the family home. This youth drain is only getting worse.
GetCarter said:
This place (Offers over £160k) just went for over £300k.
It has some land, but land is totally useless here, as you can't do anything with it.
To ask a dumb question...It has some land, but land is totally useless here, as you can't do anything with it.
Is that simply because the weather and soil is totally unsuited for growing crops of any kind? (And because greenhouses get blown away every winter?
lol)RSTurboPaul said:
To ask a dumb question...
Is that simply because the weather and soil is totally unsuited for growing crops of any kind? (And because greenhouses get blown away every winter? lol)
Highland Clearances essentially. Is that simply because the weather and soil is totally unsuited for growing crops of any kind? (And because greenhouses get blown away every winter?
lol)You get more money from growing sheep or cattle than people growing crops on that land.
Greenhouses with glass are not common.
Poly tunnels are though. Its the only way alot of the veg is grown up that way. Lots of weird and not obvious fruit and veg in the poly tunnels.
I have seen grapes on vines in Applecross at the campsite for instance.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Agricultu...
Skyedriver said:
I live a few miles north of Oban and can concur with your comments.
Very little available for locals, and there's a steady stream of people moving to the town, generally for employment reasons with daily postings on FB looking for ANY accom.
Students moving here for SAMS can't find anywhere to rent as there are so many holiday lets.
Now here's the rub of course. Why are house prices so high? Folk complain that everywhere is Air B&B etc BUT it's the people who lived here who sold up for high profit gains that made the killing on the prices. Don't blame Air B&B etc. And all the tourists in the town are spending money - if they can find somewhere open other than the "Tartan Tatt" shops. Bossards closed, Taste of Argyll Closing soon, Roxy's has queues out the door in summer.
Suppose I should add that i retired here, y wife was still working until a year ago though and my son spent 6 years at the high School
The council are utter sVery little available for locals, and there's a steady stream of people moving to the town, generally for employment reasons with daily postings on FB looking for ANY accom.
Students moving here for SAMS can't find anywhere to rent as there are so many holiday lets.
Now here's the rub of course. Why are house prices so high? Folk complain that everywhere is Air B&B etc BUT it's the people who lived here who sold up for high profit gains that made the killing on the prices. Don't blame Air B&B etc. And all the tourists in the town are spending money - if they can find somewhere open other than the "Tartan Tatt" shops. Bossards closed, Taste of Argyll Closing soon, Roxy's has queues out the door in summer.
Suppose I should add that i retired here, y wife was still working until a year ago though and my son spent 6 years at the high School
te at approving new housing, not fit for purpose and neither are the govt; land reform is needed but it's mostly planning. It's such a surprise that after spending money creating a college system on the west coast to attract students some of them might need accommodation?RSTurboPaul said:
To ask a dumb question...
Is that simply because the weather and soil is totally unsuited for growing crops of any kind? (And because greenhouses get blown away every winter? lol)
Is that simply because the weather and soil is totally unsuited for growing crops of any kind? (And because greenhouses get blown away every winter?
lol)People who can afford to buy a tumbledown £300K but n' ben generally don't need to
to scrape a living from the proceeds of selling a few spuds, neeps and eggs.
towser said:
I'm imminently facing the prospect of my family home in Sutherland becoming empty - out of principal my brothers and I will sell to a local family, we've lived here too long and witnessed the slow death of this beautiful place we call home to do anything differently. We need to keep young people and kids here otherwise it becomes a retirement home for those who can afford and a theme park for others.
On the subject of selling to the highest bidder - kids have long since had to move away to get employment and as parents age and pass away many have little choice but to sell up the family home. This youth drain is only getting worse.
I admire the principle, but curious as to how this works in practice.On the subject of selling to the highest bidder - kids have long since had to move away to get employment and as parents age and pass away many have little choice but to sell up the family home. This youth drain is only getting worse.
Will you accept a lower offer or a lower guide price to allow locals a chance? Are all the sellers really going to be on board with that?
How long would you let the property sit empty before you agree to sell to an outsider?
How will you define a local - would they have to have lived in the area for x years, would somebody whose parents moved to the area be acceptable? After all, most of us leave moved around a bit, few families have stayed in one place forever.
Finally, would you really instruct your agents to refuse to allow certain people to view or accept an offer - let’s say for example that an Indian doctor or a Kenyan nurse wanted to buy it - as a reformed estate agent, I wouldn’t want to be put in that position.
Cow Corner said:
I admire the principle, but curious as to how this works in practice.
Will you accept a lower offer or a lower guide price to allow locals a chance? Are all the sellers really going to be on board with that?
How long would you let the property sit empty before you agree to sell to an outsider?
How will you define a local - would they have to have lived in the area for x years, would somebody whose parents moved to the area be acceptable? After all, most of us leave moved around a bit, few families have stayed in one place forever.
Finally, would you really instruct your agents to refuse to allow certain people to view or accept an offer - let’s say for example that an Indian doctor or a Kenyan nurse wanted to buy it - as a reformed estate agent, I wouldn’t want to be put in that position.
Definition of a local - any younger person with a family living here currently that's struggling to find a house. I've certainly got nieces and nephews dotted around Sutherland and Caithness that would welcome the opportunity but it may not suit their circumstances but there's plenty of others like them. Communities here need young families. Will you accept a lower offer or a lower guide price to allow locals a chance? Are all the sellers really going to be on board with that?
How long would you let the property sit empty before you agree to sell to an outsider?
How will you define a local - would they have to have lived in the area for x years, would somebody whose parents moved to the area be acceptable? After all, most of us leave moved around a bit, few families have stayed in one place forever.
Finally, would you really instruct your agents to refuse to allow certain people to view or accept an offer - let’s say for example that an Indian doctor or a Kenyan nurse wanted to buy it - as a reformed estate agent, I wouldn’t want to be put in that position.
Your insinuition that I'd filter based on time lived here or where people come from is unwelcome.
Unlikely to use an estate agent, word of mouth usually works up here.
How long to sit empty - that wouldn't be the case given the market circumstances.
To play devil's advocate - why is a "local" in Durness or Plockton more entitled to a cheap, easily available house than one growing up in Kensington? It's a desirable area (for some) so you need to pay the price.
A friend is from Dunvegan on Skye and he hates this idea of locals somehow being entitled to buy cheap houses. He's built a small tourism related business from scratch and with a bit of penny pinching and lots of DIY now has himself a very pleasant house.
Meanwhile his neighbour continually complains that their 25yo children can't afford to buy while working part time in a shop. Of course they can't buy while working part time in a shop, no one can, anywhere. Go out and earn some money - either sieze the opportunities around you or go and spend a few years in Edinburgh or Glasgow and save like crazy - house prices are still really low compared to almost anywhere else, especially if you set your sights a little lower than a secluded cottage set in several acres of woodland with Loch views in Diabaig.
A friend is from Dunvegan on Skye and he hates this idea of locals somehow being entitled to buy cheap houses. He's built a small tourism related business from scratch and with a bit of penny pinching and lots of DIY now has himself a very pleasant house.
Meanwhile his neighbour continually complains that their 25yo children can't afford to buy while working part time in a shop. Of course they can't buy while working part time in a shop, no one can, anywhere. Go out and earn some money - either sieze the opportunities around you or go and spend a few years in Edinburgh or Glasgow and save like crazy - house prices are still really low compared to almost anywhere else, especially if you set your sights a little lower than a secluded cottage set in several acres of woodland with Loch views in Diabaig.
Edited by Snow and Rocks on Tuesday 27th February 14:36
Snow and Rocks said:
To play devil's advocate - why is a "local" in Durness or Plockton more entitled to a cheap, easily available house than one growing up in Kensington? It's a desirable area (for some) so you need to pay the price.
A friend is from Dunvegan on Skye and he hates this idea of locals somehow being entitled to buy cheap houses. He's built a small tourism related business from scratch and with a bit of penny pinching and lots of DIY now has himself a very pleasant house.
Meanwhile his neighbour continually complains that their 25yo children can't afford to buy while working part time in a shop. Of course they can't buy while working part time in a shop, no one can, anywhere. Go out and earn some money - either sieze the opportunities around you or go and spend a few years in Edinburgh or Glasgow and save like crazy - house prices are still really low compared to almost anywhere else, especially if you set your sights a little lower than a secluded cottage set in several acres of woodland with Loch views in Diabaig.
It's a bit more fundamental than that; in high demand areas there is not enough accommodation of all kinds, sustaining existing commerce is hard with no employees and expanding the economy a pipedream.A friend is from Dunvegan on Skye and he hates this idea of locals somehow being entitled to buy cheap houses. He's built a small tourism related business from scratch and with a bit of penny pinching and lots of DIY now has himself a very pleasant house.
Meanwhile his neighbour continually complains that their 25yo children can't afford to buy while working part time in a shop. Of course they can't buy while working part time in a shop, no one can, anywhere. Go out and earn some money - either sieze the opportunities around you or go and spend a few years in Edinburgh or Glasgow and save like crazy - house prices are still really low compared to almost anywhere else, especially if you set your sights a little lower than a secluded cottage set in several acres of woodland with Loch views in Diabaig.
Edited by Snow and Rocks on Tuesday 27th February 14:36
okgo said:
Agree with that. Seems its only a problem when its some pretty seaside/rural idyll.
Nobody growing up in the SE as an entire area has an easy shot of owning a place. My son is growing up in a postcode where the average house is over £1m, I doubt anyone will feel sorry for him.
Indeed. The reality is a whole towns worth of people arrive in the UK every year. But the number of houses only grows at a fraction of the rate. So demand climbs and prices with it. Ultimately, it all ripples from the south east and London.Nobody growing up in the SE as an entire area has an easy shot of owning a place. My son is growing up in a postcode where the average house is over £1m, I doubt anyone will feel sorry for him.
I was born and raised in London. Once i left school and got my apprenticeship, there was no way on earth id ever be able to buy a house in London. That was late eighties. No different from some of the issues mentioned by some in this thread. They are just fortunate they had a couple of decades extra before it got silly.
So i moved. To buckingham. That now too is so crazily priced, ive again moved out to mid wales, where , relatively, prices are still sort of sane,
This isnt a coastal/highlands/cornwall problem. its a problem everywhere.
More demand than supply. Thats a government problem. Sadly, isnt ever going to change.
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