New homes being built as buyers opt for rural

Scottish house buyers are falling in love with suburbia, while sales of expensive Scots homes have reached their highest point for eight years, new research has revealed.

So-called prime sales of houses worth £400,000 and above have risen by eight per cent in a year reaching 3,533 in 2015, according to the latest study by Savills estate agents.

The research emerged as a new Office for National Statistics report showed the north-south divide on house prices is getting wider.

The Savills research, based on Registers of Scotland data, claims that the rise has been partly fuelled by an increasing desire to live in the suburbs, because of a dwindling supply of the best homes available to buy in the most sought-after city centre locations.

Purchases doubled in Liberton, Edinburgh, and Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire.

And Stirlingshire saw the biggest growth, with a 36 per cent increase in high end sales.

Andrew Perratt, head of residential for Savills in Scotland, explained: “We have seen a jump in sales across suburban locations where we are seeing the return of the ‘closing date’, and premium prices being paid.

“This may be explained by a dwindling supply of the best homes available to buy in the most sought- after city locations.

“We expect this trend to continue and to ripple further outwards to more attainable suburbs, like Liberton in Edinburgh and Netherlee in Glasgow.”

The number of million pound sales in Scotland also rose steeply from 146 in 2014 to 194 last year.

And in May, more new build homes were being developed across Ayr s h i re, Per th, Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Stirling.

In Stirling - Ogilvie Homes , Stirling Cruden Homes , Stirling and Bellway Homes were building new estates.

In the Dumbarton area Turnberry Homes were busy at work.

In Alexandria, Taylor Wimpey were buildling.

In the Dumfries and Galloway area Story Homes were building new houses.

In Ayrshire, Hope Homes, Mactaggart and Mickel and Bellway Homes were building new property.

In Lanarkshire Avant homes Robertson Homes and Miller Homes were developing.

In West Lothian - Miller Homes , Taylor Wimpey , Bellway are b uilding.

And in Paisley Miller Homes and Taylor Wimpey are also building new houses in the town.

Sales remained steady across the country in April and the growth in activity is expected to continue, predicting an increase in Scottish residential property sales over the next three months.