House location more important than good neighbours, finds survey

LOCATION is the biggest factor for householders in Scotland’s largest city and surrounding areas, with would-be buyers deeming it more important than “community values”, according to a new poll.

Most house-hunters in Glasgow think the location of their home and its resale value are more important than having friendly neighbours or good local amenities.

A survey by Glasgow-based estate agency Walker Wylie found choosing the right location was buyers’ number one priority, followed by its cost and potential resale value.

This came ahead of the property being a safe area, which was listed as their fourth concern, followed by it being close to local amenities.

After this, potential buyers considered whether their purchase would be close to local pubs and restaurants and be seen as a respectable area.

Good local schools and friendly neighbours were listed as their eighth and ninth priority in the poll, which consisted of 250 respondents. Being near to a good hospital ranked tenth.

The survey also found that only one in five potential buyers said they regarded integrating into the local community was very important, while just one in four said the same about the importance of getting on with their new neighbours.

Barry Walker, co-director of Walker Wylie, said: “The survey reflects quite accurately what people tell us they’re looking for in a property and it appears to confirm what we see anecdotally, that buyers don’t regard community as importantly as they perhaps did in the past.

“Peoples’ lives are more private and centred around their work and families and they regard their homes as an investment, which they will sell before moving into another neighbourhood.”

Meanwhile, house prices in Aberdeen have fallen more than anywhere else in the UK since Brexit, according to new research. While average house prices in the UK have risen by five per cent, those in Aberdeen have fallen by 10 per cent.

According to lending platform Lendy, uncertainty over the UK’s economic prospects following the vote had impacted on the Granite City. As of June 2017, average house prices were £164,000 compared to £182,000 at the same time the previous year, which was when the UK held its referendum on leaving the EU.

Buyers don’t regard community as importantly as they did in the past