The Herald - The Herald Magazine
THE VOICE OF PROPERTY
THE Scottish Borders is a scenic delight at any time of year but particularly so in autumn, a fact that will not go un-noticed by savvy house hunters in Edinburgh, who continue to see the attraction of lower house prices and a more relaxed pace of life in the Borders.
According to James Denne, partner at Knight Frank’s Melrose office, around 30 per cent of sales are to buyers who migrate from Edinburgh city, 12 per cent from Midlothian and nine per cent from East Lothian. “These figures remain fairly stable as the Borders offers such amazingly good value, which coupled with improved connectivity and lifestyle benefits, makes it a no-brainer.”
He adds: “Borders people are also on good terms with their neighbours in Northumberland, where the lifestyle and landscape is very similar and forges a natural relationship between the two, which creates a micro market for properties in the towns and villages further south, closer to the English border.”
On the value-for-money front, a prime example is Crailing House, a fully refurbished, A-listed, Georgian, seven-bedroomed country house near Jedburgh. Set in 15 acres comprising parkland, gardens, grazing, trout fishing, plus stables and a lodge cottage – it is currently on the market at offers over £1.695m. In Edinburgh, a comparable house – without the land, fishing, lodge and the rest - would likely be marketed at £2-3m. Location, location, location...
EDUCATION IN RENOVATION
FORMER pupils are often first in line when their Alma mater assumes a new status as contemporary homes – as is currently the case with the redevelopment of the old Boroughmuir High School buildings in Edinburgh, where CALA Homes is working to deliver 87 contemporary one-to-fourbedroomed apartments. And it seems buyers will not be the only beneficiaries, as an independent assessment of the project reveals it is set to deliver an economic boost of over £45 million to the local area and create over 100 jobs.
Philip Hogg, sales and marketing director at CALA Homes (East), comments: “Our track record in the area shows that by engaging with the local contractors and community throughout the design process, we are able to translate our building projects into significant investment in the local area.”
The new apartments are set to launch early next year.