The Scotsman

Commuters look to the middle ground

Central Belt homes offer easy city-to-city access, finds Kirsty Mcluckie

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While Glasgow and Edinburgh are seen as the hubs of commerce, culture and jobs in the Central Belt, those looking to relocate could do worse than look in between the two cities.

With a flexible jobs market, choosing a home that is accessible to both cities is a key to future-proofing a career which could switch from one city to the other.

There are also an increasing number of households with two or more commuters, setting out in different directions in the mornings and for those whose jobs take them even further afield, a location which offers access to the major motorway network on the doorstep – and a choice of airports – is a plus.

There is also plenty going on in the centre of the country.

Eurocentra­l, 12 miles east of Glasgow and 30 miles west of Edinburgh is one of the biggest industrial and transport sites in the area. It is an important employer and set to grow in the next few years.

Even for those employed in the cities, living close to the M8, M9 and M80, in locations such as Linlithgow, Livingston, Cumbernaul­d and Falkirk keep career options open.

Developers are responding to the demand for centre-of-scotland living.

Taylor Wimpey West Scotland have a developmen­t of homes at Torrance Gardens in Holytown, close to Motherwell and Hamilton and, crucially, the M8. The location is also well placed for travel south and north, with the M74 and the M80 a few minutes away.

There are two showhomes to view at Torrance Gardens. The Maxwell and Stewart four-bedroomed detached homes have practical layouts, en-suite bathrooms and integral garages.

The developmen­t has 91 three, four and five-bedroomed detached family homes adjacent to the Torrance Park Golf Course with views across the Clyde Valley towards Glasgow, as well as the golf course itself. Prices are from £214,000 to £237,000 and incentives such as part exchange are on offer.

Heartlands is a new neighbourh­ood in West Lothian in the Central Belt in prime commuter country. One of the largest regenerati­on projects in Europe, 2,000 homes are being built plus commercial space.

Allanwater Homes is offering a fourbedroo­med detached Lomond villa as a plot of the month at its Heartlands developmen­t, where there are only a final few properties left for sale in the first phase.

The homes are energy efficient, and feature flexible interiors, family rooms, offices, en-suites, utility rooms and generous storage space.

The Lomond house is available for £212,995.

Set against the backdrop of the Campsie Hills, Miller Homes’ Wallace Fields developmen­t in Robroyston offers the added attraction of being handy for commuting north of the M80 as well as within easy reach of Glasgow’s city centre. It is also accessible to the M8 and on the right side of the city for travel to Edinburgh.

A five-bedroomed Chichester is a stand out home with a central gallery staircase, open-plan dining kitchen and family room, and a double garage.

Miller Homes is offering incentives on the remaining Chichester plot. Available with part exchange, the Chichester at Plot 63 also comes with an upgraded kitchen with an additional unit and integrated appliances.

It is priced at £399,000 and fourbedroo­med homes at the developmen­t currently start from £296,000.

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