Bordering on the perfect

For affordable space in a rural setting, try the country’s South East, says Kirsty Mcluckie

Prospective house buyers can often overlook the Scottish Borders in their property search, despite the region’s accessibility to the Central Belt and the North of England, the area’s attractively low house prices and the range of properties on offer.

The market is active, property consultancy Galbraith has released its latest quarterly report, which shows an upturn in sales completed at its Borders offices, with positive signs that the trend will continue over the year ahead.

The firm is reporting a 37.5 per cent year-on-year increase in property sales completed by its Galashiels team, and a 31 per cent year-on-year rise in those by its Kelso office.

The latter has conducted twice as many viewings, compared to same time last year, while the Galashiels office has undertaken 57 per cent more market appraisals over the same period.

Alex Inglis, head of residential for Galbraith in the region, says: “The Borders offers something for everyone, with great community spirit, history and traditions. The friendly rivalry between historic settlements, with great pride in each town’s Common Ridings and rugby team, is one of the reasons why this region has such great appeal.

“It is a fantastic place for family life, with highly-regarded schools, while at the same time it enjoys excellent transport links to major cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle-upon-tyne.

“Most home hunters are primarily interested in a property’s location and therefore the Borders’ countryside, with its picturesque towns and villages, scores high on this count.”

House prices are affected by proximity to transport networks, with those on the Borders rail line proving popular with commuters.

But a range of properties with something for most budgets, offers traditional detached rural homes with amenity land – popular with lifestyle purchasers moving out of the cities – as well as more modest homes for first-time buyers and those with young families.

The area offers something for everyone, with great community spirit, history and traditions