Affordability and looking further afield are key in the Scottish housing market

He told delegates that demand and sales are up in Scotland and supply is tight. House price inflation here is 2.1 per cent – above the UK average of 1.4 per cent – and areas with the highest inflation include Inverness, the Borders, Falkirk, Kirkcaldy, and Kirkwall.

Looking at new housing for sale in Scotland, Zoopla states 80 per cent is made up of houses with three or more bedrooms. Just 2 per cent comprises one-bed flats, with 8 per cent for two-bed versions, and a scant4 per cent for two-bed houses. Meanwhile, first-time buyer demand skews 80 per cent to two and three-bedroom houses.

Zoopla highlights the trend of new home buyers looking outside their local area to find the right property for them at a price they can afford.

For example, in Scotland’s KA postcode – which includes Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire –78 per cent of people looking to buy a new home come from more than ten miles outside the area. For the ML postcode area, in and around Motherwell, the figure is 51 per cent, and in the KY postcode area for Kirkcaldy and environs it is 47 per cent.

He said: “The Scottish housing market is doing well compared to the rest of the UK in terms of overall affordability and house price inflation. The private sale part of the new homes market has a greater supply of three-plus bed houses being built and for sale, and 80 per cent of homes for sale on Zoopla in Scotland are three-plus bed homes at prices well above the average for all homes.”

He added: “Scotland has a housing market with a relative under supply of three-plus bed homes and this creates an opportunity for builders to fill a gap in the market. The challenge is that higher prices mean larger deposits and higher incomes for buyers trying to purchase a home. Our data shows good first-time buyer demand for three-bed houses, but for four-bed-plus homes, it’s all about targeting upsizers.“

Another trend in Scotland is that affordability is shaping more buying decisions and people are looking further afield to find the right home.”

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