From its rugged highlands to its charming, historic towns and cities, Scotland is a land of beautiful contrasts. Whatever kind of life and home you’re seeking, you’ll be able to find it here. Let’s take a closer look at what makes this such an appealing place to live, as we review some of the best new build homes for sale in Scotland.
Scotland’s top 10 new build homes for sale
If the call of Scotland is strong, then it’s time to get a clearer idea of exactly where you want to live. The following list represents the best property new build homes in Scotland. We’ve canvassed developments across the whole country, and ranked them solely based on verified reviews on HomeViews.
*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how many reviews a scheme has and how recently those reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. Buildings with a larger number of more recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.
Why live in Scotland?
Scotland remains a very popular place to move to and settle. Some of the main factors that encourage people to live here include:v
Outstanding natural beauty: From An Lochan Uaine to Fingal’s Cave, Scotland is bursting with beautiful views and natural wonders. Its national parks and Areas of Outstanvding Natural Beauty cover much of the country, and it can take years to fully explore them all.
Enviable lifestyle: Whether you’re looking for a bustling city, historical market town, idyllic hamlet, or something in between, Scotland has the perfect place to offer. Its cities and towns are packed with culture and history, and its villages are surrounded by Scottish natural beauty.
High-quality free education: As well as state primary and secondary education being free, living in Scotland provides free university access too. As long as you’ve lived here for three years or more, you can legitimately claim free university tuition. Scotland also boasts many of the best schools in the country, and some of the best universities in the world.
Attractive property market: As you’ll see from the dedicated section below, buying property in Scotland is comparatively cheap. If you’re coming from England or Wales, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised by the lower price points.
Where are the most desirable places to live in Scotland?
Scotland’s ‘best’ places to live depend on what you’re looking for. However, there is an exceptional variety of lifestyle options available here. So, whatever you’re looking for, you’re likely to find it here. This is a shortlist of some of the places in Scotland voted most desirable to live in, across various studies and surveys:
Stirling: A central Scotland city with deep historical and cultural ties. Known for its medieval castle and other landmarks, Stirling was recently voted the ‘happiest place to live in Scotland’.
Edinburgh: As Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh is the beating heart of the country. Smart, stylish and undeniably beautiful, it’s a cosmopolitan place where Scotland’s rich past and exciting future meet.
Isle of Bute: Recently voted The Scotsman’s ‘Best place to live in Scotland’, the Isle of Bute is an island in the Firth of Clyde. It’s a gorgeous place, full of warm, welcoming people. And you can’t beat the view either, in any direction!
Inverness: On the doorstep of Scotland’s most impressive natural scenery, such as Cairngorms National Park, Inverness is a magnet for nature lovers.
Are house prices high in Scotland?
Scotland’s house prices are substantially lower than the UK average. In December 2023, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded that average house prices increased in Scotland to £190,000. This is up 3.3% from the previous December. However, this is still a full £95,000 less than the UK average.
More recently, Zoopla places the Scotland house price average for April 2024 at around £223,000. However, this doesn’t cover as wide a range as the ONS report, so it’s unlikely that the true national average has risen by quite this much.
This means that you can find exceptional properties in Scotland at highly competitive prices. If you’re moving from a high-price property area, you’ll find that your money goes much further in Scotland!
Is it better to live in Scotland or England?
Whether it’s better to live in Scotland or England is a question of personal taste and circumstances. However, it’s clear that Scotland has a real advantage over its southern neighbour when it comes to property. Scotland also enjoys a lower average cost of living than England.
If you think that Scotland looks like a great place to live, then our dedicated guide below can serve up a lot more detail. Here you find out more about the country’s history, things to see and do, and all our new build homes for sale in Scotland.
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to recognise high performers and help improve standards in the built environment.
