Buying a house in Scotland

House buying guide

Scotland has its own distinctive legal system and the law governing the ownership of land and houses is quite different from that operating elsewhere in the UK.

This is reflected in the system of purchasing property in Scotland. Scottish Solicitors handle all aspects of the transaction, from giving advice on how to choose a suitable property and the pitfalls to avoid to arranging the survey and the mortgage, as well as all the legal aspects.

Solicitors have greater involvement in house purchase than their English counterparts. Therefore you should always ensure that you consult a Solicitor at the outset.

Property tenure

Virtually all residential property in Scotland is sold on the basis that the purchaser will have the right to occupy and use the property in all time coming (subject to any conditions imposed by the Title Deeds).

This differs from the English concepts of "freehold" and "long leases" which have no relevance in Scotland.

Mortgages

Whenever moving house is contemplated, it is essential that all aspects of the purchaser's current financial position are reviewed in order to ensure that the most suitable type of mortgage and method of repayment are chosen.