Buying a property in Scotland explained
However, in Scotland the process is different, and this is something that takes a lot of those thinking of living north of the border for whatever reason by surprise!
Here is an outline of some of the notable differences when home buying in Scotland as opposed to in England and Wales:
- First, you will actually appoint a solicitor before you get looking, and they will do something called 'note interest' when you find something you are after. The process can progress more quickly than in England
- Secret bids are how things work here. The asking price is known but you then make a bid above that, and whoever bids the highest sum for the property becomes obliged to buy (legally) the property, so this is very different indeed to the sales mechanism south of the border!
- Mortgage application also has to be done BEFORE you bid so you know what you can affor, and you should also get a survey done BEFORE you bid.
- If you are successful when making a bid, then solicitor letters get exchanged agreeing date of moving and so on, where you should then get insurance and the process continues from there.
So as you can see, it is radically different to how the process works in England and lots of elements are in a different order completely; so if you want to buy in Scotland or are considering it then you definitely need to read up in detail and find out just how the property buying process works there.
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