A lack of quality homes causes housing misery

A lack of homes on the property market is causing a headache for Scottish house hunters, according a leading property agent.

Figures show that there are half as many properties on the market in Scotland as there were at the beginning of 2017, which proved to be a generally poor year for stock.

With the current state of affairs seeing more people trying to secure deals on fewer properties, competition is fierce so buyers must be quick to act, according to Perth-based Estates Agents, Bell Ingram.

Despite being a popular choice among house hunters, browsing online property sites at leisure is no longer an option as savvy buyers are snapping up homes quickly.

Carl Warden, senior associate at Bell Ingram said: ‘Serious buyers in the current market know that they need to find a property before it ever reaches an online portal.

‘By the time a good property gets onto a portal nowadays, the early bird will have already caught its worm.

‘The current market is highly competitive and buyers simply do not have the luxury of dwelling on a decision.’

Independent, well-established estate agents like Bell Ingram spend time getting to know their clients individual tastes to understand exactly what they are looking for.

Their local knowledge and professional experience can help to make that quick decision on the perfect home.

Carl added: ‘We believe the best way to do this is to get to know a trusted local independent estate agent so they can be first in the queue for the pick of the properties.

‘Experienced estate agents know when someone is about to make a move and can match with who they know wants to buy – a service which is just not replicated by online equivalents.

‘Markets are forever in flux – that is their nature. So we must be flexible and adaptable in the face of instability.”

Bell Ingram is one of the UK’s leading land and estate agents, yet still retains a local touch, with a unique understanding of UK communities, providing a personal service which is tailored to individual client needs.

Bell Ingram is a trusted land and property agent, managing 500,000 hectares across the UK on behalf of public, private and corporate clients.