Just musing - Scotland

So, for my Scottish folks - What is the housing situation like in the Highlands and the west? I seem to remember there wasn't enough available housing for current residents, but don't know if I checked costs.  Just in case I get to come back.

Obviously I’m not in Scotland but the market is ON FIRE everywhere due to the Stamp Duty Holiday. That starts to phase out at the end of June and will be completely gone by September. I suspect there will be more on the market after that.
 

We have lots of homes for sale in the NorthEast 

Lots of homes for sale and rent around the North East..

Hmmmm. I never did travel much in the NE. Regrettably. We were going to be traveling constantly last spring and summer, before coming back to the States, but then "it" happened so we didn't get to go anywhere. Will do some online research.  If I go it won't be for a good year or so, at least. I will need some more time to round up a significant deposit, since it will be tough to get a mortgage at my age over there. And it all depends on what the Daughter does. Just trying to keep my options open.    Thanks for the info.

How's the rental market? I know if I went back to Glasgow or Edinburgh (or the immediately surrounding areas) I'd have absolutely no problem finding a place to rent. I'd like to keep that rent under £1,000 a month. But if it was just me going back, I would imagine I could get something smaller than we used to have for much cheaper. I think I'd need to factor in owning a car, though, if I was not right in the city.

I am comfortable here, and have a very nice place and the place in the community garden that I always wanted (would prefer a backyard to garden in, but this works very nicely). But when I'm out walking I keep thinking of the sights I'd see when walking in Glasgow - everything from the pavement to the flowers to the shops. I really did like it there, and it really is a decent place in which to be retired. It's nice here, too. And they do have a bus they'll send to pick me up once I'm too old to be safely driving. And I can get groceries delivered if I had to. I just really miss Scotland some days.  My guess is that I will not make it back again to live there. But you never know. 

When we retire we plan to do 6 months here 6 months there. Of course, a pipe dream at the moment as our kids are still quite young.  Where they settle could change things, of course.

But it’s what we are dreaming as we build our retirement plan.

Nothing stopping you from living part of the year in both!  Best of both worlds. Scottish summer!

Hmmmmm. Now, why didn't I think of that! 

If the Daughter ends up working in the SW USA, I could abscond to Scotland to avoid the heat for several months every year. Unless she's at elevation, where it would be quite nice.

And if she ends up working somewhere with brutal winters, I could do the same - Scottish winters are not as harsh as the ones here, for sure. Even with all the rain. (Or, I could go somewhere warmer. Portugal or Spain. I seriously had not even thought about all that, but I could do it. Thanks granny for that EU passport!!!)

Hmmmmm. Now, why didn't I think of that! 

If the Daughter ends up working in the SW USA, I could abscond to Scotland to avoid the heat for several months every year. Unless she's at elevation, where it would be quite nice.

And if she ends up working somewhere with brutal winters, I could do the same - Scottish winters are not as harsh as the ones here, for sure. Even with all the rain. (Or, I could go somewhere warmer. Portugal or Spain. I seriously had not even thought about all that, but I could do it. Thanks granny for that EU passport!!!)

Now you are talking! 

Well, the price of homes in Scotland rose in the year to March by nearly 11%! Ouch!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57163991

Also the cost of building materials has absolutely skyrocketed (around the world) and so new builds are grinding to a halt.  It will settle again, just a matter of when....if you're not in a mega hurry!

Yeah, it's that way here, too. Supply chains and investors buying up property.

I think I'd probably rent (at least for a while). It's kidn of sad, today I had to contact RBS as I got a notice that I had email from them, and got my mailing address changed (finally) to here. I was talking to the lady with a "until I can get home again" without realizing it. I really do miss Scotland. I live in a very nice flat here, and I have a garden at the allotment that I didn't have there, but that is the first place I've ever really enjoyed living and the first place I've felt very sad to have left. I really wish things could have worked out there for the Daughter. I would have happily remained there permanently. But.... such is life.  From following the news it's unusually cold and cloudy and wet there now, with increased crime and higher prices and Covid is still rampant. All of which make me sad.

My old landlord is renting an identical apartment to mine in the same complex of buildings. For the same as I paid for it in 2017. They're using the photos I sent in as proof-of-cleaning/vacating in their advertisement for this place! Arrrrrgh....    (I can tell by the slight greenish tint above the cabinets in the kitchen - I had to put down our green bubblewrap taken off our dishes when we moved there as they had not bothered to clean up on top of the cabinets in ages and they were naaaasty - the over-the-stove fan just blew out on top of the cabinets!)  So if I wanted to, I could even go back to my old address (more or less)!

I need to stop looking at Rightmove.    Because I'm not going to be going "home" anytime soon.