- Plan ItBack
- Design ItBack
- Build ItBack
- Homes
- ProductsBack
- CostsBack
- Self Build Cost Calculator
Estimate your project costs instantly with Build It's interactive self-build cost calculator
Calculate Now - Costs & Finance
- Contracts & Warranties
- Build It Estimating Service
Get an accurate, detailed cost breakdown of your project
Submit plans
- EventsBack
Q&As
Moving to Scotland and Buying Land
We are looking at moving to Scotland's West Coast, and we are looking at all options - i.e. self build, house for b&b, house with an annexe for self catering, house with land to build annexe/log cabin etc.
We have researched for information about all the options with views to working out our total budget. The information out there is vast.
Do you have any particular areas for us to look at to help work out what it would cost to actually move to Scotland?
We would be looking at no more than two rooms to use as b&b and one or two self catering units. Would this be classed as a business?
Our budget is approximately up to £300,000 to buy, we would have a pot of money left but this would be to live on until we got established.
We have registered with various estate agents for information about the houses for sale, what else can we look at? What type of questions do we need to be asking?
We have two houses to sell - one on the market this week to raise the most money - and we would live in the other one with cash in the bank to buy (£300,000).
Sell the other house this leaves us money to live on (£130,000).
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Paul and Lesley
One Answer
There are many opportunities for self build in Scotland’s beautiful West Coast.
Dumfries and Galloway, North Ayrshire and Argyll and Bute councils, in particular, are working to promote self provided housing – all three are piloting Simplified Planning Zones and are keen to encourage people into the area.
Outwith these pilots, there are still many competitively priced plots out there in some fantastic locations. However, they tend to be fairly remote – which is wonderful for peace and quiet, views and tourism – but will mean that servicing and transport costs may be high.
When looking into plots, do bear this in mind. It’s also important to look at the ceiling price of properties in the area so that you build a house that you could sell in the future if required. House prices vary widely across Scotland.
I think it would be a good idea, initially, to identify the area you want to live in and then to contact the council to see if there are any council led opportunities in that area.
I can help you with this if you wish to contact me directly. The council will also be able to advise if the B&B/self catering units would be classed as business. Even if there aren’t any council led schemes (these are still rare in Scotland as we do not have the Right to Build Legislation) the council may be able to point you in the direction of smaller local estate agents you can register with, who can keep you informed of potential plots.
Of course you should also search on Rightmove and register on databases like Plotsearch. Sometimes local knowledge is key however.
Financially, it might be an idea to contact BuildStore who can advise on lending and whether or not you can remain in your house during the build.
I hope that has helped and don’t hesitate to get in touch is you have any further questions about Self Build in Scotland.
Angela Doran, NaCSBA’s self-build representative for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.