The residential lettings market in rural areas of Scotland, including Fife, is driven by demand for premium property, especially houses with paddocks, stables or equestrian facilities, finds property consultancy Galbraith.
Geoff Laird-Portch, who manages residential lettings for Galbraith in Fife, Aberdeenshire and Angus, said: “There is huge demand and very rapid turnover for properties which have a few acres of land, grazing paddocks, or, even better, full facilities such as stables or an outdoor riding school area. Typically, we let these properties within two to three weeks of them coming on to our books. “Many people who are currently paying full livery for their horse can make significant savings by living in a property which has facilities for their horse on site. The cost savings can be quite substantial and it’s also much more convenient and saves them a lot of time if they don’t have to drive to a commercial stable twice a day to look after their horse.
“Tenants tend to be families or couples who are seeking to make the change from living and working in a town or city to realising an often long-held ambition of living in the countryside with their horse, dog and an open fire. Over the past 12 months the improvements to broadband speeds have played a major part in facilitating working from home. It is now realistic for one member of the family to work from home either every day or part-time, enabling more rural properties to be considered as their main residence.”
Source: s1homes Fife magazine