PROPERTY SPECIAL
GLASGOW Dennistoun
Average price for one- and two-bed properties £94,246 Annual increase 43%
Amenities Duke Street and Alexandra Parade have shops selling everything you could possibly want. There is a full calendar of community events and Scotland’s first 24-hour gym. Transport If you've spent all night at the gym and are too tired to walk, there's an excellent bus service to the city centre and good road links to the M8.
Social Glasgow city centre is a ten minute walk away and Dennistoun itself has many restaurants and bars. Delis and trendy coffee bars are springing up, which is always a good indicator of an area on the up.
Positives Dennistoun is easily accessible and the emergence of lots of new bars. restaurants and cafes has attracted young professionals and students.
Negatives There is a brewery nearby and some areas are still under construction while large patches of waste ground are still waiting to be snapped up.
One of the main benefits is that if you get involved at an early stage you can choose fixtures and fittings and avoid paying VAT on any extras. Despite fears that a glut of buy-to-let flats in the completed development might lead to a reduction in value. Horden believes that. in the long-term. it is unlikely that an individual purchaser will lose out — the finished flats still usually fetch more on the open market than at planning stages.
Fiona Duff, who runs a PR firm. bought her
Edinburgh flat. converted from a new town hotel.
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22 THE LIST 12—26 Apr 2007
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from the architects plans and believes it can be
an excellent way of getting what you want for
less than you‘d pay at a later stage.
‘The great thing was I got to make lots of
choices about what colours were used and the tiles on the wall and so on.‘ she says. ‘\\'hcn the flat opposite me went on the open market it went for considerably more than I paid.‘
Rescue a wreck
By far the cheapest way of getting exactly what you want is to buy a wreck. roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. especially if you are handy with a hammer. or have good contacts in the building trade. l)o always bear in mind how important a strict budget and a good contingency fund are in any large-scale project. That said. it can be a way of picking up a fantastic and unique property. such as the kind of listed buildings which are included on the Buildings at Risk register run by the Scottish ('ivic 'li'ust lsee www.buildingsatrisk.org.ukl. Remember that
there may be restrictions on the type of
improvements you can make — Historic Scotland offers help and advice on () l 31 068 8716.
Take to the water
Restoration and clean—up work started on Scotland's canals in 2()()() and the network has been open for around five years. breathing life into the country's waterways. British Waterways Scotland lwww.britishwaterways.co.ukl has granted fulltime residential moorings to barges in Glasgow. Bowling. (‘rinan. Ratho in lidinburgh and Auchinstariy near Kilsyth and there are still plenty available. Houseboats can be surprisingly large and relatively inexpensive. starting at around £4l).()()(). Would-be water babies should
start their search by contacting B\\'S. Marine mortgages can be expensive and have higher interest rates. but boats are not as expensive as houses. .'\ personal loan might be enough to cover the start up costs.
To live on the water. you will need to pay mooring fees of £l()()—l5(l per foot of the boat‘s length. which are the nautical equivalent of council tax. and a boat licence. which costs around £l(l() per year. Residential moorings are not easy to find but they are cheaper than most rents and running costs are exceptionally low. You can run a surprising number of household appliances from the boat's l3 volt battery so you don‘t have to sacrifice too many home comforts. Moorings have facilities similar to caliipsltcs so you can rise their electricity. rubbish collection. washing machines and even have your post delivered there.
For (‘laire Blackler. 33. from Rent. a houseboat offered the perfect solution when her husband Paul. a pilot. was offered a job with Loganair. 'l'he Blacklcrs (pictured below leftl bought a ()(lll by 7ft narrow boat with mooring at :\uchinstarry Basin on the liorth and Clyde canal for L'bl).()()(l with the help ofa mortgage.
The boat has separate kitchen and living areas. two bedrooms and a shower room - as well as diesel-fuelled central heating and a telephone line. .-\ washing machine is provided in the onsite washhouse.
While her liusband commutes to work in (ilasgow. Blackler runs her wine tasting business from the boat. l.ast .-\ugust they sailed the boat to lidinburgh Quay and moored it there for the three weeks of the festival. ‘lt was fantastic] she enthuses. '\\'e went from peace and quiet to the hectic pace of the city in a few minutes. We >
GLASGO N Shawlands
Average price for one- and two-bed properties Sift 31 .006 Annual increase 4%
Amenities The Tramway theatre. Pollock Park and the Burrell Collection are all within easy walking distance. there is a busy shopping arcade and several schools.
Transport Good train and bus links to other parts of Glasgow. It is also close to the centre and Polloksl'iaws Road runs directly to the crty. Social Shawlands has its own buzzing nightlife with lots of clubs. pubs and restaurants. Tusk bar and nightclub attracts people from all over the city.
Positives Very accessible and a hub of activity day and night.
Negatives House prices are rising as Shawlands is growing increasingly popular with buyers. The area contains a diverse range of properties so visit the patch yOu are interested in at different times of the day before buying.