Following a surge of sale transactions in the northeast and East Lothian, the Scottish housing market had collective sales of £3.4 billion during January-March 2019; the highest figure recorded since the credit crunch in 2008, according to Aberdein Considine’s Property Monitor report.

According to the latest data from the Landbay rental index, Scotland recorded the highest annual rental growth across the UK at 1.78 per cent of the yer to end April 2019, and the best monthly increase of 0.15 per cent to £750. This compares with the national average, which grew just 0.96 per cent in the year, and 0.07 per cent month on month to £1,218.

First-time buyers are to be offered loans of up to £25,000 to help those trying to get on the property ladder to pay the deposits on their first property, Nicola Sturgeon announced at the SNP conference this month.

During 2018, there were 34,519 first-time buyers in Scotland; a rise of 56 per cent from the 22,100 recorded ten years ago, according to recent research. Up from 37 per cent in 2008, first-time buyers now make up 50 per cent of all house purchases with a mortgage in Scotland, the Bank of Scotland data reveals.

A recent survey of more than 1,000 individuals revealed that half of Scottish homeowners expect the value of their house to fall after Brexit, while only three per cent believed their house value would rise.