Buying a home in Scotland, step by step.
Clear guides to mortgages, first-time buyer schemes, fees and the buying process in Scotland, so you know what to expect before you start house-hunting.
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- How Buying a Home in Scotland Works: Offers, Missives and Date of EntryThe Scottish buying process in order: note of interest, offers over, closing dates, missives, date of entry and what your solicitor does.
- The Home Report Explained: Survey, EPC and Property QuestionnaireWhat a Scottish Home Report contains, who provides it, what is exempt and how to use it before you make an offer.
- LBTT Rates and First-Time Buyer Relief in Scotland (October 2026)Residential LBTT bands as of October 2026, how first-time buyer relief works, worked examples and who pays and when.
- Additional Dwelling Supplement in Scotland: 8% on Second HomesHow the Additional Dwelling Supplement works as of October 2026: the 8% rate, when it applies, replacing a main home and reclaiming it.
- Costs of Buying a Home in Scotland Beyond the DepositA line-by-line list of what Scottish buyers pay: LBTT, solicitor fees, Registers of Scotland dues, surveys, mortgage fees and moving costs.
- First-Time Buyer Mortgages in Scotland: What Lenders CheckDeposit sizes, the affordability checks lenders run, decision in principle, brokers and Scotland-specific timing before missives.
- First-Time Buyer Schemes in Scotland: What Is Available in October 2026The First Homes Fund, LIFT shared equity schemes and UK-wide help, with the main eligibility rules as of October 2026.
- Home and Buildings Insurance When Buying in ScotlandWhat buildings and contents cover you need when buying in Scotland, when it must start, and how flats and shared repairs change it.
- Council Tax Bands and Council Tax Reduction in ScotlandHow Scottish council tax bands work, how to check and challenge a band when you buy, and who qualifies for Council Tax Reduction.
- EPC Ratings When Buying a Home in Scotland: Rules Change on 31 October 2026How to read a Scottish EPC, what the new-style certificates from 31 October 2026 change, and how energy efficiency affects running costs.
- Selling a Home in Scotland: Home Report, Asking Price and OffersHow selling works in Scotland: the Home Report you must provide, 'offers over' pricing, closing dates, missives and getting paid.
- Buying a Flat or Tenement in Scotland: Factors, Title Deeds and Shared RepairsWhat to check when buying a flat in Scotland: title deeds, the Tenement Management Scheme, factors, shared repairs and building insurance.