Invest In Edinburgh
High employment levels of 73% - most affluent city in Scotland
Edinburgh has 6 unis - student population over 75,000 students
2nd most visited city in UK - over 13 million visitors per year
33% of full-time students in Edinburgh are from outside the UK
The Fringe festival sells almost 3 million tickets per year
It takes just 27 days to sell a flat in Edinburgh - Zoopla
Airbnb guests during Fringe boost economy by almost £50 million
In 2018, Edinburgh saw average house prices rise by 9%
Edinburgh's Property Investment Opportunities At A Glance
Edinburgh’s property investment market continues to grow even through the Brexit crisis, unlike much of the rest of the UK, making it as always a sound investment opportunity. In fact, in a recent survey of property investors, 85% of respondents said they were confident about investing in Edinburgh.
The highest rise in property value in the last 7 years can be found in the Edinburgh postcode area EH5, which has seen a wallet filling increase of 81% since 2011. For more on how much property has increased in value in the last 7 years please visit our page – How much have property prices in Edinburgh increased?
Rental yields are buoyant as well with 5 of the best buy-to-let areas in Scotland belonging to Edinburgh postcodes and some delivering yields of over 10%, making it the 4th highest rental yield area in the UK.
Edinburgh Property Investment Opportunities
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How Much Have Property Prices Increased In Edinburgh ?
Taking property prices and information from Rightmove, we can get a good picture of the rise of property prices in Edinburgh by postcode.
The highest rise in property value in the last 7 years can be found in the Edinburgh postcode area EH5, which has seen a wallet filling rise of 81% since 2011. According to home.co.uk, asking prices for a semi detached home have risen from £251,000 in 2007 to £547,000, a +118% increase in value a great investment.
Edinburgh's offers an excellent rental market
Other postcodes in Edinburgh have seen similar increases and Rightmove report that in the last quarter of 2018 the average selling time for some areas was just two weeks. Estate agents and solicitors throughout Edinburgh state that there is a lack of stock for such a high demand meaning that people can achieve more than the asking price and sell quickly.
Demand for one-bedroom flats is very high due to Airbnb and short term holiday lets being very popular as Edinburgh is the 2nd most visited city in the UK. During the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the month of August the city attracts 4.5 million visitors, swelling the prices of short term lets and temporarily turning it into the 2nd most populated city in the UK.
Edinburgh Property Investment Opportunities
A semi detached home has risen from £251,000 in 2007 to £547,000, an increase of +118% in value since 2007.
Average property price increase in Edinburgh in the last 5 years (from 2016).
EH1 – 56.7%
EH2 – 63.1%
EH3 – 57.6%
EH4 – 40.8%
EH5 – 81.2%
EH6 – 32.6%
EH7 – 41.7%
EH8 – 30.2%
EH9 – 39.5%
EH10 – 31.7%
EH11 – 43.5%
EH12 – 46.1%
EH13 – 23%
EH14 – 48%
EH15 – 73.1%
EH16 – 46.3%
EH17 – 68.5%
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Edinburgh Investment And Renovation
Apart from it being arguably the most beautiful city in the UK, with two UNESCO world heritage sites, the medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town, Edinburgh has many positive reasons to make it a great investment for any investor.
Edinburgh is known for its financial centre, with the largest employers including the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group, Standard Life and Scottish Widows.
It is also famous for the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which during the month of August attracts 4.5 million people, That’s the same amount of people who go to see the World Cup, and in doing so temporarily turns Edinburgh into the 2nd largest city in the UK.
£2.613 million from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Fund
£2.613 million from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Fund is being invested in 8 town centres in Edinburgh between 2019 and 2020.
- Corstorphine
- Gorgie / Dalry
- Leith / Leith Walk
- Morningside / Bruntsfield
- Nicolson Street / Clerk Street
- Portobello
- Stockbridge
- Tollcross
Edinburgh is now also a Gigabit City, meaning it can carry 1,000 megabits per second of data, and the full fibre digital infrastructure is connected to over 300 council buildings, over 130 schools, and also within reach of over 9,000 businesses.
£207 million investment into the Edinburgh tram lines
Further investment into infrastructure includes 2 projects that are aimed at coping with the ever growing population in Edinburgh.
Just this year councillors approved a further £207 million investment into the Edinburgh tram lines to extend them from the city centre to Newhaven.
Work should be completed by 2022 and the extended line should be operational in the first quarter of 2023.
Electric train commuter links between Edinburgh and Glasgow have also just been completed on time with a £160 million electrified route just opened between Scotland’s two largest cities.
Edinburgh Universities And Student Property Investment
Edinburgh benefits from a very strong student rental market, with 50% of those students opting to continue to live in the city after graduation. Plus, approximately 33% of those students are from overseas.
There are 6 major universities in Edinburgh:
- Heriot Watt University
- Edinburgh Napier University
- Queen Margaret University
- The University of Edinburgh
- Royal College of Surgeons
- Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)
The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s leading academic institutions and has ambitious plans to invest over £1.5 billion in its estate over the next 10 years, including an £800 million shared vision between the University of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise to bring together academic scientists, clinicians, nurses, patients and industry, in world-class facilities, on one site.
Edinburgh Property Examples And Prices
First-time buyer. One-bedroom flat. City centre. No refurbishment required. Within walking distance of popular shops, restaurants and bars.
Three-bedroom detached. Need for some modernisation, Good-sized rooms. Great views. Perfect property to renovate and sell to a family.
Buy to let. One-bedroom flat to rent. Easy access to the city centre. Close to shops. Ideal for professionals or students. Permit parking available.
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Edinburgh Is Prime for Property Investors
Diversity is what makes Edinburgh a great place to not only visit and live, but also invest. The city offers a variety of property investment opportunities to suit every investors experience and budget.
The neoclassical 18th-century terraces of the New Town are generally the most desired properties to purchase. Heriot Row, the Royal Circus and Moray Place command high purchase prices and an excellent location.
The city centre is the preferred area for the student population, as well as the areas surrounding Edinburgh’s universities. This makes the centre perfect for buy-to-let investment as you can attract both students and professionals looking for accommodation near the universities and financial district.
Newington and the affluent Marchmont are both desirable areas for rental property, and offer a vibrant social life with plenty of cafés, bars, restaurants and excellent transport links, and Bruntsfield and Morningside are good for families.
Haymarket, which offers a mix of residential and commercial property, and Dalry, which is mainly tenement flats, are out to the west of the city.
In the north you will find Edinburgh’s port and Leith, which has its own distinct social scene of restaurants, bars and shops.