According to the data, first-time buyers, those looking for their forever homes, and 50+ prospective buyers began the year with a strong desire to improve lifestyle, increase available space and lower energy consumption and running costs.
Daniel Hill, Managing Director, whathouse.com, comments: “2021 was an incomparable year for Scottish housebuilders in every sense, with the impact of COVID-19, shortage of materials and labour and unprecedented demand for new homes from buyers. It is usual for new home hunter activity to ramp up across Scotland in the first month of the year as people turn their attention to actioning plans.
"The start of 2022 has, however, been exceptional. We’ve recorded record-breaking levels of new home buyer interest across all regions of Scotland signalling that a new group of prospective buyers are considering a move to a new build property. This group is primarily made up of first-time buyers interested in taking advantage of the Help to Buy scheme, and 50+ buyers considering a move to a new retirement property. This group may have held back during the uncertainty of the pandemic but are now resolved to consider a move to a new build property, rather than second-hand, to improve lifestyle, increase available space and lower energy consumption and running costs.
"The six-fold surge in retirement searches from 50+ home hunters leaves us in no doubt that retirees across Scotland are now ready to action pent up plans – contemplated during the coronavirus pandemic - to change lifestyle or move to be nearer children or grandchildren.”
