A glimpse of St Andrews Castle

Covering the country from the Borders through Fife this week!

Impromptu visit up to St Andrews today with a friend who was interested in investing in a property in St Andrews: not any more though!

She took me along to give an impartial decision about a property which she was considering investing in for the purposes of letting out to students. What we found was a market which was over-priced, and strangled by laws adversely affecting the very students they were designed to protect. Properties coming to the market because landlords cannot rent to 3 unconnected persons unless they have an HMO (houses of multiple occupancy) licence. Properties which have rooms lying empty because the council will not grant any more licences, leading to less accommodation being available, and students who can't get rentals.

Told my friend to seek properties in Edinburgh instead, because although the prices are high here too, she can invest the same money and get a 4-bedroomed flat for the price she would have to pay in a back alley off Market Street in St Andrews. Crazy!