As half of the Allen & Harris network covering the West of Scotland, this area of the Sequence group covers a large geographical area with a wide range of towns and villages. This includes the affluent seaside town of Helensburgh, a short distance from Loch Lomond National Park, down through Dumbarton across the Clyde Estuary, to the large town of Paisley – vying for UK City of Culture in 2021– across Renfrewshire to Bridge of Weir and then opening up to the three Ayrshire branches in Irvine, Kilmarnock and Ayr in the south. Serviced by two international airports, Glasgow and Prestwick, the west coast of Scotland is exceptionally accessible.

City markets

The areas are very different and have their own micro markets, with a diverse selection of homes. Unlike our southern counterparts, our market is lower priced and the boom and bust effects are not as extreme.

The first time buyer market in Paisley is fed by competitively priced flats and houses to help buyers get onto the property ladder. Paisley is a bustling town with a great textile heritage and its popularity and population continue to grow. Close to Glasgow Airport and the M8 Motorway network, it remains a very popular base with easy commuting to Glasgow, Ayrshire and the East. Demand has grown year-on-year with our Paisley office seeing a 22.5 per cent rise in applicants and a 31.5 per cent increase in house sales.

The military effect

Helensburgh in North Dunbartonshire has a higher average house price of £212,000 compared to the area average of £118,000. Helensburgh is a beautiful, affluent and popular seaside town and offers families a great community. It is also popular with buyers working at the Naval bases of Faslane and Coulport. There are many more military personnel transferring north to work here over the next few years, providing a huge boost to the local economy and housing market. A major attraction is that the stunning Loch Lomond National Park, is five minutes’ drive away. It covers an area of around 720 square miles of beautiful mountains, glens and lochs.

New build bonus

Bridge of Weir in Renfrewshire shares a higher average house price with Helensburgh as they cover some smaller but affluent local towns and villages, including Houston, Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm. Very popular and well regarded local schools continue to draw local families and fuel house prices and drives sales. The Gryffe High School in Houston remains in the top 10 of the best schools in Scotland and this creates continued demand for family homes and fuels house prices locally. A recent surge in new builds also continues to boost the housing stock within the wider area with various new developments being launched. The Bridge of Weir branch also extends into North Ayrshire and covers the popular, historic village of Lochwinnoch, with the busy water sports centre located at the nearby Castle Semple Loch which forms part of the 108 square miles of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park.

Good communications good schools and low housing costs, make this a very strong market.

Ayrshire North, East and South is covered by our three branch Ayrshire Network – Ayr, Irvine and Kilmarnock. Despite losing some big local employers in recent years, homes in Kilmarnock remain great value for money. Also, with an upgraded motorway network, this means faster commuting to Glasgow and surrounding areas.

The newtown

Irvine, a new town, provides great local shopping outlets and a lovely harbourside location with a vibrant community spirit. The area has also seen a recent surge in new developments by a variety of builders with steady demand for quality family homes.

Ayr itself is a very popular seaside town, having a lovely esplanade and sandy beach and has a similar population to Kilmarnock circa 46,000. Ayr, formerly a Royal Burgh, is a popular tourist destination and has a bustling town centre and leafy suburbs with some of the area’s finest local properties.

Golfing fame

Ayr is located 37 miles south west of Glasgow and serviced by Prestwick International Airport. The area also extends down the coast through Turnberry, famous for being a British Open Golf venue and having a famous luxury 5 Star Hotel, through Girvan and Ballantrae and beyond. There is Ayrshire College and the famous Ayr Racecourse which hosts many Flat and National Hunt meetings including the Scottish Grand National and the Ayr Gold Cup.

There are a huge number of local towns and villages throughout Ayrshire and it remains a very localised but popular market where we have considerable local experience. For a young first time buyer to the discerning client seeking a large country home, Ayrshire offers something for everyone.