The mortgage squeeze and rental costs hike are cited as key barriers to home ownership and the growth of local economies.
In our special series this week, the business team has shone a light on difficulties facing people across the Scottish housing market.
In day one, business correspondent Kristy Dorsey revealed that higher mortgage rates are adding to long-standing affordability issues in the housing market.
First-time buyers are increasingly turning to "the bank of mum and dad" to secure a mortgage as a generation that has until recently only ever known rock-bottom interest rates attempts to secure a footing on the property ladder.
ANALYSIS
Finance experts weigh in on how best to afford a mortgage
While house prices in some areas have started to ease, they have so far remained quite steady and quite high across many regions.
Latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the average UK price in June was up 1.7% on the same period a year earlier at £288,000, £5,000 higher than 12 months ago but £5,000 less than November 2022's peak. In Scotland the average price stood at £189,000, though this is much higher in sought-after areas such as East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh and East Lothian.
Scots rental market in turmoil as housing shortfall widens
The future of Scotland’s rented housing market is at the centre of intense debate, with tenants’ groups and property firms at odds over how to solve a housing crisis that some are branding an emergency, deputy business editor Scott Wright revealed on day two of the series.
Tenants’ representatives are urging the Scottish Government to further tighten rent controls as a combination of economic factors exert upward pressure on the monthly cost of rent, sparking unprecedented demand for help and advice from organisations such as Citizens Advice Scotland.
ANALYSIS
Major action needed to solve rent crisis
It would seem to be impossible to dispute the assertion that the property rental market in Scotland is in the midst of a crisis.
Rental costs are rising sharply amid a worsening shortfall in the availability of affordable homes, with more people entering the private rental sector as universities enrol more students and people are finding it more difficult to buy homes because of high interest rates.
Rural housing shortage a 'huge barrier' to Scottish industry
The shortage of rural housing has been pinpointed as the “single biggest block” to business growth in one of Scotland’s most popular tourist regions, Scott Wright outlined on day three.
The co-owner of a leading tourism business in Tyndrum told The Herald that an accommodation shortfall is impeding plans for economic development in rural areas.
It came as tourism and hospitality firms across Scotland continue to face acute staff shortages in part because of insufficient housing, leaving many unable to trade at full capacity.
ANALYSIS
Highland firm calls for homes to 'target those in need'
The chief executive of Highland Housing Alliance, an Inverness-based property firm which specialises in remote areas often overlooked by major developers, has offered its suggestions for tackling the shortage of homes across the region.
HHA chief executive Gail Matheson declared that there is a “significant gap” between the supply and demand of affordable homes in the area, which she said has “worsened” in recent years because of an “under-delivery” of homes, rising land prices, and constraints on the amount of land available for development.
OPINION
Ian McConnell: Incredible dream which has transformed fragile island community
Having covered the Isle of Harris Distillery story for more than a decade now, it was particularly interesting to catch up in recent days with those leading the business into “a new era”.
It would, for the avoidance of doubt, have been fascinating to hear from Isle of Harris Distillers chairman and chief financial officer Ron MacEachran and managing director Simon Erlanger in any case. The pair have a compelling story to tell, as they prepare to launch The Hearach single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery at Tarbert on Harris also expects to bottle its millionth bottle of the award-winning Isle of Harris gin next month.
OPINION
Brian Donnelly: Final plea to Humza Yousaf amid ‘division and hate’ over short-term lets
Tourism leaders have called on First Minister Humza Yousaf to postpone new licensing laws amid a wave of "hate and division" around the issue.
The new push for a “more workable, fair, proportionate and agreeable solution” to short-term let regulation in Scotland came after support emerged from an unlikely quarter. As the deadline for small tourism businesses such as guest houses to register for “onerous” new fees and planning regulation approaches, a “final plea” was made to the First Minister.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here