The property markets never stand still, and 2026 has been another year that has reminded us just how local our property market really is.
While national headlines can influence confidence, they don’t always tell the full story of what is happening here in the Scottish Borders. On the ground, we’re continuing to see buyers who are motivated to move, sellers making plans for their next chapter and, importantly, good properties attracting strong levels of interest when they are brought to market with sensible pricing.
Since 2008 we’ve seen the property market evolve, changing in ways that we wouldn’t have thought possible. From the slow recovery after the crash of 2008 to the Scottish independence referendum, the EU referendum, COVID, post-COVID, the war in Ukraine, economic uncertainty and now the war in the Middle East. When you break down the last eighteen years, we’ve had a lot to deal with, but the reality is the property market in the Scottish Borders is actually performing better than you’d expect, despite all the challenges we’re seeing.
Overall, our local market is actually holding its own. ESPC data for August shows that average selling prices are up 11.9% to £237,775 year on year, and that new listings are up 5% compared to the same period last year. Sales also seem to be rising by 13.5% from last year. This coupled with an increase overall in property coming onto the open market paints a much more positive picture that you might expect as we’re heading towards the autumn.
So that’s good news, right?
Well, it gives us the overall headline figures which are very positive, but feedback from agents and sellers paints a slightly more mixed picture. Confidence is key, and all the while we’re being bombarded by the media with negative headlines and statistics.
Our agent clients are telling us, that while the media would have us believe the market has ground to a halt, that this simply isn’t the case. Based on what we’re hearing and seeing in the Borders, sensibly priced property sells, simple as that. There are still buyers out there looking for property, people still need to move whether it’s to move up the property ladder to accommodate their expanding family, downsizing to a smaller more manageable place once the kids have moved out, or even seeing that dream home you’ve had your eye on for years come up for sale.
At that point it’s action stations and you need to get that home report instructed!
At Graham + Sibbald, local knowledge sits at the heart of the advice we provide. Since opening our Melrose office in 2024, we’ve continued to strengthen our presence across the Scottish Borders and Northumberland, combining the expertise of a national firm with genuine knowledge in the local property market. Heading up the Melrose office, Richard Clowes brings more than 25 years’ experience of living and working across the region, supported by a team who share that depth of knowledge. For our clients, a home report is about more than producing a document for sale, it’s an opportunity to understand your home, talk through our findings and have an informed conversation about the local market, its current direction and what that could mean for your next move.
There’s plenty to feel positive about in the Borders property market, whether buying or selling, good decisions come from having the right information, realistic expectations and experienced advice from people who genuinely understand and care about the area.
