Why Edinburgh’s growing green city credentials make property investment a sound and sustainable choice.
Edinburgh is widely considered to be the most economically flourishing city outside of London. Scotland’s Capital city, we believe it to be the most beautiful city in the United Kingdom and one of the most beautiful and sustainable to live in the world.
If you’re looking for property investment in a green, yet practical city filled with activities and opportunities gfor everyone, then all roads lead to Scotland’s capital.
Recently, Time Out named Edinburgh to be the top of 53 best cities in the world, citing landmark developments like the prestigious St James Quarter and amazing eateries like Ka Pao or Elenore as well as Scotland’s first ‘vertical distillery’, Port of Leith on the waterfront. Edinburgh city also has much more to offer, such as, Edinburgh Castle and the fantastic shopping of Edinburgh city centre. Outside of it’s beautiful and historic urban space, the capital city can also provide quiet spaces as well as gorgeous outdoor spaces. Included in these outdoor spaces are beautiful walking routes such as Arthur’s Seat or a strong along Portobello beach, these locations allow Edinburgh to grab the attention or both the urban, city lover and the active outdoor. The environment and weather conditions of Scotland provide the most dramatic views in these outdoor spaces no matter the weather or time of day!
Why the home of Edinburgh Castle is the perfect urban green setting for investing in property.
These are all fantastic reasons to invest in property in Edinburgh. A solid, flourishing, beautiful city makes for a great, stable backdrop for your “pot of gold”. Not to mention a commercially robust property market that has sailed through double-dip recessions and a global pandemic.
But Edinburgh is also a flourishing green city as Next X data revealed both Scottish giants Edinburgh and Glasgow in the top 5 greenest cities to invest in. There were several factors considered which will get the attention of any stat lover, including CO2 emission per capita and roadside air pollutants index all the way down to the number of office buildings with a fantastic BREEAM rating and not to mention the number of EV charging points per person living in the city is tremendous.
Why is now the best time to invest in this metropolis on the east coast with the perfect balance of residential spaces and outdoor spaces?
One reason is because… It’s growing! The residential spaces of the city are expanding way past the busy spaces of Edinburgh city centre, adding many beautiful green environments whilst it does so.
Another consideration in the report was the number of new homes being delivered in the past year. If you’ve ever frequented the outskirts of Edinburgh, around the city bypass, you’ll have witnessed the mini towns, residential spaces, and communities popping up on the outside the ring roads of the city bypass. Some of these developments have thousands of homes, and areas outside of Edinburgh, like Bonnyrigg and Tranent, are bustling, busy community space thanks to these new build homes.
These new areas create a strong community space and really solidly protect the value of the properties within the confines of the city bypass. Whilst they are habited by younger families who work in the city, they increase the number of homeowners within a moveable distance of the city centre, increasing potential demand for buy to let properties or more ambitious homes within the ring of the bypass.
The rise of the electric cars and electric scooters
There are many factors as to why electric vehicles are on the up! These including the likes of fuel costs and people’s lives and working conditions changing, for example many are now working from home after the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The current price of fuel and running costs has caused a surge in electric vehicle sales. As electric cars and scooters.
improve and become more accessible, the number of EV charging points in a particular area will become of vital importance practically. Edinburgh’s ambition to become Scotland’s greenest city will drive and protect property prices, futureproofing the city as an investment bolthole.
A recent analysis of homes in the UK showed that 76% of homes with an EV charger installed showed an increase in value. I don’t think we’re decades away from EV charging being widely accessible, but the agility in which Edinburgh is adopting the tech demonstrates the intention of the city as a progressive and innovative area.
Commercial Investment in the capital
Commercial investment in Edinburgh is rapidly on the up and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon
With residential spaces expanding on the outskirts of the city, it creates a more handy location for commercial investment to provide for those staying further out from the city centre and is a no-brainer for any long distance commuter who works within the historic capital who now has the chance to work closer to home with more commercial options close by.
Edinburgh’s green environments will drive investment from progressive firms conscious of their own green print, increasing employment and other opportunities, especially in public spaces looking to head towards a more urban green setting. We see similar trends in the property and employment markets in other cities such as Aberdeen across the oil and gas industry. This can only be a good thing for the property prices across the city, and the buy-to-let market.
High Quality Urban Green Spaces
Edinburgh is full of beautiful locations and famous urban green spaces and beautiful walking routes. From Princes St Gardens to the Meadows and Holyrood Park, host to the famous Arthurs Seat, Edinburgh’s landscape is awash with green spaces to rival any major city in the country. Majority of the outdoor environments of the city are also very accessible with well-built road crossings and high path qualities providing great walking conditions for everyone.
There are many reasons why urban green areas protect property prices; they create fantastic living conditions and quiet spaces, reducing noise pollution and population density, have a cooling effect on busy settings and reduce air pollution – as well as the aesthetic benefits and improving quality of life in urban space. Data suggests that urban green spaces raise nearby house prices by between £2,500 and £5,000.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to invest in a city with both sound urban setting and green environments – I believe there is no better investment than Edinburgh. It’s beautiful, robust, green, and growing. If you’re looking to build a solid property investment strategy to create an income from an appreciating asset then Cox & Co are here to help. From portfolio structuring and specialist mortgage advice to sourcing the perfect property in the best residential spaces and managing the whole process on your behalf.
Book a discovery call with one of our team and let us help you to achieve your financial goals.