East Renfrewshire is a thriving county with in-demand areas such as Giffnock, Clarkston and Newton Mearns, all of which appeal to a wide range of buyers. There are several exceptional schools in the area which regularly make the Scottish education league tables, attracting families to the area. Over the last 18 month we have seen a property boom unlike anything before, with family homes the most in-demand property type.
Housing
East Renfrewshire has one of Scotland’s strongest housing markets, with land values among the highest in Scotland. House prices here have risen considerably since the pandemic due to the shortage of supply and a spike in demand.
We are in the middle of a period of development in the Newton Mearns area with over 1000 new homes being built up at the new Maidenhill area, with another 1000 being built at Barrhead South. Both developments will include green space and affordable housing and it is estimated that the local area will benefit from £20 million in developer contributions. There is also a newly opened primary school – Maidenhill Primary.
Lifestyle
Based on average earnings, rates of crime, average life expectancy and the level of carbon emissions Royal Mail has previously noted East Renfrewshire as a ‘happy’ place to live and in a previous Readers’ Digest poll, East Renfrewshire was voted the second best place in Britain to raise a family.
Education
The biggest pull to East Renfrewshire is the schooling choice. There are several secondary schools that are in the top 10 in Scotland’s annual league table including Williamwood High School, Mearns Castle High School, Eastwood High School and St. Ninian’s High School. The area has a proven-track record for the highest standard of education delivered in nurseries and schools.
Transport
East Renfrewshire is just 20 minutes south of Glasgow city centre and is connected to the M77 as well as exceptional train and bus routes.
Multi-million pound investment into transport infrastructure will improve links between communities and the M77, opening up new business locations. A new rail station and road improvements in Barrhead will link new residential developments with communities across East Renfrewshire, improve access to Dams to Darnley Country Park and provide first-class commuter links to Glasgow city centre.
Notable attractions
There are many restaurants and niche shops for locals and visitors with new restaurants popping up all the time. I Love Clarkston and Giffnock Village are Business Improvement Districts and actively drive footfall from the local area to local businesses and continue to ensure the town centres remain on the map.
Attractions include:
Whitelee Windfarm, Eaglesham is the largest onshore windfarm in Europe with over 70km of trails to explore. It has an exceptional activity and education centre including bike hire facilities. It has a 4 star rating from the Scottish Tourist Board and a Gold Green Tourism award.
Greenbank Garden, Clarkston is a National Trust property offering a tranquil, inspiring garden setting to explore and it regularly holds entertainment events and festivals for all the family.
Rouken Glen Park, Giffnock is an awards winning local park with boating pond, woodland walks, large children’s play area & scenic waterfalls. It has a 4 star visitor attraction rating from Visit Scotland and Green Flag status.
Dams to Darnley is Scotland’s newest Country Park. It is currently benefitting from investment to transform Dams to Darnley Country Park into a destination to an audience of 1.8 million people with a new visitor centre, cafe, boardwalk, leisure opportunities and a Wake Park Centre – the fastest growing extreme sport in the world.
Talk to us at Nicol Estate Agents about moving to the local area! Everyone who works in our team lives in the area and would be happy to help.