We was planning to move to the Scottish borders about 2 years ago. Having finally got a (very bad) offer on our house it looks like it might now be possible…just not in such a comfotable position as we might have been.

How is the recession up there generally? Any work at all? I am in IT but would kind of like not to be at some point. It is nearly 2 years since I was last over there, in Ireland for the last 10 years.

House prices dont seem to have dropped anywhere near as much as they have over here.

The house price thing can be pretty misleading in Scotland as its basically a blind auction with “offers over” a set price. A couple of years ago in the hot spots you needed a premium of 20+% over the “offers over” figure – now many houses are fixed price and the offers over premium is less. However in general house prices have not fallen much in Scotland except int he real hotspots.

As for work – the borders is fairly depressed generally but I have no idea of the IT job market. Not many jobs in that field in the borders I guess – commuting into Edinburgh might be your best bet of a job.

when you say the borders do you mean The Borders or Dumfries & Galloway?

Go to Northumberland instead. Far nicer…

Kinda Hawick, Jedburgh area

so I spose a commute to Edinburgh is doable.

tj- Does the offers over thing still work at the moment if no one wants to buy anything? I have seen properties on the market for a long time not sold that still say offers over.

cf- any particular reason? or just an Englandshire thing? we have considered it, not sure there are any jobs about down there?

You can offer any amount. If a house has been sat unsold for a long time they might accept a lower offer and their solicitor will perhaps give you guidance as to what would be acceptable.

Hawick / Jedburgh is a fairly long commute into Edinburgh IMO

Just a much, much nicer part of the world in my experience and opinion.

Work may be the problem wherever you go, to be honest.

Good luck!

Northumberland’s good if you’re aiming for total immersion in cultural and intellectual Siberia. For normal people, though, the Scottish borders is a better bet with the proximity of the central belt giving you more options employment wise.

The house market in Edinburgh has ground to a halt, but not dropped appreciably round me – I think people are prepared to resiliently ride things out rather than let their place go for current market value. Probably a decent strategy in Edinburgh tbh – the market must have been walloped out in the sticks though.

Are you in reach of the Belfast ferries? I’d look to load up the bike and drive across for a long weekend riding the stanes to see the current lie of the land.

Garry’s right, Northumberland is (and always has been) entirely vapid. The Borders on the other hand are a veritable hotbed of avant-garde experimentation and subcultural delight. 🙄

As for your OP, I dunno about IT, but the Borders are alright to live in. Hawick is a long commute to the Central Belt, but might be OK for Carlisle. Jedburgh is doable to Edinburgh if you like the idea of commuting, but I dunno why you would.

If you work in IT and are used to a decent salary, move somewhere within commuting distance of Edinburgh. Peebles, Innerleithen would be ideal. I wouldn’t want to commute from much further away. The borders are a great place to live, once you get to know the area you will rarely visit a trail centre.

Just be aware that the Scots hate the English with a historically-justified passion!

eldridge – really? Hatred is very rarely seen these days. Being of english birth myself I have never seen any hatred.

I commuted into Edinburgh from the Borders for a year or more. It was OK, but I’m glad not to have to do it any more.

Not a huge number of IT jobs in the Borders – which is why Edinburgh would be better. However, There are a lot of new bodies on the job market as the two huge Banks go through some downsizing / re-organisation. That’s not to say that there aren’t some opportunities. I have someone keep trying to tempt me back.

As for houses, TJ is right to say that the prices have only really gone down a little. It’s just that there’s not much buying going on. If you fancy a new-build, the developers will bite you hand off though.

Do you get the joys of Border TV?

i’d agree with smee, aim peebles/inners area. If chairlift gets built in inners and you already have a house there you’l be sitting on a goldmine. Also, biking capital of britain which is a good thing

Wot chairlift! It ain’t gonna happen

Even if it did [which it won’t] it’ll hardly turn anything into a goldmine

talking to someone the other day who was asked to tender, won`t happen says he

An alternative
http://www.lockerbiedatacentres.co.uk/

From what I know about the Blackburn/M8 corridor there appears to be a lot of IT type buildings and stuff out that end of Edin so staying in the Borders would be a nightmare commute.

Find a job then home location otherwise the “dream” could turn into a nightmare

Thanks for the advice all.

Have lived in Ireland for the last 10 years and not experianced any real hatred. Only really seems to be sport brings out the worst in this regard. Besides I have a Scottish surname so how bad can it be 🙂

I intend to be having a small mortgage so might not need to work in IT too long but still good points all. I could aim very south borders and look at Carlisle for work or as suggested a bit nearer Edinburgh. Will do some more research.

Yes if your not at all normal and fancy some where that isn’t central at all as we have no big cities near by then come to Northumberland. If however your elite and superior then consider the Borders after all it has the awesome Edinburgh near by.

I’m sensing just a little sarcasm there Drac 🙂

“if your not at all normal” actually you have summed me up pretty well there

Have lived in Ireland for the last 10 years and not experianced any real hatred.

obviously not in Belfast and Romanian then… 😉

Belfast is in Northern Ireland.

I suppose that in Northumbria at least you’re not that far from Newcastle.

I think that the people in the borders hate the english a lot less than the welsh hate the english!

(grew up in the borders, lived in glasgow, now in south wales for 4 years).

I suppose that in Northumbria at least you’re not that far from Newcastle.

Yup it’s just down that way but over there I have some on the best beaches in the country and over there is the Cheviots some of the best and certainly amongst the quietest trails in the UK.

Still the Borders is nice mind and get to the right area then you have the benefit of being able to ride into the Cheviots too as they are right on the border.

Drac man, keep it down. 😉

Oops sorry!

No it’s shit really.

Homeworking is the way forward – for the last 9 years, I’ve been doing that, working for a multinational IT company. I’ve just moved to Peebles too – and funnily enough, I was just thinking “the Borders are great” as I was flying down Gypsy Glen during my lunch hour today 🙂

What did Glen have to say?

Northumbria – old kingdom (?AngloSaxon) which included those areas now know as Northumberland and the Scottish borders.

Borders – it’s Scotland’s Surrey, a commuter region for the capital city

Northumberland – it’s Royston Vasey with bridlepaths – a wonderous place to be entered at your peril 🙂

Most houses are probably for sale now either as a fixed price or offers in the region of. Try the BSPC or ESPC property guides.

TandemJeremy says:

“Hatred is very rarely seen these days”

You need to get out a bit more my son, read more newspapers, maybe just meet a few more ordinary people! Not much hatred here then:

Romanians v Northern Irish bigots

Taliban v moderate Muslims

Palestinians v Issraeli government

Al Quaeda v The West

Anyone who lived through the miners strike v Margaret Thatcher

Sunnis v Shias in Iraq

See that naive dope smoking pacifist over there?

That’s you, that is