Scottish estate agents, particularly those in Dumfries & Galloway and the Borders, are often asked by people in England (and indeed by those from even further afield) how exactly you go about buying a house in Scotland. TV stars Joanna Lumley and Martin Shaw are among those to have done it. There is a perception that the Scottish buying process is very different from the English system. Well, yes and no!
The major difference to grasp is that whilst negotiations to purchase can take place verbally with the seller or their agent, the formal offer to purchase must be submitted on behalf of the buyer by a Scottish solicitor. It is this offer that forms the basis of the contract, in the same way that it would in England and Wales.