Moving solo to Edinburgh: where to live?

[cluckandcollect]

I was born in Scotland but my family moved south when I was young and I'm currently living in the rural outskirts of Bristol. I'm 57 and about to finalise my divorce, at which point I'll be free to move on. I have no children to worry about and I am able to WFH, so there's nothing to hold me back. I have a friend in Edinburgh and visit the city a couple of times a year and I'm excited about the chance to move there for this latter stage of life.

I lived and worked in London for years before moving to the country with my soon-to-be ex. After a decade of rural life I want to live fairly centrally and take advantage of the history, culture, art, theatre and great bars and restaurants of a great city. Ideally I'd like to be within half an hour's walking distance of, say Waverley Station as a central point.

My friend lives in a quiet street off York Place. She's lived there for more than 20 years and the only property I could afford around there would be top-floor — not a great idea, really, as you get older.

I love the buzz of the city centre but I'm not sure I want it all day, every day. I'm also not sure, after Covid, that I want to be potentially trapped in a tenement flat with no access to green space.

I've seen a couple of low-rise late-90s/ early 2000s apartments for sale in the Morningside/ Colinton Road area that look like a compromise. Those areas don't have the city buzz I'm looking for and feel more suburban, but they do have trees and a quieter greenish outlook which will be easier to negotiate as I get older.

Are there other, as yet unexplored, areas that you think might fit the bill? If I were to rent for the first year where would you recommend?

As a young single woman I lived in Dean Village. I walked there recently and it’s still absolutely beautiful with renovated old buildings and sympathetic modern builds. Five minutes walk from west end princes street but feels like another world - a little country village with lovely river through it. Do check SEPA though and flood history - always one to check when considering buying in valley with through water.

Doh! Should have read above sorry - though we rented a ground floor modern in Damside In dean village years ago.
Be aware Marchmont has mice problem. Bruntsfield, Newington, Stockbridge, West end all good. Edinburgh’s so small and great buses. Quite lot of areas to choose from

Hi @cluckandcollect I read your post and I feel excited for you! Good on you starting afresh.

As others have said the ESPC website is the best site for property. Also Rettie and Strutt & Parker (as they are too select for ESPC!). If you look at areas like Hillside (15/20 min walk from Waverley), Canonmills. Abbeyhill, Leith, Leith Links (30/35 min walk) would all be handy and same side of town as your friend with more reasonable prices than Stockbridge, west end etc. The colonies houses or 'flats with gardens' at that end are in Leith Links, Lochend, Abbeyhill. Streets like Ryehill, Cornhill have small gardens, up from Leith Links, which is a large, well used, open space and has the Leith Community Croft.

For my retirement I'd opt for the east end or Leith end. Very accessible (great bus links and the tram is coming), brilliant bars, restaurants, more independent shops opening up. Anything there would be value for money, but the prices are rising.

There are new developments which look low maintenance for retirement years: The Ropeworks, Bonnington Mill, a cinema conversion on Gt Junction St. Edinburgh is your oyster!

Rent first - try six months in your chosen area and see how you like it, Edinburgh is full of hidden gem areas.

Word of warning regarding flats OP. I just sold my flat and am on the hunt for a house. The market is awash with flats for two reasons -

1. the arse has fallen out of airbnb so the businesses running them are forced to sell up (this situation is no doubt temporary since scotgov refuse to legislate for residents).
2. flats are a nightmare during lockdown - everyone is fit to kill their neighbours and are bailing for greener quieter houses with outdoor space.

The market is really strange as a result just now. Flats are many for sale, hard to shift and fairly cheap compared to usual - good of you want a flat.

Houses are quite overpriced just now and snapped up as soon as they hit the market, usually at well over asking. You really need to be based here, solicitor and money primed and ready to view and offer immediately if you have any chance. That may change once tax rules change and covid restrictions relax but who knows.

Think hard about whether you want to live with the hassle that comes with low level flats. Top floors escape the worst of it but middle floors you have potential noise from all sides and everyone is home all the time right now. Once things open back up after lockdown it won't take long for airbnb to pick up where it left off - party flats are no longer just an issue in student areas - they have driven a lot of the local population out of the city centre tenements.

Twenty years ago flats were communal living areas, folk knew their neighbours and looked out for each other, everyone had carpets. Now the trend for bare floors has made flat life a misery, I have lived in both georgian and modern and both have the same problem - you can hear everything from above, there is no privacy and you will always know when when your neighbours are home or have gone away for the week and let their flat to visitors - sigh. I loved my last flat but the incessant hassle from building work in other people's flats, holiday lets, cigarette smoke coming in through the windows etc just completely busted my nut. I think if you go out to work every day and away a lot it is fine but if you are home, locked down, headphones on and with no respite - it can make you hate people!

If you are set on city centre flat I would definitely look into retirement flats - I think some start at over 50s or 55s they have communal areas, better noise control, no short lets and are way way more affordable than open market flats. I would if age would permit!

Apologies for the essay!

There is a retirement tick box on espc.

espc.com/properties?locations=edinburgh&minbeds=2plus&maxprice=425000&ptype=other_26

Note the price differences and lack of hard flooring in favour of noise reducing carpeting

Discovered recently that my joiner forebears were the original occupants of one of the colony houses.

It was obviously seen as des res, because they held onto the house when the family moved into tied accommodation with the husband's next job, and moved back there 20 years later when he died.

Colonies are very sought after now, especially Stockbridge. Most were built as workers housing. Back in the 80s they were a bit of a rough n ready nogo zone!

I love them but I think upper is the way to go, two floors/more space etc. The ground floors are mostly wee 1bed flats and I presume very reliant on nice neighbours. You would struggle with a car there, it has parking but streets are pre-motor cobbled lanes.

Bellevue is great, just off Broughton Street...

Personally I would rent for 6 months and enjoy exploring the city - it is fabulous (without Covid)!

Haymarket out towards Murrayfield would be my preference. Close enough but also far enough away from most of the Festival madness and other tourist / student shenanigans. Streets a bit wider and less congested round this way too. It honestly is not a long walk unless your idea of Central is up Arthur's Seat or along Leith Shore.

Highly recommend riverside walks running along the back of the Gallery of Modern Art.

Remember to watch out for any cladding/ safety issues with your flat, also air BnB was so big - you don't want to end up next door to a party flat/ I understand many 2 bed flats are on the market as people choose to move out of the city and work from home nearer countryside.

Also we are moving to an electric future so gas /oil will eventually be replaced. Also electric is expensive so good insulation is important.

sorry if all this has already been covered

Personally I'd go as near centre as possible then move again if you ahve to due to age years later.

Can I jump on this thread and ask for good first time buyer areas? £150-175 budget? Or at least, places to avoid?

With that budget your options are seriously limited @Standrewsschool
Places to avoid: Wester Hailes, Pilton, Muirhouse, Craigmillar / Peffermill, some parts of Granton, Oxgangs and Leith.......basically if you can get a 2 or 3 bed house within your budget you don't want to live there!!
A 1 bed tenement round Polwarth, Gorgie, Slateford sort of area should come within your budget but some of them are teeny tiny.
espc.com/property/11-9-yeaman-place-polwarth-edinburgh-eh11-1br/35909639?sid=844763