SPRING
THE
PULSE
l
73
Signs
of
op
ti
mi
sm
SPRING
IS
TRADITIONALL
Yt
he
season
for
those
who
have
been
8220vaguely
thinking
about
it8221
to
finally
start
gearing
up
to
sell
their
home.
And
despite
headlines
of
doom
and
gloom,
this
season
will
be
no
different.
House
prices
in
Scotland
are
actually
still
ex
pected
to
rise
this
year
,
albeit
by
about
4
per
cent
8211
the
smallest
growth
rate
in
eight
years.
Martin
Ellis,
chief
economist
at
HB
OS,
has
predicted
a
slowdown
in
the
Scottish
housing
mark
et
in
2008,
but
says
prices
in
Scotland
will
be
stronger
than
the
UK
average
growth
rate.
8220While
2008
is
ex
pected
to
record
the
small-
est
ris
e
in
Sco
tti
sh
hou
se
pri
ces
in
eig
ht
yea
rs,
the
slowdown
must
be
viewed
in
conte
xt,8221
says
Ellis.
8220W
e
estimate
that
2007
was
the
sixth
consecutive
year
of
double-digit
house
price
growth
in
Scotland.
House
prices
in
Scotland
have
risen
by
138
per
cent
over
the
past
ten
years
from
an
average
price
of
16359,000
in
late
1997
to
163141,000
today
.8221
Wa
rners
estate
agency
partner
Scott
Brown
says:
8220I
agree
that
Edinbur
gh
and
the
Lothi-
ans
won8217t
escape
unscathed
from
the
uncer-
tainty
,
but
its
unique
mark
etplace
will
allow
it
to
weather
the
storm
better
than
the
rest
of
the
country
.
A
slowdown
in
the
rate
of
growth
is
to
be
welcomed.
It8217s
great
news
for
ordinary
people
who
are
simply
buying
and
selling
their
homes,
rather
than
looking
to
mak
e
money
.
It
is
time
some
realism
was
injected
into
the
mark
et.8221
Steve
Spence,
senior
partner
at
Neilsons,
agrees
that
2008
should
be
a
good
year
for
property
in
the
Capital.
He
predicted
sales
would
defy
commentators
intent
on
spreading
8220doom
and
gloom8221.
He
said:
8220Historically
,
prices
have
never
gone
down
in
Edinbur
gh
and
Lothians.
They
may
plateau
and
tak
e
a
breather
8211
but
this
is
no
bad
thing.
8220W
e
foresee
2008
to
still
be
very
busy
.
Obvi-
ously
different
factors
will
affect
how
quickly
the
mark
et
will
tak
e
off
again
af
ter
the
initi
al
Christmas
and
New
Ye
ar
slowdown.
One
is
the
8216blue
skies
effect8217
8211
if
we
have
a
mild
winter
then
people
feel
lik
e
it
is
spring
and
want
to
move
home.
It
may
sound
strange,
but
a
sunny
Sunday
has
a
massive
effect
on
sales.8221
How
to
add
value
to
your
home
9632
Sympathetically
restore
period
feature
s
Fireplaces,
dado
and
picture
rails
are
always
in
demand.
9632
Add
storage
Install
cupboards
or
shelving
in
odd
crannies
and
raise
floors
and
conceal
storage
underneath.
9632
Add
a
power
shower
Squeeze
one
into
a
bathroom
alcove
or
the
downstairs
loo.
9632
Add
car
parking
Off-
street
parking
is
at
a
premium
and
could
substan
tially
boost
the
value
of
your
home.
9632
Get
regular
roofer
8217s
and
builder
8217s
checks
A
163150
bill
now
could
prevent
you
losing
thousan
ds
later
.
9632
Convert
a
loft
or
cellar
Loft
conversions
can
add
up
to
15
per
cent
to
your
value
in
the
city
(only
5
per
cent
in
the
country)
and
can
mak
e
good
spare
bed-
rooms
and
bathrooms.
9632
Extend
living
space
The
cost
of
large
extensions
can
more
than
double
the
return
on
your
home8217s
value.
9632
Po
werpoints
Check
you
have
enough
sock
ets.
9632
Larders
are
coming
back
in!
Tu
rf
out
the
cleaning
cupboard
and
turn
it
into
a
walk
-in
larder
complete
with
marble
slab.
8220It
may
sou
nd
str
ang
e,
but
a
sunny
Sunda
y
has
a
massive
effect
on
sales8221
Despite
UK
-wide
por
tents
of
doom
and
gloom,
Edinburgh
is
safe
as
houses
PROPER
TY
ON
YOUR
DOORSTEP
Historically
,
house
prices
have
never
gone
down
in
Edinburg
h
P68-75_Pulse_Feb_
12/2/08
11:01
pm
Page
73
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