This Week in Property – 21 September 2026

Welcome to This Week in Property, our regular round-up of the news that actually matters if you are buying, selling or letting a home in Scotland. Here is what caught our eye this week.

Scottish house prices keep climbing

Official figures released this week show the average Scottish home rose 2.3% in the year to July, to around £196,000 – comfortably ahead of the UK-wide average of 1.4%. It is steady, healthy growth rather than a runaway market. For anyone thinking of selling in Ayrshire or Glasgow, it means you can go to market with confidence.

Interest rates held at 3.75%

The Bank of England kept its base rate unchanged this month, though it was a close decision. For buyers, mortgage costs stay broadly where they are for now – and with no cut on the immediate horizon, there is little to be gained by holding off in the hope of cheaper borrowing.

Rent rises cool right down

Scottish rents rose just 1.1% over the past year, to an average of around £1,013 a month – a world away from the double-digit jumps of recent years. For landlords, the message is to set expectations realistically: modest, well-evidenced increases are now the order of the day.

Well-priced homes are still selling fast

Across east-central Scotland, homes are taking a median of just 21 days to sell and achieving over 102% of their Home Report valuation on average. Volumes are a little lower, but the lesson is clear – price a home accurately and it still sells quickly, and often over valuation.

Hundreds of new homes for Glasgow

Glasgow City Council has approved land for a swathe of new housing, including sites for up to 800 homes in the east of the city and 138 mixed-tenure homes with Maryhill Housing Association. Continued investment across the city’s north and east is a healthy sign for the wider Glasgow market.

Landlords get breathing space on EPCs

The Scottish Government has pushed back its reformed energy-efficiency rules for rented homes to 2028. The minimum EPC band C standard still applies to new tenancies from 2028, but landlords now have around eighteen months to plan any upgrades – and interest-free help is available through Home Energy Scotland.

The bottom line

A steady market, holding rates and quick sales for well-priced homes – a good backdrop whether you are selling, buying or letting. Thinking of making a move? A free, no-obligation valuation is the best place to start.

Header image: Gareth E. Kegg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Read the next edition: This Week in Property – 28 September 2026.