While it’s true that there has been a rise in house sales in Scotland recently, the slow market has deterred a lot of people from putting their homes up for sale. The feeling of uncertainty that comes with having a property on the market for a long time combined with the pressure of having to live in what is essentially a ‘show house’ environment, has meant many potential buyers who would otherwise be searching for new homes for sale in Scotland at the moment have decided to stay where they are for a while. However, with Stewart Milne Homes, there could be an easy and effective solution to the problem.
The company’s Assured Sale purchase plan guarantees new home buyers that their home will be sold within a set period of time. Sellers are free to market their home with a solicitor as normal, allowing them to achieve the best possible price for it. However if, on the occasion that the house does not sell within the set time period, Stewart Milne Homes will purchase the house itself at an agreed price.
The scheme is explained by Mike Cowie, sales director of Stewart Milne Homes North Scotland: ”With the second-hand market slowly picking up, we appreciate that homeowners often feel caught between ensuring the best price for their property and securing a timely sale. The Assured Sale plan is designed to remove the elements of risk and provide the best of both worlds for peace of mind.
“By having a guaranteed buyer on the horizon, alongside a mutually agreed sale price and timescale, confidence is restored. Assured Sale has proved an extremely effective solution to the hesitation felt within the market by restoring the much-needed buyer confidence, though we are actually seeing a significant majority of these customers successfully selling their existing property independently.”
Mr & Mrs Lawrie sold their home through Stewart Milne Homes' Assured Sale scheme before moving into their smart new house at King's Gate in Arbroath
One Arbroath couple, Mr & Mrs Lawrie, signed up to the Stewart Milne Homes purchase plan in a bid to sell their old property: “We had wanted to move for a while, but with the housing market being so unsteady, we weren’t sure about trying to sell our existing home. There is just no certainty in securing a timely sale or viable price.
“Like many would-be buyers, we liked to keep our eye on what was available and, during an impromptu perusal of the local area, came across the Assured Sale scheme at Stewart Milne Homes’ King’s Gate development. After a brief chat with Karen, the sales consultant, we realised it was absolutely ideal – not only would we have a guaranteed buyer and sale price under our belts, but the opportunity to try our luck on the open market until we were ready to move.”
In just five weeks the couple’s home was sold and the Lawries were celebrating having got the price they had been hoping for. However, if the property had failed to sell then they had the security provided by Stewart Milne Homes and would not have missed out on their new house at the King’s Gate development.
The Assured Sale purchase plan is available on selected plots at this development, which offers three-bedroom semi-detached and detached homes and four-bedroom detached villas in a selection of styles. Prices at Kingís Gate start at £144,995.
by Maria Brett
Posted by mariabrett 
