A city rich in culture and steeped in Scottish folklore, Edinburgh attracts visitors from all over the world. The Scottish capital’s medieval old town and impressive castle are must-visit destinations. If you’re considering a move to Edinburgh, start by reading our ranking of the best new build homes for sale in the city.
New homes in Edinburgh: 5 best developments
It’s easy to see why Edinburgh is such a popular city to live and work in. But before we get into what’s so great about living in Edinburgh, let’s take a look at our ranking of Edinburgh’s best new build homes for sale. Verified residents have rated the developments on a variety of factors. As such, HomeViews can provide rankings based on the real-life experiences of living in each one.
*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how many reviews a scheme has and how recently those reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. Buildings with a larger number of more recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance – as on our area guide pages.
Where is Edinburgh?
The City of Edinburgh is located in an accessible, central location in the Scottish lowlands. Sitting on the banks of the Firth of Forth, the city is approximately 50 miles north of the English border. It’s also around 45 miles to the east of Glasgow.
Edinburgh is located in the Scottish lowlands. It is well-connected by major roads, including the A1, the M8, the M9 and the M90. Its location and transport connections make Edinburgh an excellent base from which to explore the historic cities and breathtaking countryside of Scotland.
What’s living in Edinburgh like?
Edinburgh is a richly historic city, serving as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century. The city is the cultural and political capital of this proud country. It’s the home of the Scottish Parliament and high courts.
With around half a million inhabitants, Edinburgh is a lively city with a diverse population. The city is home to four universities, with more than 60,000 students, helping to make Edinburgh a young, vibrant place. Edinburgh has a high concentration of cafés and bars and an excellent nightlife.
The city has a vibrant cultural scene, including the world-famous Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The festivals attract the biggest names in the arts, music, theatre and comedy to the city. Edinburgh also hosts an annual international film festival, a book festival, the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. This packed cultural calendar is one of the reasons why Edinburgh is the second-most visited destination in the UK, after London.
Visitors also flock to Edinburgh thanks to its enchanting history and architecture. The magnificent Edinburgh Castle surveys the city from its vantage atop Castle Rock. Ornate Gothic churches and handsome Georgian terraces flank the city’s cobbled streets. Edinburgh is a truly atmospheric place to spend time in.
Edinburgh has a thriving economy and ranks in the top 10 best cities to work in the UK. The city also scores highly on quality of life and happiness, with the property consultancy firm Knight Frank identifying Edinburgh as one of the world’s top 20 cities in 2020. According to the study, Edinburgh scored particularly highly for happiness, governance, safety and work-life balance.
What are average property prices in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh has a wealth of elegant period properties, while recent development has seen a number of new build homes for sale in the city. According to Rightmove, for the 12 months to October 2024, Edinburgh property averaged at around £336,000. This is significantly above the December 2023 UK average price of £285,000. Scotland’s average property price is a relatively affordable £190,000, making Edinburgh’s prices almost twice the average for Scotland.
Do you want to learn more about life in this historic, world-famous city? If you’re thinking of moving to Edinburgh, you can read more about life in the city and its surrounding areas by reading our guide below. You’ll also be able to find all the latest new build developments across the wider City of Edinburgh area.
HomeViews is the only independent review platform for residential developments in the UK. Prospective buyers and tenants use it to make an informed decision on where to live based on insights from carefully verified resident reviews. Part of Rightmove since February 2024, we’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to give residents a voice, recognise high performers and to help improve standards across the industry.
