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Housing situation in the Shetlands


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And then there are the kids. All the places they find essential in Reading or wherever are just not available here. No branch of (insert brand name) nearer than Aberdeen. And pick the wrong location and they will struggle to play on-line games due to the low broadband speeds. Live in the wrong area and secondary school will mean staying in the school hostel all week for 5th year onwards.........even younger from some areas.

 

Just think that there are no theme parks within a day's return journey. Even fun fairs are rare. Yes there are compensations but will they enjoy empty sandy beaches and superb sea birds?.

 

Again not being negative but maybe trying to change the rose coloured glasses to plain ones.

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I think you join the list of quite a few who want to move up.

 

Private rental properties are there but are snapped up, and can be expensive, especially sizeable ones, as they are often aimed at the oil industry. You are right that word of mouth is king in Shetland, and so expect many to never see the ad pages, and as mentioned company lets are the most desired option for landlords who may actively seek them out by approaching companies.

 

So tactics like agreeing a longer term minimum lease period or sizeable upfront deposit/rental payment can be favourable when approaching a landlord or advertising in wanted sections.

 

However the easiest route may just be to buy. If you can rent out your existing property in England then that rent should easily cover a mortgage here, and if things don't work out you shouldn't have a problem selling again if you buy a decent property.

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Hi Lynda,

Did you say you had visited the Shetland Isles? If you haven't your best bet may be to visit during the winter. Have a tour around the place and see what the conditions are like. This would give you a chance to check out various parts of Shetland and see what would suit you best. You may find the South end more attractive that the Northend that sort of thing. You could also visit the schools etc.

Also I wouldn't dismiss Yell. The properties there are a bit cheaper than the mainland and there is a good ferry service..

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Guest CyprusPluto

Also I wouldn't dismiss Yell. The properties there are a bit cheaper than the mainland and there is a good ferry service..

 

...... good ferry service.......at the moment! :?

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at the moment.

 

Please don't think Shetland will solve your problems it does not. It a very good place to live but you are a long way away from family. think very carefully about your move and as said please visit in winter if you have the time. its dark cold and wet. you really need to commit to staying a number of years.

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Thankyou for all your replies. As I'd mentioned before, this has been long researched. Schooling, transportation and so on. Even the fact that we won't be within a cock's stride of Thorpe Park and all the other amenities here. The reason it doesn't bother us is that we don't simply use them. Living down in the South is no different to anywhere else for us - because there's shedloads of amenities down here doesn't mean to say we use them. Quite often a stroll on the coastline with the dog is our kinda thing... and from what I can remember there's plenty of coastline walking to be done up there.

 

As for visiting, yes I've been here on a number of occasions in different seasons, so know the lie of the land, so to speak. I'm just so surprised that people seem so negative about incomers. Sad, when you think about it.

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I'm just so surprised that people seem so negative about incomers.

 

It's a minority - unfortunately they all seem to frequent the Shetlink forum :roll:

 

However, if you're planning to build a boat from some scrap material, then sail with little experience or knowledge from the south coast of England, be rescued half a dozen times by lifeboats and helicopters, arrive in Shetland then set up your own kingdom on an uninhabited island and end up in court for ignoring UK laws - you might well expect some opposition.

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I'm just so surprised that people seem so negative about incomers.

 

Some, having seen and heard thousands arrive, and most of them leave again after a year, or a few, over the last 40 years, causes there to be a certain cynicism here and there.

 

Don't gush about how brilliant everything is and how you intend to live here for the rest of your natural because of that, and what grand plans you have for this, that or the other as soon as you get your foot in the door of wherever you end up deciding to reside. Almost all who have done so in the past aren't here now. Treat the folk and place like you would if you were moving 10 miles even though you're moving hundreds, and you'll find that negativity tends to be little and mostly xenophobic and/or jealously driven.

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I do not want to be negative towards prospective newcomers. Just want to warn them that there are downsides to living and working in Shetland. But yet there are lots of positives as well. If great fish and chips means more than being close to Nandos, if a beach means more than Thorpe park (I have never been to either of those places.....Nandos and Thorpe Park that is) and if the dark winter nights mean a chance to see the Northern Lights rather than a bout of S.A.D. then Shetland could be for you.

 

If the mail plane not arriving means a laid back "oh well I will get no bills today" rather than stress that an important letter is delayed, if you can accept that the supermarket shelves are half empty because a storm has delayed all the ferries and be glad there is anything left to buy rather than sounding off because there are no bananas, if a long power cut means you will enjoy a candlelight evening talking or listening to a transistor radio then Shetland might be right for you.

 

Shetland is a good place to live as long as you can accept things will not be quite the same as in the Thames Valley. And there are Shetland born people who have gone away and will never return. Equally there are plenty of incomers who will never leave.

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good luck with building a new house and being a newcommer

this council is so anti deveolpment and if the name don`t fit

last year the roads dept was to busy with yarl squad planning to worry about pushing for development

planning officers are now quite they drag out simple plans to justify drawing a wage

and land even a a square foot of land is fought over by neighbours from miles away with fence posts drawn at noon

this council is cut 1st (but not staff they are 1 third voters)

blame others

oh should we think about growth?

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