Property Podcast: focus on north east and festive homes
This month’s Scotsman property podcast, in partnership with DJ Alexander, takes a look at one of most important regional markets outside the Central Belt - the north east of Scotland - before getting into the festive spirit with a focus on the popular BBC TV programme, which has now become something of an annual tradition, Scotland’s Christmas Home of the Year.
Transcript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Hello, and welcome to December's edition
00:04 of the Scotsman Property Podcast
00:07 in partnership with DJ Alexander.
00:10 This month, we're going to be heading north
00:12 to take a look at the Aberdeen market
00:14 for property sales and lettings.
00:17 And later in the programme,
00:18 we'll be taking a sneak peek into the Christmas edition
00:21 of Scotland's Home of the Year
00:23 with designer and presenter, Anna Campbell-Jones.
00:28 2023 has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride
00:31 for the property market in the UK,
00:33 with the first half seeing continued rises in prices
00:37 before successive interest rate hikes
00:40 brought that to a bit of a halt.
00:42 Since then, average prices have been falling across the UK
00:46 and transaction numbers are down,
00:49 but Scotland has been less affected by the highs and lows.
00:52 The market north of the border
00:54 has been a lot more stable so far.
00:56 We'll see what next year brings.
00:59 Meanwhile, in the rental market,
01:01 changes in private rented sector legislation
01:04 brought in by the Scottish government
01:06 has seen big rises in rental returns for new tenancies.
01:10 Demand is still outweighing supply.
01:13 And in some towns and cities,
01:14 average rents are at an all-time high.
01:17 But just as Scotland is very different
01:20 from the rest of the UK,
01:21 so regions within Scotland perform differently.
01:25 Here to talk about the market in the North East
01:27 is Aileen Merchant,
01:29 the managing director of DJ Alexander, based in Aberdeen.
01:33 Hi, Aileen.
01:34 - Hi.
01:35 - Am I right in saying that Aberdeen
01:38 and its environs really seems to have its own micro market
01:42 in both sales and lettings,
01:44 which can be really different from the central belt?
01:48 - Yes, absolutely.
01:49 The Aberdeen market is really dictated to by the oil price.
01:53 So when the oil price is high,
01:55 the rental prices are high
01:56 and sales move very quickly at record prices.
02:00 But we did experience quite a large oil price crash
02:05 just over eight years ago now,
02:07 and it has taken a long time to recover.
02:10 - So I'm thinking about the sort of post-COVID boom
02:14 that happened in much of the rest of Scotland,
02:19 certainly, and the UK.
02:21 Did that not have any effect,
02:23 or was it just a smaller effect on Aberdeen sales prices?
02:27 - Correct.
02:28 So it didn't have an effect at all in Aberdeen
02:31 because the oil price had crashed while COVID was going on
02:35 because people weren't going out,
02:38 people weren't going on holiday.
02:39 So the demand for oil was low.
02:41 So because the oil price was still so low,
02:45 we really didn't see that boom
02:47 kind of post coming out of lockdown
02:50 that the rest of the UK did experience.
02:53 - I see, okay.
02:54 So there are still people moving to Aberdeen.
02:57 There's plenty of, I suppose, incomers there.
03:02 What are the really desirable areas
03:04 for somebody like me who's not very familiar with Aberdeen?
03:09 - So really kind of the outskirts of Aberdeen,
03:12 so just on that kind of border between Aberdeen and Shire.
03:16 So we see kind of the smaller villages and towns
03:19 such as Cove, Portlethen, Westhill, Cults
03:23 being very desirable for families coming into the area.
03:28 - And are those, I guess, commuter villages?
03:33 - Correct, yeah.
03:34 So not long ago, the Aberdeen Western peripheral route
03:39 was opened up in Aberdeen,
03:41 which is a link that runs South Aberdeenshire
03:44 to North Aberdeenshire.
03:46 So rather than taking over an hour to get
03:50 from one end of the town to the other,
03:51 now it takes 15, 20 minutes.
03:54 And those areas are right on that Western peripheral route.
03:58 So that AWPR we've seen made a huge difference
04:02 to kind of how popular those areas were.
04:05 - And there's a sizable university.
04:08 So do you get a lot of student lets
04:11 on the rental side as well?
04:14 - Yeah, so we've got two universities in Aberdeen.
04:16 Aberdeen University, which is based in the city centre.
04:20 And then you have the Robert Gordon University,
04:22 which is based just kind of South Aberdeen.
04:25 We see a lot of demand around the Aberdeen University.
04:29 So those areas around King Street,
04:32 Uckert Road, et cetera,
04:34 are all very popular at student time.
04:38 Garthie does fairly well,
04:41 but definitely the Aberdeen University side
04:43 performs extremely well.
04:46 - And it's a different kind of market, isn't it?
04:50 If you're dealing with student tenants
04:53 who perhaps haven't lived on their own before,
04:56 is it a case of really making sure
04:58 that they know how to protect themselves
05:00 and the property for your client landlords?
05:04 - Yes, absolutely.
05:05 You know, you have kind of younger people
05:08 that have never left home before.
05:11 You know, have never lived on their own,
05:12 never done their own washing or, you know,
05:15 had to clean before.
05:17 So kind of, we're really kind of guiding them through.
05:19 And sometimes you almost feel like a bit of a counsellor
05:22 rather than a letting agent
05:24 for both the parents and the students
05:27 and kind of guiding them through that process.
05:30 - And with that sort of market,
05:33 do you get parents buying for student children?
05:36 And I guess that's, they're sort of as much novices
05:40 if they've never been landlords before,
05:42 if parents decide to invest for the four years
05:45 that their child is at one of the universities.
05:47 Is that, can that be tricky for you as well?
05:51 - Yeah, so I think prior to the oil crash,
05:54 we saw a lot of kind of parents coming in
05:57 and investing in the city
05:59 for their children to come to university here
06:02 because it looked like such a good investment,
06:05 you know, for them.
06:06 The, you know, the city was booming,
06:08 the oil price was high, you know,
06:10 it was almost like a no brainer.
06:12 We haven't seen as much of that
06:14 over the last couple of years,
06:15 which is strange because the sales prices are so low.
06:18 Actually, it's a better investment
06:20 because we know that the oil price will come back up,
06:24 whether it will ever come back up to, you know,
06:26 the $120 a barrel highs that we saw, you know,
06:30 post the kind of oil price crash.
06:33 I don't know if that will ever come back,
06:36 but certainly, you know,
06:38 we know there's just over a hundred licenses
06:41 just recently being granted by the UK government
06:44 to kind of assist in this oil exploration and production.
06:49 So we know that there's a longevity
06:52 of at least 20, 30 years now by, you know,
06:56 these oil licenses that have been granted, you know,
06:59 by the time they start the exploration, you know,
07:02 those rigs kind of take effect, they, you know,
07:04 drill the oil,
07:05 and then there's the decommissioning side as well.
07:08 You know, it gives a real longevity to the city.
07:11 So if anyone's looking to buy, now is the time to do it
07:14 because the prices are still quite low.
07:17 And then we know over the next few years that, you know,
07:20 that impact on the city, you know,
07:22 will start to take effect again.
07:25 - And what about rents?
07:27 We've seen in the rest of Scotland
07:29 that rents have reached record levels,
07:31 certainly in places like Glasgow
07:33 and to a lesser extent Edinburgh.
07:35 So what are rents like in Aberdeen?
07:37 Are they still on that same trajectory?
07:40 - Yeah, so the rents are increasing,
07:42 not anywhere near where they were before.
07:46 To give you an example, you know,
07:48 prior to the oil price crash,
07:50 Aberdeen was the second most expensive place
07:53 to rent outside of London.
07:55 So, you know, you wouldn't have got a one bedroom here
07:58 for less than, you know, eight, 900 pounds.
08:02 Now the average price for a one bed
08:04 is sitting around 550, 600 pounds, you know,
08:08 for kind of that higher end.
08:10 So, you know, that is an increase from where we saw
08:13 when we came out of the COVID pandemic,
08:15 where we were kind of almost at 400 or 500 pounds average.
08:20 So we have seen an increase and I think that will continue,
08:23 but not anywhere near, you know,
08:25 those record breaking highs that we've seen
08:27 in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
08:29 - It's a fascinating market to be linked so closely.
08:33 The property market with, you know,
08:36 just a single commodity oil,
08:40 and that the value of your house,
08:42 whether or not you work in the oil industry
08:44 is so inextricably linked in just that one geographical area.
08:49 It is a fascinating market to work in.
08:52 - Yeah, absolutely.
08:53 And in all businesses, whether, you know,
08:56 you are, you know, directly linked to oil or not,
09:00 you know, you wouldn't necessarily link
09:03 a lettings business to an oil company,
09:06 but everything in the city, restaurants, you know,
09:09 we've seen a number of shops close
09:11 and restaurants closed down over the last few years.
09:15 And there's now that confidence regaining back into the city
09:19 because of the recent announcements.
09:21 - Yeah, so, I mean, you've got that,
09:24 you have that confidence over the next few years.
09:28 Are you a brave enough woman to maybe try and predict
09:32 what's going to happen in just in the next year, in 2024?
09:36 Is that confidence going to make a difference
09:38 to prices and rental values in the short term, do you think?
09:43 - So in the next year,
09:45 I can't see it having a massive impact.
09:47 And the reasons are as before,
09:50 also these oil licenses have been approved
09:53 for them actually to take fruition and, you know,
09:56 be bedded in, you know,
09:57 we'll be a couple of years off the line yet.
09:59 So, you know, having, I was speaking to one of my friends
10:03 who works for one of the largest oil companies in Aberdeen
10:07 just a couple of weeks ago about this and what she thinks,
10:09 you know, how quickly this will take effect.
10:11 And she was saying, look, Aileen, you know,
10:13 probably be about another 18 months
10:16 before we see kind of any kind of impact, you know,
10:19 these new oil rigs, et cetera, that are being developed,
10:22 you know, are still in production, you know,
10:24 they won't be here for the latter part of next year anyway.
10:27 So we won't see any real impact,
10:30 but what we will see is people probably trying
10:32 to get in early.
10:33 So because they know the confidence
10:35 is coming back to the city,
10:37 we might see that demand increase
10:39 because people will want to get in
10:40 while the prices are still a bit lower.
10:43 - Yeah, and I suppose once those oil fields
10:46 start to open up and the high quality jobs come back,
10:51 then that is when you're going to be having people
10:53 walk into your office and say,
10:54 they're looking for a million pound house
10:57 in a commuter village or whatever.
10:58 Is it as stark as that, the relationship?
11:03 - Yeah, yeah, we absolutely will see that.
11:05 I think one of the real kind of benefits
11:09 that we saw from the recent kind of developments
11:14 with the UK government and what they've said
11:16 is actually not only do we have the oil side of it,
11:19 but we actually have a carbon capture project
11:21 that will be going on alongside, you know,
11:24 the new oil exploration that will take place.
11:27 And the carbon capture project is really exciting,
11:30 which is where they're going to plug the emissions
11:32 into old reservoirs.
11:35 So actually in an area that hasn't generally
11:38 all through the years been that, you know,
11:42 been that desirable, which is up in Peterhead,
11:45 that will become a hugely desirable area
11:48 because that carbon capture project
11:50 is really focused around that area.
11:52 And we've recently opened an office up in Peterhead
11:55 to really deal with that demand that's coming
11:58 as a part of the carbon capture project.
12:02 - And are developers ahead of the curve yet,
12:05 or is it more of a case of wait and see with them?
12:08 I do remember a few years ago,
12:11 Aberdeen being an absolute hotspot for, you know,
12:15 large homes in the areas that you mentioned earlier,
12:21 but large expensive homes being built
12:23 by the high-end developers.
12:24 And are they back yet,
12:26 or are they still sort of feeling their feet?
12:30 - Yeah, we haven't really seen a huge kind of increase.
12:34 It's kind of been a steady, you know,
12:36 kind of trajectory of kind of new homes
12:39 being built in that area.
12:41 What I have heard of is kind of a lot of businesses
12:46 opening up in that Peterhead area.
12:49 So, you know, these kind of businesses
12:51 that typically would have come to Aberdeen
12:53 and not Peterhead,
12:55 actually we're seeing a bigger shift
12:57 and I've got lots of people getting in contact with me
13:00 saying, you know, "I'm opening up X business,
13:02 you know, in this area, you know,
13:04 what can you do to help?"
13:05 You know, these are businesses that typically
13:07 just don't operate in the central belt.
13:09 - So I suppose we could distill it down to your advice
13:12 being that now is a very good time to buy
13:15 in the Granite City.
13:17 There is confidence coming,
13:19 but it hasn't affected prices yet,
13:22 but investing now might see a good return.
13:27 Would that be your advice?
13:29 - Yeah, absolutely.
13:30 We have seen the sales market
13:33 kind of finally start to recover slightly, you know,
13:37 but there's still a huge amount of properties
13:40 for sale in Aberdeen.
13:42 You know, just going on to ASPC this morning,
13:44 there's over 4,000 properties available, you know,
13:47 and in such a small city, you know, that's a big market.
13:51 So there's definitely lots of bargains
13:54 to be picked up in the area
13:56 and that will continue to increase
13:59 over the coming months and years.
14:02 - Yeah, I always feel sorry for people
14:04 selling their homes at this time of year.
14:08 I mean, I guess, regardless of what the market is doing,
14:12 having to have your home immaculate over Christmas,
14:16 as well as the added pressure
14:18 of maybe hosting friends or family,
14:21 you may have viewers coming round.
14:25 Do you advise people, if they are selling,
14:28 to take their homes off the market for the duration,
14:31 or is there something to be had in the advantage
14:35 because there's, I suppose, a lack of competition
14:37 if other people aren't showing viewers round?
14:41 - Yeah, I mean, it's never something
14:42 that we've really advised.
14:44 And kind of from my perspective,
14:47 it's, you know, it's very telling when that's happened
14:49 because the home report is dated.
14:51 So you'll know that, you know,
14:52 they've kind of tried to kind of do something like that.
14:56 So I think for us, you know, and in such a tough market,
15:00 just maximizing every opportunity,
15:02 so taking a property off the market
15:05 isn't really kind of my way of doing things.
15:10 - Yeah, they just have to keep it immaculate,
15:12 hoover up those Christmas tree needles every day,
15:15 just in case they get a viewer.
15:17 And is the office still busy,
15:19 or are you really winding down
15:21 as people aren't looking for flats,
15:23 aren't looking for properties to buy,
15:26 aren't looking for rentals at the moment?
15:29 - Yeah, I mean, it always quietens down slightly
15:33 at this time of year to give you some kind of rough figures.
15:37 You know, in the summer, we'll kind of,
15:39 and the rental side move in kind of,
15:42 we'll start about 140 tenancies a month
15:45 during those peak periods.
15:47 And in these kind of quieter periods,
15:49 we'll do 70, 80 move-ins in the month.
15:53 So still extremely busy
15:54 and still keeps the team on their toes.
15:57 But yeah, we do quieten down significantly.
16:00 - And are there people moving right up to,
16:04 you know, Christmas week?
16:06 - Correct, yes.
16:07 I mean, we've had a number of applications
16:11 over the last couple of days for people moving.
16:13 Christmas Eve, you know, in between Christmas,
16:17 Hogmanay, you know, so it never stops in our world.
16:22 - That is absolutely my idea of hell, however.
16:26 - I agree.
16:27 - Aileen, I'm going on to talk about Christmas decorations
16:30 in the second half of the programme,
16:32 but whilst I've got you, have you got yours up yet?
16:36 - Yes, so the team put up the Christmas decorations
16:40 this week, so we're very much in the festive mood.
16:44 And even at home, I've managed to get in that festive mood.
16:48 So yes, all the decorations are up.
16:51 - Oh, brilliant, okay.
16:52 Aileen, thanks so much for giving us an insight
16:55 into the market in the North East,
16:57 which is just absolutely fascinating to me,
17:00 that microclimate in Aberdeen.
17:03 No doubt we'll speak to you again in the coming months.
17:06 We'll maybe come back to you this time next year
17:08 and see and ask you for an update.
17:10 But thanks so much for being on the programme.
17:13 - Perfect, thank you so much for your time.
17:15 I've really enjoyed having a chat this morning.
17:17 - My next guest is Anna Campbell-Jones,
17:20 who is a design consultant and more importantly,
17:23 a judge on Scotland's Home of the Year
17:26 and Scotland's Christmas Home of the Year.
17:28 Anna, you've run your own design consultancy in Glasgow
17:32 for many years.
17:34 Before we get onto the topic of Christmas,
17:37 do you have a sort of typical client
17:39 when you're working on that side of your business?
17:42 - I suppose over the years,
17:45 I mean, I've been designing people's homes in Scotland
17:48 for more than 20 years now.
17:51 And I think the kind of people that come to me
17:54 are actually atypical, if you know what I mean,
17:58 because I like to think that I don't have
18:01 a set design style.
18:03 My approach to my consultancy
18:05 is always to get inside the head of my clients
18:07 and give them something which they might have designed
18:10 themselves if they'd had the knowledge.
18:12 So yeah, so I have a very, very varied
18:15 and eclectic clients and projects.
18:18 - And so what is your sort of,
18:20 if you don't have a typical style,
18:22 is your typical project somebody perhaps
18:24 who is moving into a house and redesigning from scratch,
18:28 or is it a new room or a new extension
18:30 or that kind of thing?
18:32 - It's every single kind of thing.
18:35 I've had people that have been in the same home
18:37 for a really long time and are just stuck with it.
18:41 They don't really know the sort of familiarity,
18:43 breeding contempt, and they're not really sure
18:45 what to do with it,
18:46 and they need a sort of fresh set of eyes on it, really,
18:49 to give it a refresh.
18:51 Yes, as you say, people moving into properties,
18:54 whether that's a new build or an older property,
18:56 I have done everything from single rooms
19:00 to whole houses to extensions to,
19:03 I mean, I actually just recently designed a house
19:06 from scratch.
19:07 A client bought a plot of land
19:09 and she asked me to design the house,
19:11 and I'm not an architect,
19:13 but she wanted it designed from the interior out.
19:16 So I did design that house and then got an architect
19:19 to make it into something that works.
19:22 - Keeps standing.
19:25 - Yes.
19:26 - And so when you,
19:28 how long have you been doing Scotland's Home of the Year now,
19:31 the main show?
19:34 - The main show, we recorded the sixth series this summer,
19:38 so that will be going out in the spring.
19:40 So yeah, I mean, it's kind of become
19:43 a big part of my life now.
19:45 - And how did you first get involved?
19:47 Were you approached by the programme makers?
19:50 - Yes, I was just phoned by a researcher.
19:54 I had done a careers video for Skills Development Scotland,
19:59 which I had posted on my website,
20:02 and I think they saw that and sent it into the BBC.
20:05 So I didn't even audition.
20:08 They've just phoned me and asked me if I'd be interested.
20:10 And at first I was a bit reluctant
20:12 because I have been asked to do that kind of thing before.
20:15 And I've always found that interior designers on TV
20:18 get portrayed a certain way,
20:20 and I certainly didn't like the idea
20:21 of judging people's taste
20:24 because people should do whatever the heck they want
20:27 in their homes.
20:27 And I think they were happy for me to talk like that
20:32 in the show, so I think that's what comes across.
20:34 And actually, I think that's one of the things
20:35 that people really like about the show,
20:37 that there isn't judgment in terms of
20:40 this is good taste or bad taste.
20:42 It's judgment in terms of, is this a lovely home?
20:45 Is this somebody's sincere reflection
20:49 of how they want to live?
20:51 - Yeah, there's a definite enthusiasm
20:53 for the properties that you feature that come over.
20:57 You've had several different presenters over the years.
21:00 So do they all bring a different perspective?
21:02 Is that the key to it, sort of balancing your skills
21:06 with your co-presenters' eyes?
21:08 - Yeah, I think that's the whole point
21:10 of having three brains on the job,
21:14 if you like, three voices and perspectives.
21:17 And it has been really interesting.
21:19 The last couple of years, we've had a few changes
21:23 and it's very refreshing to get a new take,
21:28 I suppose, on the same subject,
21:29 which is what does home mean?
21:31 People won't have seen Danny in action yet.
21:35 I think it's very interesting to get new perspectives
21:39 on the same subject, which is what does home mean?
21:42 I think it's good for the viewers.
21:44 And I think also, after a while, you get to know
21:47 or guess what the other judges are going to think.
21:50 So it's nice to be surprised.
21:53 - Yeah, absolutely, I can imagine.
21:55 Do you ever, this is possibly quite a cheeky question,
21:59 do you ever get inspiration from the houses
22:02 that you're looking around for the programme
22:04 and sort of lodge it in your brain
22:06 for your own projects and your own clients?
22:10 - Absolutely.
22:11 As a designer, you look for inspiration everywhere,
22:15 whether it's in the shops or in restaurants
22:18 or in magazines or watching a TV show
22:20 that's got particularly beautiful sets.
22:22 So I have most certainly been inspired
22:25 by the homes that I've seen making the show.
22:27 - Yeah, yeah, some really good ideas
22:30 and some really lovely ones.
22:32 I always think it does help if the house itself
22:34 or the property starts out as quirky or beautiful itself.
22:39 You know, it's a lot easier to do.
22:41 But then you see new build ones as well
22:43 that could otherwise be sort of just a faceless box
22:47 and people have just poured personality into them.
22:51 It is a really impressive programme.
22:53 So the Christmas edition.
22:57 - Yes.
22:58 - Is going out next week, next Monday,
23:03 which is the 18th or will be available on the BBC iPlayer
23:07 if you're listening to the podcast after that.
23:10 But I mean, first of all, when do you film it?
23:13 - We finished filming at the end of November.
23:15 So it's quite an ask getting people
23:17 to decorate their homes that early.
23:19 But I think lots of people decorate their homes
23:21 more early since the pandemic.
23:23 - Yeah, now I know you're not judgy about people's houses,
23:26 but are you judgy about that?
23:28 Because I know sometimes I can be.
23:30 If I see, if you hear Christmas carols
23:32 in supermarkets in August,
23:35 or sometimes if I see Christmas lights up
23:38 and it's the middle of November,
23:40 I can be a little bit sniffy about it.
23:43 Do you suffer from that?
23:48 - Too much.
23:49 And I think, well, we're making the Christmas show
23:51 because this is the third one.
23:53 I've had to get used to thinking about Christmas
23:55 earlier than usual.
23:57 And yeah, I think there are probably worse things
23:59 to get cross about.
24:01 - Yeah, I think it happened during the pandemic, didn't it?
24:03 Everyone just said, "Oh, you know, to heck with this.
24:07 Let's just go for it.
24:08 We're not doing anything else.
24:09 We're all stuck in our houses.
24:10 Let's decorate from the beginning of November."
24:13 And then it sort of stuck.
24:15 So in terms of the programme then,
24:19 that's the Scotland's Christmas Home of the Year,
24:24 what's different about it?
24:26 What are you looking for in a Christmas home
24:28 that you're not looking for
24:29 in the normal episodes of the programme?
24:31 - So in the Christmas homes,
24:33 we aren't really looking at the design
24:36 of the homes themselves.
24:38 We're looking at the way that the homeowners
24:41 have adapted their home for the festive season.
24:46 And that obviously the main part
24:49 of adapting your home for Christmas
24:50 is decorating it and making it look festive
24:53 and exciting and thrilling.
24:55 But there are things that people do,
24:56 they move furniture around,
24:57 they sort of change the way that they use their home.
25:00 So we're very interested in looking at that as well.
25:02 - Do you get extra points for homemade decorations?
25:07 - I think the three of us
25:10 are probably looking for slightly different things.
25:13 I'm always concerned about sustainability
25:17 and Christmas is a time where people
25:20 are more tempted than usual to buy things
25:24 that are made of plastic or that are mass produced.
25:28 And I don't think that's necessary.
25:31 When I was a kid, we used to make all the decorations
25:34 and I think that used to be the tradition.
25:37 And it's definitely something that I would like
25:40 to see more of.
25:41 And I think it is something that's coming back actually.
25:44 - Yeah, I mean, I suppose traditionally
25:46 it's bringing greenery into your house
25:49 in the darkest days of winter.
25:51 And that's the loveliest,
25:52 whether it's sort of wreath making
25:54 or decorating branches or the Christmas tree or whatever.
25:57 And can you tell us, are you allowed to tell us anything
26:00 about the homes that made it into this programme?
26:04 Because it's just a one-off special, isn't it?
26:05 There's no lead up, there's no final,
26:08 they're all finalists that are in the programme.
26:12 - Yes, that's right.
26:13 It's a one-off special.
26:14 We have five fabulous festive homes
26:18 and they are a representative of so many different approaches
26:23 to what the ultimate Christmas is.
26:26 We've got very homemade ones,
26:29 we've got an incredibly extravagant luxury blingy one.
26:36 We've got one with lots of foliage that you mentioned,
26:39 colourful ones, very colour coordinated, tasteful.
26:43 I mean, it's really something for everybody.
26:46 And I think what's so fun about the Christmas show
26:48 is that really everybody has a favourite
26:53 and it's really just about your personal approach
26:58 to what the ultimate Christmas expression is.
27:02 - Yes, well, that leads me onto the question,
27:05 what is your home like?
27:07 First of all, we're recording this roundabout
27:11 the second week of December.
27:13 Are your decorations up yet?
27:16 - For the last four years,
27:18 I've had my tree up at the end of November
27:20 because I get it from the Bethany Christian Trust,
27:24 which grows the trees in Scotland
27:26 and all the money goes towards creating a better Christmas
27:30 for homeless people.
27:31 So I put it up early so that I can get it decorated
27:34 and promote it to do a little bit for that charity.
27:39 So I've had the tree up for a while,
27:43 but I tend to put the rest of the decorations up
27:47 in the first week of December, like everyone else.
27:49 And my approach is I've got three boxes full of decorations
27:54 that I've accumulated over the years,
27:56 'cause I'm quite old now, so I've got quite a lot of them.
27:58 So I haven't really bought any new decorations for ages
28:01 and I don't really intend to buy any more going forward,
28:06 but I just like shopping the boxes
28:07 and making a different version of the scheme every year.
28:12 - Yeah, have you got any?
28:14 I have several awful ones made by my children
28:18 and I know as a mother,
28:20 my heart should melt looking at them,
28:22 but I mean, there are a couple that are absolutely dreadful
28:26 and falling apart.
28:27 There's one that looks like a drunken Santa
28:30 and it's made out of an old CD, a compact disc
28:34 with a bit of cotton wool stuck on it.
28:36 And I think possibly a Tunnock's Tea Cake wrapper
28:39 as the nose, and it's only got one eye.
28:42 Now, obviously for sentimental reasons,
28:45 my daughter, who is now well into her twenties,
28:47 insists that that gets pride of place in the tree.
28:51 But do you have any in your collection, in your three boxes
28:54 that you would rather accidentally go in the bin?
28:58 - I have got a couple of things from that era in the boxes.
29:02 They don't always come out.
29:05 They're not vetoed as such.
29:07 Actually, my kids are adults now as well.
29:11 And I don't think either of them mind
29:12 that I don't put their creations on the tree every year.
29:17 - Yeah, and do you decorate the outside of your house?
29:20 You've got a garden, haven't you, in Glasgow?
29:22 - Yes, I've got a front garden
29:25 and I don't decorate the garden,
29:28 but I do put a wreath on my front door.
29:30 Sometimes I just chop things from the garden
29:33 and tie them in a bundle and hang them from the door.
29:36 This year, I've got a beautiful wreath
29:38 made from dried flowers.
29:41 - I know this is slightly going off topic,
29:44 but I read that Christmas Day and Boxing Day
29:48 can be some of the busiest days
29:50 for traffic to property websites.
29:53 And I've always sort of had this sort of idea in my head
29:58 of people crammed into an unsuitable house
30:01 when relatives come round for Christmas
30:03 and thinking, "I really must buy a new house.
30:05 Quick, Google, Google what could we afford, perhaps."
30:09 Do you think Christmas is a time
30:10 where you suddenly feel the shortcomings
30:14 of a house that's not quite right for a family?
30:16 - I don't know, that's a really good question.
30:20 I mean, the flip side of that is that
30:24 if I'm designing for someone
30:26 and designing their dining room
30:28 and they want to be able to seat 15 people around it
30:32 because they have the family every third Christmas,
30:35 I ask them whether it's really worth
30:37 making the sacrifices necessary
30:39 to make the dining room that large
30:41 for one day every 900 plus days.
30:45 Yeah, I mean, I kind of think that
30:50 the whole point of Christmas is you've got trestle tables
30:52 and the people are sitting on upturned bins
30:54 and all of that kind of stuff,
30:55 if you're squashing people in.
30:57 It's about being, I mean, sounds really corny,
31:01 but Christmas is about people getting together, isn't it?
31:03 It's not about your home being fabulous.
31:06 And I know I shouldn't say that
31:07 when I'm talking about Scotland's Christmas home in a year,
31:09 but that's a frivolity and it's fun.
31:12 And I think that's represented in the homes in the show.
31:16 There are homes there that aren't enormous and spectacular,
31:21 but that are transformed really magically.
31:24 With all that advice, I think I'm off to trim the tree.
31:27 Thanks so much for talking to us, Anna.
31:30 The programme, Scotland's Christmas Home of the Year,
31:33 airs on BBC One Scotland on Monday the 18th
31:37 and will be on the iPlayer afterwards.
31:40 Thanks, Anna.
31:41 You've been listening to the Scotsman Property Podcast
31:44 in partnership with DJ Alexander.
31:46 That's it from me for this year.
31:48 I'll see you in 2024 and thank you for listening.
31:52 (upbeat music)
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