Housing

If you are moving to Shetland then make sure the you have a place already sorted out. We fell lucky, knowing someone helps as rented property is often not advertised at all. As for cost well sit down- a one bedroom flat can cost £1000 per month and anything bigger £2500- £8000, with one in Lerwick at £14000 per month for a 7 bedroom house. This week in the Shetland Times has highlighted that some people are being evicted from rented houses and then re-let to the Gas workers at more than double the rent.

                                                                                         Our current house and views

All the prices are down to the fact that Sullom Voe is being expanded and many construction workers are being brought in to do the work. As there is not enough accommodation in Shetland many are staying in barges brought in especially and these can take around 265 per barge. Three are located in Lerwick and one Ship with a further one in Scalloway.

Now it comes to buying a house, very few are on the market at present, unless you want to live on Unst, Yell or Whalsay. Other houses around Sullom have been bought by the Gas workers and anything further north is snapped up quickly

A house that went up for sale last Friday had 36 viewers by Sunday, including us. Every room needed doing and could not be lived in straight away.We considered buying a 1 bedroom house and then extending but the costs are unbelievable with around £80,000 quoted to put another two bedrooms on.

                                                                                        One to do up, on Burra

Add to this the time it takes to get planning permission - which could be 18 months and the fact that all the builders very busy- some booked up for a year then it causes problems. So we  just sit tight and hope a property comes up for sale soon and that we are not out bid - Its sealed bids in Scotland.

Shetland does not have many thatched properties, this one was featured on the TV a few years ago