Could now be the right time to buy a house in central Scotland?

People looking to buy a house in central Scotland may be interested to learn that East Dunbartonshire has made it into a list of the top 50 in the Quality of Life Ratings.

The county ranked 15th in the survey conducted by Halifax, which assessed where the highest standards of living are in the UK, judging them on factors such as the labour market, housing, environment, education and health.

In terms of house prices, Martin Ellis, chief economist at Halifax, commented: "Half the top 30 counties have average house prices that are below the regional average.

"These counties provide the potential for good value with a combination of relatively low prices and high quality of life."

Meanwhile, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Moray and the Scottish Borders also appeared in the top 50.

Elsewhere in Scotland, it was noted that the lowest traffic flows were found to be in the Highlands, the Scottish borders and the Western Isles, where the lowest burglary rate was also found.

In West Lothian, 98 per cent of homes have central heating – the most in any British county, while Midlothian has one of the highest employment rates of 81 per cent.

Scottish homeowners pay less stamp duty than people south of the border, according to SmartNewHomes.com, which may be good news for those looking for a house in central Scotland.