More property sales are falling through across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Scottish Borders - 11.72% so far in 2026, compared with a ten-year average of 7.61%. So what's behind the rise?

Paul and Megan are joined by two friends of the show, Dave Marshall (Operations Director at Warners) and Tzana Webster (Head of Estate Agency at Ralph Sayer), to dig into the story behind the headlines. They discuss why property chains have become far more common in the local area, the questions every buyer should expect to be asked about their funding, what "subject to sale" really means for your offer, and what happens - practically and financially - if a sale does fall through.

Plus: the 11-property chain that fell through twice, why buying with cryptocurrency is more possible than you might think, and the single best thing sellers can do to protect their sale.

Thinking of selling? Book a free property valuation from a solicitor estate agent here.

Timecodes:

00:00 – Intro & Scottish Podcast Awards

01:35 – Meet the guests: Dave Marshall & Tzana Webster

02:14 – What does a sale "falling through" mean in Scotland?

03:05 – The headline stat: 11.72% of sales fell through in 2026

04:09 – Why sales fall through: chains, funding and expectations

06:36 – "Magic money" - why budgets matter

08:55 – The 11-property chain that fell through twice

10:18 – Why are property chains more common now?

13:45 – Have we hit peak fall-through?

14:34 – 24 offers in Craigleith — only 3 chain-free

16:55 – Mortgage lending & source of funds

19:55 – Buying a property with cryptocurrency

20:35 – Why fall-through rates are higher outside Edinburgh

23:00 – What happens to sellers when a sale falls through?

25:16 – The four-week review & pricing strategies

28:05 – The solicitor estate agent difference

29:20 – Who pays the fees if a sale falls through?

30:28 – Should the government change the process?

34:30 – Quick fire questions

36:39 – The good news: 90% of sales don't fall through

39:39 – Free valuations & next episode

On this week's episode, Paul & Megan do a data deep dive on the Edinburgh Tram line - specifically the effect of the City centre to Newhaven extension. They share some of the ESPC data on property prices in the areas surrounding the tramline through Brunswick, Leith Walk, The Shore and Newhaven.

In addition, they discuss the potential for future tram routes and how that could affect different areas and the property prices in those neighbourhoods.

Read our full article on the data around property prices on the traimline here: https://espc.com/news/post/three-year...

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

1:04 Has the Newhaven tram extension changed property prices?

2:12 Brunswick property prices

3:51 Leith property prices

6:22 What do these increases mean for buyers?

8:30 Where could the tram go next?

13:30 Is there support for a North/South tram route?

15:07 NIMBYism

17:07 What would a new tram route mean for property prices?

19:30 Closing thoughts

In this week's episode, Paul & Megan review their 2026 predictions and see what's come true and what has changed since December 2025.

Skip to the part that's most relevant to you:

0:00 Intro

1:24 Changes in interest rates

4:50 How unemployment is affecting markets

5:28 Edinburgh property market update

7:00 Offering over valuation

9:36 Did more sellers come to market this year?

10:45 Potential policy changes from Scot Gov

11:50 Top areas for listings

In this episode of The ESPC Property Show, Paul & Megan are joined by Andy McIver (Host on Holyrood Sources podcast and founder of Message Matters) to debrief the recent Scottish election. In the episode they cover everything from how Westminster "infects" Scottish politics, how John Swinney might run his minority government and whether or not the housing crisis can be solved in this term of government.Chapters:0:00 Coming up0:30 Introduction1:42 John Swinney chooses his cabinet3:15 Westminster affecting Scottish politics6:23 Did the cost of living crisis start in 2008?10:51 Any surprises in the Scottish election?11:38 The SNP have to do things differently13:30 How reliable are manifestos?16:28 How will John Swinney run a minority government?20:29 Is housing a priority for this government?22:55 Housing policy battles 25:46 First Home Fund 29:03 John Swinney's leadership32:32 How could the housing sector look in 5 years?34:51 Quick fire questions

In this episode of the ESPC Property Show, Paul & Megan are joined by Will Mushet & Martin Fallon from CoHaus. CoHaus is a platform launching in Edinburgh to help first-time buyers learn more about buying a property with friends in order to get onto the property ladder. Will & Martin discuss why they created CoHaus and how it can help the next generation of home owners buy property and build equity. Find out more about joining their Edinburgh pilot here: https://cohaus.tech/pilotSkip to the part you're most interested in:0:00 - Introduction2:20 - What is CoHaus?3:18 - The appetite for co-buying4:12 - The practicalities of co-ownership4:54 - Why create CoHaus now?7:12 - Who is the target audience for CoHaus?8:25 - How does CoHaus work?10:18 - How to establish co-ownership compatibility13:08 - Exit strategies15:24 - Deciding on financial compatibility17:53 - First steps once you have found your co-buyers19:54 - Risks of going into co-buying without advice21:07 - Why CoHaus is starting in Edinburgh24:09 - How to join the CoHaus pilot

In this episode of the ESPC Property Show, Paul & Megan dissect five of the six major political parties' manifestos ahead of the upcoming Scottish election on 7th May. They lay out ESPC's own manifesto and what they were hoping to see across the manifestos. They also explain the key topics affecting the current housing market and break down how each party proposes to tackle them.

Skip to the part more relevant to you:

0:00 Introduction

1:06 The ESPC manifesto

5:10 How many houses will be built?

9:44 How will they help first-time buyers?

14:48 Changes to LBTT

17:53 Additional Dwelling Supplement changes

22:06 Council tax reform

25:28 How would they change rental controls?

29:40 Energy efficiency in homes

33:26 Proposed planning changes

37:11 Election results predictions

In today's episode Paul & Megan are joined by four property market experts for the ESPC Spring roundtable. The panel discuss what the market is currently like for buyers and sellers and what could lie ahead for the rest of the year. The panellists for this episode are Graham White (Anderson Strathern), James Armstrong (DMD Law), Laura Sheilds (Monarch Legal) and Robbie Horn (Gillespie Macandrew). CHAPTERS0:00-2:24 Intro 2:24-6:45 How is the property market right now? 6:45-7:49 Could house prices drop? 7:49-9:26 Is property still a good investment?9:26-10:54 There's not enough property on the market10:54-16:24 Is the market getting busier in Spring?16:24-19:05 Has buyer behaviour been influenced by interest rates?19:05-23:18 How much are buyers paying over valuation?23:18-27:41 What are the mistakes that buyers are making?27:41-29:52 Advice for pricing your property for market29:52-32:12 Why use "offers over" pricing strategy32:12-35:52 What's going to happen to house prices for the rest of the year?

On this episode of the ESPC Property Show, Paul & Megan sit down with property experts Louisa Raistrick (Head of Estate Agency, Coulters) and Sean Nicol (CEO, Simpson & Marwick) to discuss what happens at a property valuation. The chat includes the reason you shouldn't rely on an instant valuation tool online and when is the best time to put your home on the market. Get a valuation from an ESPC solicitor estate agent here.CHAPTERS:0:00-1:52 Intro1:52-3:30 What is a property valuation? And how does it differ from an online valuation?3:30-5:01 How long does a property valuation take? 05:01-7:04 How is a valuation different from a Home Report valuation?7:04-8:31 How to prepare for a valuation?8:31-10:16 What rooms do property valuers focus on?10:16-11:06 Floorplans11:06-13:11 Documentation required at valuations13:11-15:01 When should you get a property valuation?15:01-19:09 What are the factors that determine a property's value?19:09-20:41 How can a seller trust that a valuation is correct?20:41-21:50 Will an agent give you an exact price or a range? 21:50-24:22 What are the biggest misconceptions about valuation?24:22-27:00 How do valuers manage seller expectations?27:00-28:54 Advice for anyone thinking of selling their home28:54-30:55 What happens after a valuation?30:55-35:20 When is the best time of year to sell?

On this episode of the ESPC Property Show, Paul & Megan are joined by Alex & Nathan, two Property Managers from ESPC Lettings to discuss the experience of tenants living in Scotland. They discuss everything from what happens at an inspection through to how fast you can get your deposit back. Find a property to rent from ESPC Lettings here. Chapters:0:00-2:01 Intro2:01-4:09 What happens if a tenant has an issue in their rental?4:09-6:04 Can a landlord refuse to do maintenance?6:04-7:41 What are tenants responsible for?7:41-11:39 What happens at a property inspection?11:39-12:29 How often do letting agents conduct inspections?12:29-13:23 What is the process of ending your tenancy?13:23-13:42 How much notice do tenants have to give? 13:42-16:00 What should tenants do when they leave their rental home?16:00-18:32 Returning your deposit18:32-22:14 How fast can you get your deposit back?22:14-23:55 Staying transparent with your letting agent23:55-25:15 Maintaining gardens in a rental

In this episode of the ESPC Property Show, we are joined by Ruth from Eat Sleep Colour to discuss colour psychology and her checklist on how to make a home feel more "grown up". You can find out more about Ruth's services here.Join Ruth at our upcoming interior design event here.Read Ruth's article in the ESPC magazine here.Chapters:0:00-0:37 Introduction0:37-1:53 Meet Ruth1:53-7:22 How to define your "colour story"?7:22-9:18 Is it ok to paint a room red?9:18-15:06 How to make a colour palette for a room?15:06-18:06 How to add lighting to a room18:06-20:15 How to dress your windows20:15-21:42 What emotions might you want to feel in a room?21:42-24:05 How to style a bookshelf/coffee table24:05-26:57 How to choose art for your home26:57-28:36 How to add texture to a room28:36-30:09 Adding a stand out feature to each room30:09-31:09 How to add greenery to a space31:09-32:18 How to add scent and sound to a design#paidpartnership