While home ownership levels in the rest of Europe are lower - as low as 30-per cent in Switzerland - in Scotland 62.59-per cent of households are owned by the residents (Scottish census 2001).

However, we may well be on to something. In June, a survey by the high street bank Abbey revealed that over a period of 25 years across the UK, it was £60,000 or 20-per cent cheaper to buy a two-bedroomed flat than to rent it.

The biggest savings in the UK were in the east of Scotland, where buying a home costs £81,157 less than renting it over the same period. However, for a four-bedroomed detached house, it is actually 7-per cent cheaper to rent as opposed to buying, but after 25 years you have nothing to show for it.

In recent years, property developing, fuelled by a plethora of popular television programmes, has become a more attractive way of climbing up the property ladder. There is no magical formula, but these factors can give a good indication of the investment potential on an area.

1 TRANSPORT LINKS SINCE the industrial revolution, train stations have been integral to the growth of towns. Nowadays, the main cargo is people, not goods, and the presence of a new rail halt can stimulate house prices in the surrounding area. Many commuters prefer the speed and convenience of the train as opposed to the unpredictable nature of rushhour road traffic.
Since Patterton railway station opened in Newton Mearns on the Southern outskirts of Glasgow, various new developments have been launched in the area by Stewart Milne Homes, Miller Homes and Elphinstone. The recently-approved Galashiels to Edinburgh rail service is also expected to see the area prosper.
A good network of bus services can be almost as appealing as a rail link and good road links are also important, as demonstrated by the growth of Kilmarnock after the opening of the M77.

2 LOCAL AMENITIES GOOD pubs and restaurants and other amenities within walking distance of a property will always be a draw, particularly for young professionals. Byres Road and its environs, in the west end of Glasgow, are a prime example, as is gentrified Shawlands, on the city's south side. A wealth of cafes and new pubs have opened in the last five or six years.

3 PERFORMING SCHOOLS A CHOICE of good schools can automatically guarantee that house prices continue to grow in any given area. According to Faysal Choudhry, a property analyst at Savills Glasgow, many areas on the south side of Glasgow, such as Pollokshields and Newton Mearns, although always good areas, have benefited from the presence of private schools such as Belmont and Hutcheson's Grammar.
The effect of high-performing state-run schools is just as strong, with Jordanhill School, in the west end of Glasgow, a prime reason for many families to move to its catchment area. House prices in Eastwood, on the south side of the city, are also kept buoyant by the good state-run schools as is the case in Bearsden and Milngavie, in East Dunbartonshire.

4 LOW CRIME RATES A LOW crime rate is obviously an attraction and a good way to gauge an area you are unfamiliar with. Get your hands on a local newspaper to get an impression of the crime level. The presence of a neighbourhood watch scheme signifies that residents take pride in their homes. It can also highlight areas that have good community relations.

5 A STUDENT MARKET IFyou want to rent out a property, you need to do your research and find out the demand in the area. Faysal Choudhry warns: "Watch out for over-supply - too many similar properties on the market at the same time. In the city, the greatest demand is for small studio, one and two-bedroomed apartments."
Universities and colleges nearby means there will always be demand for property from both staff and students. This can be of benefit whether you are looking for tenants or when you eventually come to re-sell.
Cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee will always have a large pool of students, as will large towns such as Paisley, where average house prices have increased from £66,827 in May 2003 to £101,444 in May 2006.

6 BOOMING BUSINESS THE relocation of new businesses to the area, especially retail businesses, suggests than an area is on the up. House prices are usually given a boost by the success of new shopping centres, such as the new Silverburn retail centre currently being built in Pollok.
The shopping complex at Braehead, in Renfrewshire, has brought much-needed investment to the area and a boost to the average house price in Renfrew, which rose from £60,000 in May 2003 to £105,000 in May 2006. The opening of the Xscape snowdome should consolidate this growth.

7 HOUSING REGENERATION NEW housing developments, such as the Ferry Village, in Renfrewshire, suggest that an area is becoming more popular. Existing properties nearby almost always experience an uplift in value on the back of new developments, but it takes time for values to increase significantly.

8 A GOOD REPUTATION "REPUTATION is a taboo subject. Many agents don't want to talk out but it is something to consider if you are moving to an area, " says Faysal Choudhry. "It is the people who make up and shape the neighbourhood, and not simply the bricks, mortar and timber."
The joy of moving into your swish new pad is likely to be dampened if your car is continually vandalised and you don't feel safe walking the streets at night. While gentrification can change the reputation of an area it is a process that takes place over decades.

9 A BUSY HOSPITAL THE presence of key workers in an area, including medical and administrative staff who work in surrounding hospitals, ensures a constant demand for property.
Medical staff in particular may need to live close to a hospital because of unusual working hours and the likelihood of being called into work at very short notice. However, the escalating consolidation of hospitals means that even their location is subject to change in the long term.
New builds developments in Aberdeen have benefited from the hospital, as has the Govan area in the south of Glasgow because of the close proximity of the Southern General.

10 ATTRACTIVE PRICES IF you are buying a property with a view to then letting it out, it is essential to ensure that you are getting a good enough yield once you have paid the mortgage and carried out any required work. Failing that, your whole life could be affected.
"There is absolutely no point in stretching yourself and paying over the odds for a property that you subsquently have to struggle to cover the mortgage for. Make sure you do you sums first. A hike in interest rates could easily and quickly exacerbate your situation. The macro-economic factors such as rising utility bills and petrol prices, rising unemployment should also be taken into consideration, " says Choudhry.
"Someone who is buying for investment, the average price in that area has to be of a low base. If the average price in that area is already above the Scottish average, well over £100,000, the figures need to stack up. If the purchase price is too high you won't get the yield they need."