A competitive new mortgage deal, plans for 11 new communities in Scotland, and two Victorian homes come on to the market

The Post Office has revamped its five-year fixed-rate mortgage range, including the newly priced 2.98% to March 31, 2018. This deal is available to all those who borrow from £25,001 at 75% loan-to-value. A fee of £995 is payable, which can be added to the advance of the mortgage. This deal has the added flexibility of being able to make overpayments up to 10% of the outstanding balance.

A spokesperson for Moneyfacts said: "The 2.98% five-year fixed rate from the Post Office is highly competitive and sits just shy of the top of its sector. This deal offers borrowers a combination of a low rate and a reasonably priced fee of £995 and is likely to prove popular with borrowers looking for a straightforward product with a great rate."

Expansion in Ayrshire

Donald Ross, the Ayrshire-based firm of estate agents, has acquired Largs estate agency, Dehotun. Established by Kirsty Moore four years ago at the height of the recession, Dehotun has a reputation for selling quality properties in Largs, Fairlie, Skelmorlie and Seamill. Kirsty will now become a partner at Donald Ross and continue to focus on expanding the business throughout North Ayrshire.

Commenting on the acquisition, Donald Ross's managing director, Steven Miller, said: "We've been looking for the right opportunity to expand into North Ayrshire and Kirsty was also keen to take her business to the next step."

The merger follows the opening of a new Donald Ross lettings agency in Ayr.

Vision for living

This could be the year that sees progress on some of the 11 exemplar projects that make up part of the Scottish Government's Sustainable Communities Initiative (SSCI) which have the potential to provide hundreds of new homes, put new towns and villages on the map, and give the construction industry a boost.

For many, the path has been contentious. An Camas Mor, a proposed new village of 1500 homes, including several hundred low-cost houses as well as community and commercial facilities on Rothiemurchus Estate, near Aviemore, falls within the Cairngorms National Park, and has faced opposition from conservationists and other groups. Developers are currently working through various planning conditions to be able to submit a detailed planning application for the first phase of 200 houses.

When complete, Tornagrain, a planned new town in the Highlands between Inverness and Nairn, will be home to 10,000 people. Designed by American architect and urban planner Andres Duany, Tornagrain was granted outline planning permission last September and the detailed planning application for the first phase will go to the council in the spring. Also in the pipeline is Chapelton of Elsick, in Aberdeenshire, where Elsick Development Company proposes a new community 10 miles south of Aberdeen which will feature schools, healthcare facilities and houses to suit all ages and income levels.

And in South Lanarkshire, a decision is awaited on a new community called Owenstown, named after the social reformer Robert Owen, who improved the lives and working conditions of mill workers at nearby New Lanark 200 years ago.

This new town will be self-sufficient, eco-friendly – recycling its waste to produce energy for a district heating system and with green transport powered by renewable sources – and run on a co-operative basis by its residents.

Given the go-ahead, the town will be built on a 2000-acre site near the village of Rigside, and, over a 10-year period, will provide homes for 8000 people and create 6000 jobs during construction and more than 3000 permanent jobs.

Victorian grandeur

Built around 1877, in its day Cleveden House would have been one of the most prestigious homes in the west end of Glasgow in terms of architecture, size and grandeur. Situated on the corner of Cleveden Road and Cleveden Drive, the blonde sandstone property has been converted. Flat 4, which is currently for sale with Rettie & Co at offers over £375,000, offers an opportunity to own part of a magnificent mansion with all the traditional features and a fresh and contemporary interior.

The apartment is on two levels and includes a 24ft living room, fitted kitchen, two bedrooms, large Jack and Jill-style bathroom, and upstairs, a mezzanine. There is also a raised deck/play area and private residents' parking.

Another property in Dennistoun, offers the same combination of a substantial detached Victorian house and stylish contemporary interior. Circus Drive is in a conservation area where Victorian villas illustrate Alexander Dennistoun's original plan for the whole area.

This upper conversion has original features and a versatile layout with a 25ft living room, dining-size kitchen with Fired Earth tiling and solid wood worktops, main bathroom and three double bedrooms, one with en-suite facilities.

The south-facing rear garden is fully enclosed and has mature trees and shrubs, patio and additional seating area. It's priced at offers over £189,000. Contact Countrywide's Dennistoun office for details.