Frances Taylor looks at how to buy, what to buy and where to buy in Britain's most northerly outpost How to buy Firstly, come to Lerwick (Shetland's capital) and go to the local firms of solicitors. They have shop windows with details of the properties for sale and under offer, but this won't be their entire selection. It is a good idea to ask for a comprehensive list. In Shetland, there are no estate agents, just solicitors.

The list of properties for sale will have the relevant solicitor's details. If you want a more detailed description, ask them for the specific property particulars. These will include contact phone numbers for keys, viewing, photos and a more detailed description with accurate room sizes and measurements.

The majority of house sales use the Scottish law principal of sealed bids. The vendor chooses who the "winner" is. The whole process is efficient and works well, taking out all possibilities of that nasty southern habit of "gazumping".

It really is important to view the property in person.

Do not rely on internet descriptions. People do, you know, they really do! Land may appear cheap and plentiful but until you see the whole picture, you could be buying a derelict house, surrounded by a bog with an environmental restriction on it!

Once you have found the house of your dreams, you instruct a solicitor to put in a bid for you. Aim high. The majority of houses in Shetland sell for about £15,000 above the actual asking price. The property boom has hit Britain's most northerly outpost. Many purchasers do, amazingly, buy over the internet with ridiculously high prices and Shetland house vendors here are now wise to this! If you are successful, your solicitor will then finalise the process, exchanging missives, etc and the whole thing can take as little as four weeks, if everything goes according to plan.

What to buy A wide variety of houses in Shetland ranging from old haa' houses to brand new builds are available. Many properties never actually reach "the market" and are sold via word of mouth, though this is becoming less and less as southern market forces reach Shetland. Crofts are sometimes available. They are usually houses with farm land and the old traditional style house is often described as "a but and ben". The Crofters Commission are ultimately responsible for crofts and, if you meet their criteria, you can become a crofter, as either owner-occupier or tenant, depending on the type of sale. Grants and subsidies are available to crofters from SEERAD (Scottish Executive Environmental Rural Affairs Department) and the Council. Crofts are small-holdings, by any other name.

There are two towns here, Lerwick and Scalloway, the rest are small hamlets or villages and each community has its own unique identity. Town prices are more expensive for obvious reasons, although country properties perform better with the price achieved when compared to the sale valuation.

Where to buy .

You need to come up here, either on the overnight 14 hour ferry from Aberdeen or a one hour flight from Aberdeen, to see Shetland in all its beauty. Properties come up for sale all over the islands, in all conditions. The majority are regularly advertised in the one local newspaper either by solicitors or as private sales. Prices are constantly going up and currently the property market is strong. As I write this, Shetland is probably one of the only areas in the UK where the market is still buoyant. The majority of properties are put on the market in spring and summer and prices have risen dramatically in the last five years and are still rising.

Factors to consider should include the price of transport to the mainland (a lot if an emergency and not pre-booked), house maintenance, oil prices and day to day living costs. These can be higher than the mainland UK. The majority of building materials cost more as they all have to be shipped up. Shetland is Britain's most expensive place to buy oil and petrol/diesel. Sad but true, considering there is an oil terminal here!

So, there you are, the property market in Shetland. Things are constantly changing here so, if you want to make a major life change, come up and see what you think!

Estate Agents - you need to speak to Robert Bell, property manager Messrs Dowle, Smith & Rutherford, Solicitors, 113a Commercial Street, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0DL tel. (44) (0) 1595 695583 Fax (44) (0) 1595 695310 PS. Watch out for the weather! We have serious weather!