More than half of property purchases in Argyll and Bute are being made without a mortgage, new analysis reveals.
Research by Trade Door Handles puts the Scottish local authority at the top of its ranking of UK areas for cash purchases, with cash buyers accounting for 51.9% of sales during the 12 months to June 2026.
A total of 728 homes were bought for cash during the period compared with 676 using a mortgage.
Cash purchasers in Argyll and Bute paid an average £188,270, slightly more than the £182,130 average paid by mortgaged buyers.
CASH HOTSPOTS
North Norfolk records the second-highest proportion of cash transactions at 46.7%, followed by Dumfries and Galloway at 45.2%.
Kensington and Chelsea ranks fourth at 45%, despite its dramatically higher property values.
Some 512 homes were bought for cash in the London borough, with cash purchasers paying an average £1.3m.
The Scottish Borders follows at 43.3%, while East Lindsey records 42.9%, South Ayrshire 42.6%, North Ayrshire 40.8% and Inverclyde 40.7%.
Ceredigion completes the top 10 at 40.4%.
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
The figures also reveal significant differences in the prices paid by cash and mortgage purchasers.
In Inverclyde, cash buyers paid an average £97,640, the lowest figure among the top 10 areas, compared with £122,000 among those purchasing with a mortgage.
In North Norfolk, however, cash purchasers paid an average £300,580, above the £286,060 average for mortgaged purchases.
A spokesperson for Trade Door Handles suggests equity accumulated in more expensive housing markets could be contributing to cash purchases in lower-priced parts of Britain.
However, the analysis does not identify where individual cash buyers previously lived or the source of funds used for their purchases.
The research compared cash and mortgage transactions across 360 UK local authorities and areas, excluding those recording fewer than 500 sales during the period analysed.
