Downsizing in Craignure: What You Would Actually Release
Selling at the £240,000 Craignure average and buying at £168,000 releases about £65,240 after costs. Fees, LBTT and moving take roughly £6,760 of it.
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to.
Selling at the £240,000 Craignure average and buying at £168,000 releases about £65,240 after costs. Fees, LBTT and moving take roughly £6,760 of it.
What a Craignure move actually releases
Start with the gap. Selling at £240,000 and buying at 70% of that, £168,000, leaves £72,000 before costs. Costs are the part people underestimate.
Agent fees at 1.5% are £3,600. LBTT on the purchase is £460. Total £6,760, leaving £65,240 in hand.
Where the sale proceeds go
The commercial page for this town sets out the introduction itself: Equity release in Craignure.
Two routes to the same cash, priced
A lifetime mortgage at 65 on the same property would release about £81,600. Downsizing nets £65,240. The difference is that downsizing costs you the house, and equity release costs you the estate.
Over twenty years that £81,600 release grows to roughly £287,529. The downsizing figure does not grow at all, because there is no debt.
Bands, stock and timing
Council tax follows the property, not the person. Band D in Argyll and Bute is £1,783, and a smaller home may sit in a lower band. Check the band before you offer, not after.
Downsizing works best when you are not in a hurry.
What a move within Craignure looks like
The schools families ask about here are Craignure Primary School, Tobermory High School (island secondary), Salen Primary School and Bunessan Primary School. Ratings age between inspections, so read the latest report before you rely on one.
On getting about: Craignure to Oban (CalMac ferry) takes about ~45 min crossing.
By price, Craignure ranks 2 of the 9 Argyll and Bute locations we cover, at £240,000 against a county average of £191,111. Band D council tax here is £1,783, against £1,783 across the county.
Is Craignure right to stay in?
Craignure is the main ferry gateway to the Isle of Mull, on the Sound of Mull, a scenic island settlement, ferry-dependent, with a limited, holiday-home-influenced market.
The full local guide covers schools, transport and the market in detail: Craignure property and area guide.
Moving within Argyll and Bute rather than out of it keeps you near family and known services. The county average price is £191,111, against £240,000 here.
- The gateway to a world-class island, scenery, wildlife and community
- Duart Castle, the Sound of Mull and the whole island on the doorstep
- A safe, close-knit island community
- A simple Scottish council-tax bill, no police, fire or community precept, identical across Mull
- Extraordinary wildlife, walking and access to Iona and Staffa
- Total ferry-dependence, the CalMac Oban crossing is weather-affected and has documented reliability issues
- No full A&E anywhere on Mull, serious cases mean a ferry crossing or air ambulance to Oban or Glasgow
- Long single-track island roads and slow journeys across Mull
- Scottish Water is a separate charge (~£652 at Band D), and a second-home premium applies, high on Mull
- Limited, firmer island stock, higher island costs, and a real holiday-home and second-home market
| Who it suits | Out of five | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Retirees & downsizers | ★★★☆☆ | A beautiful, peaceful island setting appeals to many, but the ferry-dependence and, above all, the absence of a full A&E on Mull are serious considerations for later life, weigh the healthcare and access picture very honestly. |
| Island & tourism workers | ★★★★☆ | Craignure's ferry terminal, the hotels, Duart Castle, the estates and Mull's tourism are genuine local employers, and living close to the island's front door is a real draw for those working here, homes to buy, though, are limited. |
| Remote workers & lifestyle buyers | ★★★★☆ | For people who can work from home with reliable connectivity, Mull offers extraordinary scenery, wildlife and a strong community, with Craignure the best-connected point, but a fast, reliable broadband connection and acceptance of the ferry are essential. |
| Second-home & holiday-let buyers | ★★★★☆ | Mull is a honeypot island with strong visitor demand and Craignure is its gateway, but note the Argyll and Bute second-home and holiday-let council-tax premium (high on Mull), short-term-let licensing, and the real community impact of holiday homes on an island with housing pressure. |
| Families | ★★★☆☆ | There is Craignure Primary School and a safe island community, but the island secondary is Tobermory High School at the far north of Mull (a long journey or a hostel/weekly-boarding arrangement for some), the market is limited, and the ferry-dependence and lack of a full A&E are real, weigh carefully. |
Craignure is known locally for The gateway to the Isle of Mull, and Duart Castle. Craignure is the island's principal ferry terminal, where the Oban ferry docks across the Sound of Mull, the front door through which most people and goods reach one of Scotland's most beautiful islands.
Practical detail for Craignure: the PA65 postcode district and nearest A and E is No full A&E on Mull; the Mull and Iona Community Hospital at Craignure has community and urgent care, serious cases go to Oban or Glasgow by ferry or air ambulance.
Craignure has history behind the price. In Medieval, Duart Castle, the seat of Clan Maclean, guards the Sound of Mull near Craignure, a stronghold controlling the sea route.
Craignure at a glance
| Downsizing line | Craignure figure |
|---|---|
| Sale price, local average | £240,000 |
| Purchase at 70% of value | £168,000 |
| Estate agent at 1.5% | £3,600 |
| LBTT on purchase | £460 |
| Legal and moving | £2,700 |
| Total costs | £6,760 |
| Net released | £65,240 |
| Lifetime mortgage alternative at 65 | £81,600 |
Figures are local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own numbers before acting on them.
Ask about Craignure
Three details is all we need. You are told before anything is passed to a partner firm.
Your checklist
- A real valuation of your home, not the £240,000 average
- The council tax band of the property you are buying
- Total moving costs of about £6,760
- The equity release comparison, in writing, before you decide
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to.
Check broadband before you make an offer in Craignure
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in Craignure, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.
We can introduce you to a specialist who can combine your mobile, broadband and utilities into one bill. There's no fee for the introduction.
We don't provide these services ourselves. Switching household bills is not a regulated financial service, so FCA protections and the Financial Ombudsman do not apply. We'll only pass your details to the specialist if you ask us to. See our privacy notice.
Questions people ask
How much would I release by downsizing in Craignure?
Is downsizing better than equity release?
What are the costs of moving?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in Craignure?
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