Downsizing in Dunbar: What You Would Actually Release
Selling at the £270,000 Dunbar average and buying at £189,000 releases about £73,370 after costs. Fees, LBTT and moving take roughly £7,630 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 £270,000 Dunbar average and buying at £189,000 releases about £73,370 after costs. Fees, LBTT and moving take roughly £7,630 of it.
What a Dunbar move actually releases
Start with the gap. Selling at £270,000 and buying at 70% of that, £189,000, leaves £81,000 before costs. Costs are the part people underestimate.
Agent fees at 1.5% are £4,050. LBTT on the purchase is £880. Total £7,630, leaving £73,370 in hand.
Where the sale proceeds go
The commercial page for this town sets out the introduction itself: Equity release in Dunbar.
Downsizing against releasing equity
A lifetime mortgage at 65 on the same property would release about £91,800. Downsizing nets £73,370. The difference is that downsizing costs you the house, and equity release costs you the estate.
Over twenty years that £91,800 release grows to roughly £323,471. 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 East Lothian is £1,698, 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 Dunbar looks like
The schools families ask about here are Dunbar Grammar School, Dunbar Primary School, Belhaven / West Barns area primaries, St Gabriel's RC Primary (nearest RC provision) and St David's RC High School (Dalkeith). Ratings age between inspections, so read the latest report before you rely on one.
On getting about: Dunbar to Edinburgh Waverley takes about ~25 to 30 min.
By price, Dunbar ranks 6 of the 10 East Lothian locations we cover, at £270,000 against a county average of £328,000. Band D council tax here is £1,698, against £1,698 across the county.
Is Dunbar right to stay in?
Dunbar is a historic Firth-of-Forth coastal town at the eastern edge of the county, John Muir's birthplace, a harbour and a fast main-line train.
The full local guide covers schools, transport and the market in detail: Dunbar property and area guide.
Moving within East Lothian rather than out of it keeps you near family and known services. The county average price is £328,000, against £270,000 here.
- A historic coastal town, John Muir's birthplace, a harbour & castle
- A fast East Coast Main Line train to Edinburgh (~25 to 30 min)
- Well-regarded schools including Dunbar Grammar (a comprehensive) & a very large primary
- A simple Scottish council-tax bill, no police, fire or community precept
- The John Muir Country Park, the beaches and the Lammermuir Hills
- The furthest East Lothian town from a full A&E (Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, ~40 to 50 min)
- At the far edge of the county, the road commute is longer than the inner Lothians
- Torness nuclear power station just south, a major employer, but a factor some weigh
- Scottish Water is a separate charge added to the same bill (~£652 at Band D)
- Some coastal ground near the harbour and Belhaven Bay carries a flood consideration
| Who it suits | Out of five | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Downsizers & retirees | ★★★☆☆ | A walkable, characterful coastal town with the harbour, the beaches and a fast train, though it is the furthest East Lothian town from a full A&E (~40 to 50 min to Edinburgh), which is a real consideration. |
| Families | ★★★★★ | Well-regarded Education-Scotland schools including the very large Dunbar Primary and Dunbar Grammar School, the beaches, the country park, sport and a strong community, a favourite family town, though check catchments. |
| Coastal & heritage buyers | ★★★★★ | A genuinely historic seaside town, John Muir's birthplace, the harbour, the castle ruins, Belhaven Brewery and the John Muir Country Park, with real character and a strong identity. |
| Edinburgh commuters | ★★★★☆ | A fast East Coast Main Line train reaches Edinburgh in around 25 to 30 minutes, which is very good for a town 28 miles out, though Dunbar sits at the far edge of the county and fares/season tickets are worth checking. |
| Local workers (incl. Torness) | ★★★★☆ | Torness nuclear power station just south is a genuine major local employer, and the town serves the wider farming and coastal economy, a practical base for working in the east of the county. |
Dunbar is known locally for John Muir, and John Muir's Birthplace. John Muir, born in Dunbar in 1838, became the pioneering conservationist and "father of the national parks", one of the most influential figures in the history of conservation, remembered in his birthplace museum, the country park and the John Muir Way.
Practical detail for Dunbar: the EH42 postcode district, Dunbar, a station of its own on the East Coast Main Line; fast to Edinburgh ~25 to 30 min and nearest A and E is Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (Little France), the furthest East Lothian town from A&E (~30 miles / 40 to 50 min).
Dunbar has history behind the price. In Medieval, Dunbar Castle guards the east-coast approach into Scotland as one of its mightiest fortresses.
Dunbar at a glance
| Downsizing line | Dunbar figure |
|---|---|
| Sale price, local average | £270,000 |
| Purchase at 70% of value | £189,000 |
| Estate agent at 1.5% | £4,050 |
| LBTT on purchase | £880 |
| Legal and moving | £2,700 |
| Total costs | £7,630 |
| Net released | £73,370 |
| Lifetime mortgage alternative at 65 | £91,800 |
Figures are local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own numbers before acting on them.
Ask about Dunbar
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 £270,000 average
- The council tax band of the property you are buying
- Total moving costs of about £7,630
- 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 Dunbar
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in Dunbar, 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 Dunbar?
Is downsizing better than equity release?
What are the costs of moving?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in Dunbar?
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