Downsizing in Dunoon: What You Would Actually Release
Selling at the £160,000 Dunoon average and buying at £112,000 releases about £42,900 after costs. Fees, LBTT and moving take roughly £5,100 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 £160,000 Dunoon average and buying at £112,000 releases about £42,900 after costs. Fees, LBTT and moving take roughly £5,100 of it.
What a Dunoon move actually releases
Start with the gap. Selling at £160,000 and buying at 70% of that, £112,000, leaves £48,000 before costs. Costs are the part people underestimate.
Agent fees at 1.5% are £2,400. LBTT on the purchase is £0. Total £5,100, leaving £42,900 in hand.
Where the sale proceeds go
The commercial page for this town sets out the introduction itself: Equity release in Dunoon.
Moving or borrowing, compared honestly
A lifetime mortgage at 65 on the same property would release about £54,400. Downsizing nets £42,900. The difference is that downsizing costs you the house, and equity release costs you the estate.
Over twenty years that £54,400 release grows to roughly £191,686. The downsizing figure does not grow at all, because there is no debt.
The parts of downsizing that are not financial
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 Dunoon looks like
The schools families ask about here are Dunoon Grammar School, Dunoon Primary School, Kirn Primary School, Sandbank Primary School and St Mun's Primary School. Ratings age between inspections, so read the latest report before you rely on one.
On getting about: Dunoon to Gourock (by ferry) takes about ~20 to 25 min.
By price, Dunoon ranks 6 of the 9 Argyll and Bute locations we cover, at £160,000 against a county average of £191,111. Band D council tax here is £1,783, against £1,783 across the county.
Is Dunoon right to stay in?
Dunoon is the main town of the Cowal peninsula on the Firth of Clyde, a ferry-dependent, comparatively affordable resort and retirement town.
The full local guide covers schools, transport and the market in detail: Dunoon 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 £160,000 here.
- The main town of Cowal, affordable, scenic Clyde-coast living
- Comparatively cheap homes, from very affordable flats to period villas
- The Cowal Games, Benmore Garden and the Kyles of Bute on the doorstep
- A simple Scottish council-tax bill, no police, fire or community precept, and many homes in lower bands
- A well-regarded secondary in Dunoon Grammar (a state comprehensive)
- A ferry-dependent town, the link to the central belt, and the nearest full A&E, are across the Clyde
- The nearest full A&E is in Greenock, reached by ferry (the Cowal hospital has minor injuries only)
- A changeable, wet west-coast climate
- Scottish Water is a separate charge (~£652 at Band D), and a second-home premium applies
- Ferries can be disrupted by weather, you live to the ferry timetable
| Who it suits | Out of five | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Downsizers & retirees | ★★★★★ | Comparatively affordable prices, a mild if wet climate, a walkable town, sea views and the gardens and outdoors of Cowal make Dunoon a classic and popular retirement choice, weigh only the ferry-dependent healthcare picture. |
| Value-seeking families | ★★★★☆ | Some of the most affordable coastal homes in the Clyde area, plus the well-regarded Dunoon Grammar and Education-Scotland primaries, genuine value, if you can embrace the ferry. |
| Remote & local workers | ★★★★☆ | Good for people who work locally, on the ferries or remotely, with home-working making Cowal living increasingly viable, a fast broadband connection matters. |
| Water & outdoor lovers | ★★★★☆ | The Firth of Clyde, the Holy Loch, Eck, the Kyles of Bute and the Argyll hills, sailing, walking and the outdoors are a huge part of life here. |
| Property investors | ★★★☆☆ | Affordable entry prices and tourism/holiday-let demand support letting, but note the Argyll and Bute second-home/holiday-let council-tax premium, short-term-let licensing, and the ferry-dependent market. |
Dunoon is known locally for The Cowal Highland Gathering, and Benmore Botanic Garden. The "Cowal Games", first held in 1894, are the largest Highland games in the world, a spectacle of massed pipe bands and Highland sport that fills Dunoon every August.
Practical detail for Dunoon: the PA23 postcode district and nearest A and E is No full A&E locally; the Cowal Community Hospital has a minor injuries service, the nearest emergency department is the Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Greenock (across the Clyde by ferry), or Glasgow.
Dunoon has history behind the price. In Medieval, Dunoon Castle, a Campbell stronghold, stands on the rock above the bay, its ruins remain by the pier.
Dunoon at a glance
| Downsizing line | Dunoon figure |
|---|---|
| Sale price, local average | £160,000 |
| Purchase at 70% of value | £112,000 |
| Estate agent at 1.5% | £2,400 |
| LBTT on purchase | £0 |
| Legal and moving | £2,700 |
| Total costs | £5,100 |
| Net released | £42,900 |
| Lifetime mortgage alternative at 65 | £54,400 |
Figures are local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own numbers before acting on them.
Ask about Dunoon
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 £160,000 average
- The council tax band of the property you are buying
- Total moving costs of about £5,100
- 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 Dunoon
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in Dunoon, 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 Dunoon?
Is downsizing better than equity release?
What are the costs of moving?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in Dunoon?
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