West Lothian: the market in figures
In Scotland the purchase tax is Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, and West Lothian's figures show how it plays out. On the average of £225,439, moving home brings a bill of £1,609, or 0.7% of the price, while a first-time buyer pays £1,009. An additional property costs £19,644. The Land Registry fee is not applicable, since Scotland uses a different registry.
West Lothian is 3rd of 15 covered Scottish areas and 82nd of 135 overall. Scotland's own figure is £198,397, so the area is 13.6% above its nation, and it is 17.4% below the UK average of £273,037. The newest annual change is 2.2%, compared with 2.9% for Scotland.
Since 2016 the price has moved from £143,946 to £225,439, a rise of 56.6% (£81,493). The strongest years were 2022 at 12.1% and 2021 at 11.8%, with 2018 adding 7.1%. The only fall was 2.5% in 2023. The current figure is the highest in the series, and the lowest is 2016, when the figure was £143,946. The series ran £164,110 (2019), £169,070 (2020), £188,967 (2021), £211,922 (2022), £206,725 (2023), £213,330 (2024) and £220,524 (2025). Semi-detached homes at £230,083 sit just above the all-buyer figure, while terraced homes and flats sit below it.
Neighbouring areas sit on both sides. City of Edinburgh, 21 km distant, averages £301,313, 33.7% more, and rose 2.8% over the year. Falkirk averages £174,164, which is 22.7% less, and gained 5.3%. North Lanarkshire averages £161,163 and Clackmannanshire £171,154, which are 28.5% and 24.1% below. Across the year Falkirk rose 5.3%; North Lanarkshire rose 3.9% and City of Edinburgh 2.8%; Clackmannanshire fell 0.5%.
Detached houses average £404,805 against £230,083 for semi-detached, £182,849 for terraced and £124,950 for flats. Detached and flat prices are £279,855 apart, or 224%. Buyers new to the market average £181,430, 19.5% below the all-buyer figure. Sales numbered 3,658 in the period June 2025 to May 2026. The first-time buyer's bill of £1,009 compares with £1,609 for a home mover.
Payotte, from the UK HPI and the calculator.
Property professionals in West Lothian
One firm per trade, selected by Payotte on public data (2 of 5 trades filled in West Lothian). Companies, never individuals, with a regulator or register you can check with the official body.
| Trade | Firm | Google rating | Reviews | Score /100 | Status | Listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estate agent | Caesar & Howie | 4 | 4 | 50 | Partial | View |
| Mortgage adviser | Vivid Financial Solutions Ltd | 5 | 113 | 63 | Partial | View |
| Conveyancer | Vacant | — | — | — | — | — |
| Surveyor | Vacant | — | — | — | — | — |
| Valuer | Vacant | — | — | — | — | — |
One firm per trade and per area, chosen on public data and scored out of 100 points — Google reviews (35), age of the company (30), checkable regulator or register (15), local anchoring (15), bonus (5). The ranking is never paid for. No firm can buy its place or its recommendation. How Payotte ranks firms
Calculate for West Lothian
Frequently asked questions
What is the average house price in West Lothian?
The average price of a home in West Lothian was £225,439 in August 2026, +2.2% over twelve months (UK House Price Index).
Have house prices gone up in West Lothian?
The average price in West Lothian went from £143,946 in August 2016 to £225,439 in August 2026, a change of +56.6%; +2.2% over the last twelve months (UK House Price Index).
How much Land and Buildings Transaction Tax on an average-priced home in West Lothian?
On £225,439, Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) comes to £1,609 for a home mover, £1,009 for a first-time buyer and £19,644 for an additional property, at the rates in force in Scotland.
How much tax when you sell a home in West Lothian?
None on your main home if it was your only home, lived in for all the time you owned it, not let out and not used exclusively for business (Private Residence Relief). A second home or a buy-to-let pays Capital Gains Tax above the £3,000 allowance (2026 to 2027; rates in the calculator above). Bought at the average price in West Lothian in August 2016 (£143,946) and sold at the August 2026 average (£225,439), the gain of £81,493 costs a higher rate taxpayer £18,838, before deducting the costs of buying, selling and improving. The tax is reported and paid within 60 days of completion (HMRC).
Is West Lothian expensive?
West Lothian ranks 82nd of the 135 areas Payotte covers for the average price in August 2026, from £1,204,072 in Kensington and Chelsea to £133,782 in City of Aberdeen.
Prices by property type, August 2026
| Type | Average price | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | £404,805 | £365,984 |
| Semi-detached | £230,083 | £226,592 |
| Terraced | £182,849 | £184,396 |
| Flat or maisonette | £124,950 | £138,886 |
| All types | £225,439 | £198,397 |
| First-time buyers | £181,430 | £162,166 |
The UK HPI is a mix-adjusted average (a hedonic model), not the price of the homes sold in the month. Northern Ireland figures are quarterly.
The trend, August of each year
| Year | Average price | Change on the year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | £143,946 | — |
| 2017 | £150,753 | +4.7% |
| 2018 | £161,508 | +7.1% |
| 2019 | £164,110 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | £169,070 | +3% |
| 2021 | £188,967 | +11.8% |
| 2022 | £211,922 | +12.1% |
| 2023 | £206,725 | -2.5% |
| 2024 | £213,330 | +3.2% |
| 2025 | £220,524 | +3.4% |
| 2026 | £225,439 | +2.2% |
Sources
- Prices and sales: UK House Price Index, file UK-HPI-full-file-2026-08.csv. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2020. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Purchase tax: rates and sources of the calculator (Revenue Scotland).
- Tax when you sell: Capital Gains Tax rates, Tax when you sell your home and Report and pay your Capital Gains Tax (GOV.UK, HMRC).