The short answer
- The portals have no annexe filterThe links below put "annexe" into each site's keyword search for Scotland and its main towns, so you can start straight away.
- The planning permission decides who can live thereRead the permission for the annexe and its conditions before you make an offer, and see what your council says about annexes below.
- Council tax depends on who lives in the annexeScotland has its own rules, so ask the council how the annexe is banded.
- Care can come to the annexeHourly care on PrimeCarers costs £18 to £25 an hour with our fee included. Live-in care starts at £1,050 a week.
Ready-made searches
Houses with an annex on the market in Scotland
Each link opens a property site's search for Scotland, or one of its towns, with the word "annexe" already in the keyword box. The sites search the words in each listing's description, so a house is only picked out if the agent mentioned the annexe. Rightmove still lists every home and moves the matching ones to the top.
All of Scotland, searching for “annexe”
Agents spell it different ways, so try the other words too on Zoopla: annex, granny flat and self contained.
The main towns, searching for “annexe”
- EdinburghRightmoveZooplaOnTheMarket
- GlasgowRightmoveZooplaOnTheMarket
- AberdeenRightmoveZooplaOnTheMarket
- InvernessRightmoveZooplaOnTheMarket
- PerthRightmoveZooplaOnTheMarket
- DundeeRightmoveZooplaOnTheMarket
What the councils say
What the Scottish Government and Scottish councils say about annexes
Scotland has its own planning law, its own council tax rules and, in the east, its own property portal. Many homes in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders are listed with ESPC, and S1homes covers the whole country, so search those as well as the UK-wide sites. Rightmove has no single search for all of Scotland, so the searches below start from the main cities. Our guide to granny annexes in Scotland covers the rules in more depth.
Scottish Government
Covers all of Scotland
Planning
Scotland's householder permitted development rights allow some buildings in the garden without planning permission, but a building put up under those rights cannot be used as a separate dwelling. An annexe someone lives in will normally need permission.
Council tax
Scottish council tax rules for annexes differ from the English ones. Our guide to annexes in Scotland explains them; your council confirms what applies.
City of Edinburgh Council
Covers Edinburgh
Planning
Edinburgh's guidance for householders (September 2025) says a building in the garden must not have facilities that would let someone live in it permanently and independently of the house. One that does is assessed as an application for a new house.
Council tax
Ask the council tax team how an annexe on the property is banded and whether an exemption applies.
Aberdeenshire Council
Covers Aberdeenshire
Planning
No annexe-specific guidance that we could find; its page on whether you need planning permission is the place to start.
Council tax
Ask the council tax team how an annexe on the property is banded and whether an exemption applies.
For the wider picture, ask the council's planning team early, because Scottish planning and council tax rules for annexes differ from England's.
Council tax
How council tax works on an annexe
In Scotland, council tax bands are set by the local assessor and the rules for annexes are Scottish ones, so the English discounts described on many websites may not apply.
- 1
Ask how the annexe is banded
Ask the council for the house you are viewing whether the annexe has a band of its own and what it is. - 2
Ask about exemptions and discounts
Tell the council who will live in the annexe, for example a parent aged over 65, and ask what applies. - 3
Read our Scotland guide
Our guide to granny annexes in Scotland covers Scottish council tax for annexes in more depth.
In Scotland, bands are set by the local assessor, so ask the assessor for your area about an annexe.
Before you make an offer
What to check on a house with an annexe
An annexe changes what a house is worth to you, so check the paperwork and the practical details before you make an offer, not after.
The planning permission and its conditions
That it was built with permission
How it is banded for council tax
That it is on the same title
That it works for your parent now and later
Room for help when it is needed
If you are buying with your parent, our guide to buying a house with an elderly parent covers the money and the legal side.
If care is needed
What care in the annexe costs
A house with an annexe lets you live close by while your parent keeps a front door of their own. If your parent needs more help than you can give, care can come to the annexe, from a few hours a week to a carer living in.
| On PrimeCarers | Through an agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly visits | £18 to £25 an hour, with our fee included | £28 to £35 an hour |
| Live-in care | From £1,050 a week, typically £1,120 | Around £1,400 a week |
Hourly visits
- On PrimeCarers
- £18 to £25 an hour, with our fee included
- Through an agency
- £28 to £35 an hour
Live-in care
- On PrimeCarers
- From £1,050 a week, typically £1,120
- Through an agency
- Around £1,400 a week
Figures are what families pay on PrimeCarers with our fee included. Agency figures are the typical range for the same care, for comparison.
For local figures, see what live-in care costs in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeenshire, the Highlands and Fife. A live-in carer moves into a spare room in the home, so if the annexe has one bedroom, the carer can sleep in the main house close by; our guide to preparing the room for a live-in carer covers what they need. Our guide to care in a granny annexe covers how hourly and live-in care work there.
PrimeCarers is an introductory service, not a care agency. You search the profiles of self-employed carers near the house, message the ones who suit your parent, and choose who to book. Every carer has passed an ID check, a right to work check and an enhanced DBS check (PVG in Scotland) issued within the last two years, and an online interview. We do not check qualifications, training or references, and the reviews and references on a profile are not verified by us, so ask each carer about the experience your parent needs. When you are ready, you can find a carer near the house.
Questions
Questions about annexes in Scotland
None of the big portals has a tick box for an annexe, so the searches on this page put the word into the keyword search for you. Use the links for all of Scotland on Zoopla, PrimeLocation, ESPC and S1homes, then the links for each town. Try the other spellings as well (annex, granny flat, self contained), because the search only finds the words the agent used. On Rightmove, sort the results by keyword so the matching homes come first.
Scotland has its own council tax rules, and an annexe can be banded separately from the main house. Ask the council for the house you are looking at how the annexe is banded and whether any exemption or discount applies, and see our guide to granny annexes in Scotland.
Usually, if someone is going to live in it. Scottish permitted development rights allow some garden buildings without an application, but not one used as a separate dwelling, and Edinburgh assesses a garden building with the facilities to live in as a new house. If you are buying a house with an annexe already built, ask to see its planning permission and any conditions.
Yes, if there is a spare bedroom for them, in the annexe or in the main house. A live-in carer moves into a spare room in the home where they are caring, so an annexe with one bedroom works when the carer can sleep in the main house close by. If you plan to build or extend an annexe with a room for a carer, explain why in the planning application and ask the council how it will look at it.
On PrimeCarers, hourly visits cost £18 to £25 an hour with our fee included, against £28 to £35 an hour through an agency. Live-in care starts at £1,050 a week and is typically £1,120. The local cost pages linked above show what carers near you advertise.