Hawick Rental Guide for Construction Workers

Hawick is the main base for construction workers in the southern Scottish Borders. It's the closest major town to the Center Parcs development site and has the most affordable rental market in the region. This guide covers everything you need to know about finding accommodation and living in Hawick during your contract.

Why Hawick works for contractors

Hawick ticks the practical boxes that matter when you're working away from home:

• Affordable rents — significantly cheaper than Edinburgh, Glasgow, or even the more popular Borders towns like Kelso and Peebles
• Good rental stock — a mix of flats above shops on the High Street, council-built housing, and stone-built terraces. Furnished options are available
• Close to site — the shortest commute of any major town to the Center Parcs construction site
• Self-contained — supermarkets, takeaways, pubs, a leisure centre, and trade supply shops (Screwfix) are all in town

Rental prices in Hawick

Hawick offers some of the lowest rents in the Scottish Borders. As a guide for 2026:

• Room in a shared house: £275–£425 pcm
• 1-bed flat: £375–£550 pcm
• 2-bed flat: £450–£650 pcm
• 2-bed house: £500–£700 pcm
• 3-bed house: £600–£850 pcm

Furnished lets tend to sit at the higher end of these ranges. Some landlords offer all-inclusive rents (bills included) for contractor lets — ask when enquiring.

View available properties in Hawick.

Where in Hawick to look

Hawick is a compact town — you can walk from one end to the other in 20 minutes. But different areas suit different needs:

• Town centre / High Street: flats above commercial premises, often the cheapest option. Convenient for shops and takeaways but can be noisy on weekend evenings.
• Burnfoot: residential area with a mix of houses and flats. Quieter than the centre, easy parking, close to Tesco.
• Stirches / Silverbuthall: newer housing on the edge of town. Quieter, better parking, slightly further from shops.
• Wilton: established residential area with terraced and semi-detached houses. Good community feel, close to the leisure centre.

For contractors, the key considerations are parking (most Hawick properties have on-street parking or driveways) and proximity to the A7, which is your main route to site and to other Borders towns.

Daily life in Hawick

Shopping and food

• Supermarkets: Tesco (Mart Street), Aldi (Commercial Road)
• Convenience: Co-op, Scotmid, and several independent shops on the High Street
• Takeaways: Chinese, Indian, pizza, fish and chips — all on or near the High Street
• Pubs: several options including the Horse, the Bourtree, and the Exchange — good for a pint after a shift

Trade and DIY supplies

• Screwfix: Commercial Road, Hawick
• Jewson: nearest branches in Galashiels
• Independent merchants: several local builders' merchants in the Hawick area

Health and fitness

• Teviotdale Leisure Centre: gym, swimming pool, and fitness classes
• GP surgeries: Hawick Medical Practice and O'Connell Street Surgery
• Pharmacy: Boots and independent pharmacies in town
• Hospital: the nearest hospital with A&E is Borders General Hospital in Melrose (25 minutes). Hawick has a minor injuries unit

Getting online

Hawick has reasonable broadband coverage, with fibre available in much of the town. Check availability at your specific address before signing a lease — coverage can vary between streets. Mobile signal (EE and Vodafone) is generally reliable in the town centre but can drop in surrounding valleys.

Getting around from Hawick

• By car: the A7 runs through Hawick, connecting north to Selkirk, Galashiels, and Edinburgh (1 hour 15 minutes). The A698 heads east to Kelso (30 minutes). The B6399 runs south to Newcastleton and the English border
• By bus: regular services to Galashiels, Selkirk, and Edinburgh via Borders Buses. Less frequent services to Jedburgh and Kelso. Useful for a night out in Galashiels but not practical for early site starts
• Nearest train station: Galashiels (Borders Railway to Edinburgh Waverley), approximately 25 minutes' drive north

A car is essential for construction work in the Borders. Public transport won't reliably get you to site for an early start.

How to secure a rental in Hawick

1. Search online — browse Hawick rental properties on Rent in the Borders to see what's currently available.
2. Contact local agents — letting agents in the Borders can alert you to properties before they're listed. Register with two or three.
3. Prepare your documents — have your photo ID, employment contract or confirmation letter, and a previous landlord reference ready. Agents will want to process your application quickly.
4. View the property — try to visit in person before committing. If you can't, ask for a video walkthrough and confirm parking, broadband, and furnishing.
5. Understand the tenancy — in Scotland, you'll sign a Private Residential Tenancy. There's no minimum term and you can leave with 28 days' notice.

House-sharing to cut costs

If you're working with colleagues, sharing a 2- or 3-bed property is the most cost-effective option. A 3-bed house at £750 pcm split three ways works out at £250 each — less than you'd pay for a room in most cities. Add in split utility bills and you're looking at total living costs of £300–£400 per month per person.

When sharing, make sure everyone is named on the tenancy agreement. This protects all parties and ensures deposit protection applies to each tenant.

What to know about renting in Scotland

If you're coming from England or elsewhere, a few things are different:

• No letting fees: agents cannot charge tenants any fees
• Open-ended tenancies: no fixed end date — you leave when you're ready, with 28 days' notice
• Deposit schemes: your deposit must be protected within 30 working days
• Council tax: paid by the tenant unless the landlord has agreed to include it. Single occupancy gets a 25% discount

Read our full tenants' rights guide for details.

Search Hawick rental properties now or explore other towns near the Center Parcs site.