The best house builders in Scotland have been announced following the annual Scottish Home Awards in Edinburgh with 18 winners revealed in Scotland’s largest independent awards competition.

The Scottish Home Awards, sponsored by Ross & Liddell, crowned 16 housebuilding companies with awards following a meticulous judging period by the country’s leading housing experts. They were presented last night to companies highlighting excellence in new home creation over the last year with focus on design, marketing and customer care across the industry.

Avant Homes collected the most prestigious award, Large Housebuilder of the Year, delivering exceptional growth and a large portfolio of properties. This year, they announced plans to double the number of homes they build by 2023, demonstrating their impressive business growth and ambition. Avant Homes were also finalists in a further six categories.

Long-established Edinburgh based company, Wemyss Properties Limited, were crowned Small Housebuilder of the year after the judges agreed that their consistency on quality products and service deemed them the most favoured for the award. Wemyss Properties were also highly commended in Apartment of the Year Award for their residential development, Newbattle Terrace in Morningside and highly commended in the Customer Service Excellence Award.

It was an exciting night for UK Heritage Developer, City & Country, who were victorious in two of this year’s awards. The innovative company won both the Apartment Development of the Year and the

Renovation of the Year (Multiple Dwellings) for their renovation of the former children’s hospital and school, The Playfair at Donaldson’s in Edinburgh, turning the grand structure into residential luxury apartments.

Other private developments which collected awards included Places for People, David Wilson Homes and Queensberry Properties. More success at the ceremony came from Glasgow Housing Association, Eildon Housing Association and BMC Developments all winning one award each.

McTaggart Group took home the Community Contribution award whilst CALA Homes celebrated continued success winning the Customer Service Excellence Award. House of the Year went to Robertson Homes for The Calico in Inverness and Innovation of the Year was won by Glencairn Properties for Woodhall Drive in the capital.

River Kelvin Properties and Cruden Homes (East) each won the award for Showhome of the Year and Starter Home of the Year respectively. Umega Lettings were triumphant in the Residential Letting of the Year award, sponsored by Citylets.

With a record 68 housebuilding companies entering the event, the glittering awards ceremony saw almost 600 guests in attendance. The event is sponsored and supported by one of Scotland’s largest property management firms, Ross and Liddell.

Andrew Cunningham, Director of Ross and Liddell, this year's Home Awards headline sponsor, commented:

“The Scottish Home Awards provide a vital link between the housebuilding industry and the buyer who is looking for high quality buildings from respected and successful businesses. Yet again we have seen a huge range of entries from across the country and the decisions made by the judging panel have often been difficult due to the high standard of work going on. Congratulations to all the winners announced in the 2018 Scottish Home Awards, I hope they enjoy their win and shout it from the rooftops!”

The awards were also a fundraiser for ‘It’s Good 2 Give’, a small charity who have built The Ripple Retreat, a luxury residential retreat on the shores of Loch Venacher in the Trossachs National Park. The property is gifted to young cancer patients and their families. This year, the awards were also supporting the British Red Cross who are raising money to help people affected by The Grenfell Tower disaster in London 2017.

The winners in full:

Housebuilder of the Year (less than 100 units) sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland WINNER: Wemyss Properties Limited

Finalists:

Cairnrowan Custom Homes Campion Homes

Fotheringham Property Developments Limited Glencairn Properties

MNM Developments (Scot) Ltd Queensberry Properties Ltd

S1 Developments Story Homes

Housebuilder of the Year (more than 100 units) sponsored by Space and Time Media WINNER: Avant Homes

Finalists:

CALA Homes

McTaggart Group

Miller Homes

Robertson Homes

Stewart Milne Homes

Housing Association of the Year sponsored by Aareon

WINNER: Glasgow Housing Association

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Eildon Housing Association

Finalists:

Cunninghame Housing Association Ltd Elderpark Housing Association Hillcrest Housing Association

Affordable Housing Development of the Year (private sale) sponsored by Priory Bridge Landscaping

WINNER: Harvesters Way, Wester Hailes, Edinburgh - Places for People

Finalist:

Pennywell Living, Edinburgh - Urban Union Ltd

Apartment Development of the Year

WINNER: The Playfair at Donaldson's, Edinburgh - City & Country

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Newbattle Terrace, Edinburgh - Wemyss Properties Limited

Finalists:

Richmond Gate, Glasgow - Avant Homes

Ten Brunswick Road, Edinburgh - CALA Homes (East) The Botanics, Glasgow - David Wilson Homes Marionville, Edinburgh - MNM Developments (Scot) Ltd Westerlea Gardens, Edinburgh - S1 Developments

235 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh - Square & Crescent Ltd and Morgan McDonnell Architecture Ltd.

Community Contribution Award sponsored by The Scotsman WINNER: McTaggart Group

Finalists: Avant Homes CALA Homes

Hillcrest Group of Companies Linstone Housing Association

Customer Service Excellence Award sponsored by Wolffe WINNER: CALA Homes

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Wemyss Properties Limited

Finalists:

H M Raitt & Sons Ltd

House of the Year sponsored by Cupa Pizarras

WINNER: Calico, Great Glen View, Inverness - Robertson Homes

Finalists:

The Westbury at Badenheath, Gartcosh - Avant Homes

Jordan Lane, Morningside, Edinburgh - MNM Developments (Scot) Ltd The Southbrook, Dargavel Village, Bishopton - Stewart Milne Homes The Chichester, various locations - Miller Homes

Innovation of the Year

WINNER: Glencairn Properties for Woodhall Drive

Finalists:

BMC Developments for The Old Bakehouse, Crossford

LBA & Williamstone Farm Steadings for Williamstone Farm Steadings Lorn Macneal Architects for Newfield House, Kinnear Road, Edinburgh Snowdrop Developments for Rocklobster Project

Stewart Milne Homes for Designing Successful Streetscapes

Large Affordable Housing Development of the Year (social rent) sponsored by SFHA WINNER: The Glasgow Housing Association Ltd / CCG (Scotland) Ltd - Dougrie Drive, Glasgow Finalists:

Caledonian Road Housing, Perth - Caledonia Housing Association

Mavor Avenue, East Kilbride - McTaggart Construction & Clyde Valley Housing Association Harvesters Way, Wester Hailes, Edinburgh - Places for People

Leith Fort, Leith, Edinburgh - Port of Leith Housing Association/City of Edinburgh Council

Brand Street/Harvie Street, Glasgow - The Glasgow Housing Association Ltd & Cruden Building & Renewals

Large Housing Development of the Year (private sale) sponsored by Hyperoptic WINNER: David Wilson Homes - The Botanics, Glasgow

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Stewart Milne Homes - Dargavel Village, Bishopton

Finalists:

Badenheath, Gartcosh - Avant Homes

Manor Park, Cumbernauld - Bellway Homes Ltd (Scotland) CALA at Liberton Grange, Edinburgh - CALA Homes (East) CALA at Grandhome, Bridge of Don - CALA Homes (North) CALA at Kilmardinny, Bearsden, Glasgow - CALA Homes (West) Beech Walk at Hazelwood, Aberdeen - Dandara Limited Chatelherault, Ferniegair, Hamilton - Robertson Homes Summerpark, Dumfries - Story Homes

Pennywell Living, Edinburgh - Urban Union Ltd

Renovation of the Year (multiple dwellings) sponsored by C&P Recruitment WINNER: The Playfair at Donaldson's, Edinburgh - City & Country

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Brand Street/Harvie Street, Glasgow - The Glasgow Housing Association Ltd

/Lowther Homes Ltd & Cruden Building & Renewals

Finalists:

Canon Quarters, Edinburgh - AMA (New Town) Ltd

Phoenix House, Portobello - EMA Architects + Masterplanners / Kerwick Homes Williamstone Farm Steadings, North Berwick - LBA & Williamstone Farm Steadings Varcity North , Edinburgh - Miller Homes

40-44 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh - Morgan McDonnell Architecture Ltd and Square and Crescent Ltd.

The Atrium, Glasgow - River Kelvin Properties (Broomhill) Ltd

Renovation of the Year (single dwelling) sponsored by C&P Recruitment WINNER: The Old Bakehouse, Crossford - BMC Developments

Finalists:

Moray Place Edinburgh - H M Raitt & Sons Ltd

Scarth Craig, Stonehaven - Roundhouse Architecture Ltd

Residential Letting Team of the Year sponsored by Citylets WINNER: Umega Lettings

Finalists:

Clan Gordon Coulters Lettings Ltd ESPC Lettings

Grant Property

Show Home of the Year

WINNER: The Atrium, Glasgow - River Kelvin Properties (Broomhill) Ltd

Finalists:

The Rosebury, various locations - Avant Homes The Edinburgh, Robroyston - Barratt Homes Fitzalan Court, Whitecraigs - Laurel Homes

The Dale, Robroyston - Miller Homes

Marionville, Edinburgh - MNM Developments (Scot) Ltd. Mitchell Garden Room, Lenzie - Robertson Homes

Royal Deeside - Snowdrop Developments

Newbattle Terrace, Edinburgh - Wemyss Properties Limited

Small Affordable Housing Development of the Year (social rent) sponsored by CIH Scotland WINNER: Roxburgh Street, Kelso - Eildon Housing Association & Assist Design Ltd

Finalists:

Fleming Place, Edinburgh - Bield Housing & Care

Hill Street, Kilmarnock - Cunninghame Housing Association Ltd Ashludie, Monifieth - Hillcrest Housing Association

Barclay Street - Phase 1, Springburn, Glasgow - Loretto Housing Association & McTaggart Construction

Springfield Road, Parkhead, Glasgow - McTaggart Construction & Parkhead Housing Association Avalon Place, Linlithgow - McTaggart Construction & West Lothian Council

Second Avenue, Clydebank - West Dunbartonshire Council