Build to Rent Report | UK Report x HomeViews

LOFT partner with HomeViews for Build To Rent Report

Great Design Boosts All Resident Ratings

Build to Rent (BTR) remains the most exciting sector in UK property.

Over £4bn was invested in 2022, and data from Rightmove reveals a 323% increase in tenant demand for BTR since 2019.

HomeViews data provides the most comprehensive, detailed insights available into the BTR resident experience, covering 89% of completed developments with over 36,000 residents providing feedback.

LOFT were invited by HomeViews to partner on the 2023 report due to the significance and correlation between design and highly rated resident experience in BTR.

The data in the 2023 Homeviews BTR report was clear. Developments furnished by LOFT were rated higher by residents on every Homeviews review category.

Through their research CBRE found the strongest correlation between rent and resident satisfaction was with ‘Design’ - this may reflect changing lifestyles since the COVID-19 pandemic, as tenants increasingly value well-designed homes.

This correlates directly with our experience; multiple lockdowns have changed the way we live and make both personal and professional choices. Build To Rent interiors today must be designed to accommodate “Blended Living”, providing spaces for work, rest & play in proximity within the same residence.

In the HomeViews report, developments furnished by LOFT scored highly for Design, averaging 4.72 out of 5, compared with the BTR benchmark of 4.36 for the sample period. This was consistent across every review category with an impressive average score for Value at 0.64 above the average.

LOFT truly understand and appreciate the impact of interior design upon human behaviour - our purpose as a company is to create homes sustainably, designed for the well-being of modern residents.

There are five main aspects of personal health: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual, to be considered “well,” it is imperative for none of these areas to be neglected.

“People First Design” by LOFT means encouraging collective behaviour, discussing, and designing solutions that are more circular, more inclusive, more available, and more accessible to many more people.

LOFT fully furnished the highest rated BTR scheme (under 300 homes) in the UK “The Trilogy” in Manchester managed by Allsop Letting and Management, which received near-perfect scores in 2022 across all HomeViews categories. The most common themes mentioned by residents were that they loved the gym, location, and the friendly staff.

Residents also said that the building had a great sense of community and atmosphere 100% of residents rated community at 5/5 - using our experience to help create residential communities is part of our mission and purpose at LOFT.

“When choosing suppliers, operators must be looking at proven results while also making sure that suppliers’ values are aligned. For example, our resident data shows that the most important sustainable building feature to residents in BTR is recycling, and this is a service LOFT offers and commits to through its supply chain.”

Hannah March Co-Founder of HomeViews

LOFT also furnished the TOP 3 highest rated BTR Developments (over 300 homes) by HomeViews in the UK - The Point in Aberdeen, Aston Place in Birmingham, & Chapel Wharf in Manchester - all managed by award winning operator Dandara Living.

We agree 100% with this, our company values spell an acronym of L.O.F.T. – Love, Opportunity, Future, Trust, and we actively look for employees, customers and supply chain partners who share our determination to do business differently, for the greater good.

With regards to recycling specifically, in 2022 LOFT achieved

1. 100% landfill avoidance - our investment in waste management and recycling facilities allow us to separate and process cardboard, plastic, metal, and wood for recycling and up-cycling.

2. 100% of the mattresses we removed were 100% recycled.

3. 100% of the re-usable furnishings removed through our replenishment service was donated (not sold), to local social impact charities and housing associations.

4. 100% of items that could not be recycled or up-cycled were processed and used for waste to energy conversion.

5. Sold 3,000+ fully recycled mattresses across the BTR & PBSA sectors.