Summer is coming! So what does that mean for our landlords?
As I sit here writing, I look out the window and see bright sunshine, blue skies and 20-degree forecasts for the rest of the week. This can only mean one thing – summer is coming!
As a Lettings Consultant, the thought of what’s to come in the summer months certainly gets the blood pumping as the pace of the market really picks up. Longer daylight hours, warmer weather and summer holidays are just a handful of reasons why we have a flood of applicants looking to move during this time. At Paramount we strive to keep the time between tenancies to an absolute minimum for our landlords, and one way we do this is by timing our marketing and contract lengths so that renewals are most likely to occur during this season of high demand.
One of the biggest advantages for a landlord to have at their disposal during the summer months is outdoor space – especially if it’s south facing and catches a glimpse of those beautiful English sunsets. I can always see the effect of a private garden on an applicant’s face on their first viewing. They visualize themselves sitting outside enjoying an iced coffee and a good book, relaxing with friends and a nice glass of wine, or simply soaking in the sun’s rays from their yoga mat. Others see themselves living the dream with a BBQ on the go and a cold beverage in hand! Whatever their style, outdoor space allows applicants to enjoy the summer with a level of privacy that public spaces just can’t provide.
Of course, we’re not discounting public spaces as a massively important factor in the attractiveness of a property in the summer months – on the contrary! Proximity to parks and green spaces is often a huge deciding factor for our applicants, who are looking for ways to enjoy family time (think bike-riding, kite-flying, picnicking – the list goes on!). For many of our applicants, it is vital that their location allows them to be active outdoors and immerse themselves in nature while the weather is nice.
Other great features that increase the attractiveness of a property in the summer months particularly are large reception room windows, sliding glass doors, and of course – balconies. These allow tenants to make the most of the sunshine and long daylight hours. North-facing windows are particularly great for early risers who like to catch the first light, and south-facing balconies allow tenants to sit and enjoy the many colours of the evening summer sky.
For applicants who spend the summer weekending all over the UK and abroad, we make sure to highlight properties with easy links to the major airports and popular British destinations. For example, sunny seaside Brighton is only a short train ride on the Thameslink from West Hampstead or Cricklewood!
Whatever this summer has in store, our landlords can be sure that we are working as hard as ever to find the right tenants for their property!
