The Top 10 BTR developments on HomeViews based on Design Score consist of a mix of development types and sizes. The Top 10 include permitted developments and newly built schemes.
HomeViews, dubbed the TripAdvisor for property, invites residents of new build developments to write a review on their residential development. Both tenants and owners rate the Facilities, Design, Location, Value and Building Management and write a review describing what it is like to live in the building and the location.
The 2020 National Build to Rent Report from HomeViews Insights compares the Build to Rent (BTR) and Build to Sell (BTS) tenant experiences from over 5,000 reviews, as well as providing previously unpublished insights and data into the BTR experience.
The experience of Design
The ten BTR developments with the highest rating for design average 4.77/5 in this field, with 78% of reviewers giving their development a 5/5 Design Score. The bottom ten BTR developments are averaging 3.27 out of 5 for design. Overall it is a positive picture and in our 2020 National Build to Rent Report we look further into the features of the Top 10 developments and what is most loved about the building.
Does Building Type Matter?
Is there a tangible difference for a BTR tenant based on the building type that they live in?
The BPF separates Build to Rent building types into 3 categories: ‘Retained for PRS’, ‘Purchased for PRS’, and ‘Build to Rent’. Almost half of currently complete developments that are marketed or would be classified as Build to Rent are listed in the BPF/Savills report as retained or purchased PRS developments. Many ‘Build to Rent’ marketed schemes are in fact office conversions or permitted developments.
The split between three building types (Build to Rent, PRS and Office to Resi) for the 84 Build to Rent developments within our report are as follows (graph below). Within our 2020 National Build to Rent Report we have delved further into the three categories and re-evaluated the tenant scores for each of our ratings by building type.
“I was the first one to live in the building so the design is amazing, I am on the 5th floor with the view of the London eye.” Verified Tenant on HomeViews, Elephant Central by Get Living
“The best feature of the rooms is the balcony I’ve incorporated greenery into the apartment.” Tenant on HomeViews, The Cargo Building managed by Savills, Liverpool
“The design and finishing is modern to a high standard. The common areas and social events encourages building new relationships with other tenants.” Verified Tenant on HomeViews, The Trilogy managed by Allsop, Manchester
There are some consistent trends and themes identified in the higher rated and lower rated developments by design but it is also the largest gap when it comes to rental price compared to any of our other categories. From the top 10 to the bottom 10 the data shows you pay for highly rated design. It isn’t a perfect picture for design with some consistent issues raised around ventilation and parking. Order our full report from www.homeviews.com/insights
