Searches for homes with air conditioning triple in year

Love or Hate Rightmove
  • New analysis from Rightmove reveals searches for homes with air conditioning have soared after a record-breaking hot summer:
    • Searches for homes for sale with air conditioning have more than tripled in a year (+234%)
    • Searches for homes available to rent with air conditioning are also up 74% compared with the same time in 2021
  • On 19th July, the hottest day on record, searches for homes to buy with air conditioning nearly quadrupled (+280%) and nearly tripled in the rental market (+180%) compared to 2021
  • Following the heatwaves this year, mentions of air conditioning in homes for sale or to rent have more than quadrupled but still make up less than 1% of all available properties:
    • Agents are also using more terms and highlighting features that keep a home cool. Mentions of ‘ceiling fan’ are up seven times, and ‘airy’ six times

New analysis from the UK’s biggest property website Rightmove reveals that searches for homes with air conditioning have soared compared to last year following the record-breaking hot summer.

Searches for homes for sale with air conditioning using Keyword Sort, a Rightmove tool where people can prioritise their property search results by choosing specific terms, have more than tripled (+234%) compared to this time last year, while searches for homes to rent with air conditioning are up 74%.

On the 19th July, the hottest day on record in the UK with temperatures of more than 40 degrees, searches for homes for sale with air conditioning nearly quadrupled (+280%) and nearly tripled in the rental market (+180%), compared to the same day in 2021.

The number of available property listings mentioning air conditioning has also more than quadrupled compared to this time last year. This is likely a combination of more homes having the feature, and more agents highlighting it as a key selling point as temperatures rise and people imagine next summer in their new home.

However, those dreaming of a new home with air conditioning may have found their choice limited, as homes for either sale or to rent with air conditioning still make up less than 1% of all available properties despite the rise in mentions.

There has also been an increase in agents highlighting other features and using key terms to describe how a home may stay cool in the summer for buyers and renters, ahead of more potential hot summers.

Mentions of ‘ceiling fan’ have increased seven times (+629%), ‘airy’ six times (+526%) and ‘shade’ five times (+405%).

 

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Property Expert comments: “During the hottest days of the year we’ve seen people across the UK jump straight onto Rightmove to see where they could live with the luxury of air conditioning. Though they make up a very small portion of the current property market, homes with air-con and other features that keep a home cool could attract even more interest in the future if we experience similarly hot summers, and these features rise up the priority list.”

 

Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People said: “Demand for air conditioning often spikes in the summer months as temperatures rise and homeowners look for ways to keep cool at home. Across June and July last year, homeowners posted 91% more air conditioning jobs compared to April and May. This year, that summer demand is higher than ever, thanks to the record-breaking prolonged heat in the UK. Air conditioning requests jumped by 116% across June and July compared to the two months before, with many homeowners finding this summer too hot to handle and looking at air conditioning as a way to either cool down fast or get ahead of the next heatwave!”

 

Oliver Cooney, Group Sustainability Advisor at Cala said: “We expect that the increased search volumes for air conditioning are from people living in older properties, as new homes are well insulated and therefore more thermally efficient. People often associate thermal efficiency with keeping warm, but it also works to keep heat out during the summer too. So, as we continue to build new homes more sustainably, with better insulation and features such as triple glazed windows, their thermal efficiency will continue to improve.”

 

Increase in ‘cool’ terms

 

Key ‘cool’ term Increase in mentions in property listings compared with July 2021
Ceiling Fan +629%
Pergola +629%
Light And Airy +548%
Airy +526%
Awning +428%
Swimming Pool +407%
Shade +405%
Air Conditioning +369%
North Facing +335%
Breeze +255%

 

Rightmove

UK Property news updates shared directly from Rightmove PLC - the country's leading property portal.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

The five MOST searched mortgage questions answered by a property expert

With terms including the word ‘mortgages’ generating over half-a-million Google searches a month (595k) in the UK alone, it’s clear that many prospective homeowners are still confused about how mortgages work, what they’re eligible for, and how to navigate a challenging market. To help provide clarity, Luke Williams, Specialist Property Advisor, at Pure Property Finance,…
Read More
Breaking News

53% of Tenants likely to challenge rent increases, but fair landlords have little to fear, says LRG report

More than half of tenants say they are likely to challenge rent increases under the incoming Renters’ Rights Bill (RRB), according to new research by LRG (Leaders Romans Group). However, the figures also show that nearly half of the tenants surveyed would not look to challenge a rent increase, a reflection, LRG says, of the…
Read More
Breaking News

Nationwide report Rural rules the roost

Rural rules the roost as countryside homes plough ahead of urban properties for house price growth House prices in predominantly rural areas have risen by 23% over the last five years, compared to 18% in predominantly urban areas Rural terraced properties have seen the strongest rate of price growth, urban flats the weakest Commenting on…
Read More
what is happening to house prices
Letting Agent Talk

Smart Upgrades: Boosting Rental Property Value Without Breaking the Bank

Most landlords don’t have a vault of gold stashed away for renovations. If you do, good for you (and maybe hide it better?). But for the rest of us, improving a rental property usually means walking a tightrope between cost and ROI. So what can you actually do that won’t drain your savings, and still…
Read More
Home and Living

Creating the Perfect Rental: Balancing Aesthetics, Functionality, and ROI

Let’s get this out of the way: “perfect” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that title. Because, really, no rental is perfect. Not for everyone. Not forever. But if you’re aiming to create a rental that looks good, works well, and pays you back in more than just stress headaches? You’re in the…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

The Landlord’s Guide to Hassle-Free Maintenance and Long-Term Tenant Satisfaction

Do you own rental property? If yes, you already know that you are being put on a test: keeping things running smoothly while somehow managing not to lose your mind (or your best tenants). Maintenance. It’s not fun. But neglect it, and your rental becomes a revolving door of disappointed tenants and mounting repair bills.…
Read More