Renting not buying, more sustainability and seats for sale

THIS week, Leeds city living pioneer Jonathan Morgan writes about the shift towards renting rather than buying, which is commonplace in many other European countries, including Germany.

There is no doubt that renting is becoming more prevalent, not least because of the cost of buying a home.

Another factor is that institutional investors have professionalised the sector and upped the game by creating new built-torent apartment blocks with fabulous amenities including gyms, work spaces and sensational shared lounges that wouldn’t look amiss in a top hotel.

All this allows residents to get to know each other and create a real community. Of course, this all comes at a price and rents in these purpose-built buildings are above the average rental flat but there is no shortage of takers.

The next logical step, given their success, was to cater for those keen to move from a flat to a house and now built-to-rent houses are being developed and embraced. Leedsbased Pickard Properties proved there was a market and the hugely successful and much lauded Yorkshire build-to-rent business MODA is set to show just how big the market is as it diversifies from flats to family homes.

Jonathan reports that although it’s early days for the family homes sector, it is widely thought that the rate of investment into houses for long-term rent may well eclipse the stellar performance of apartments.

He says that the only spanners in the works may be our obsession with home ownership and its association with social credibility, our craving for the security of ownership and the money we can invest in bricks and mortar.

Also this week, George Clarke talks about sustainability and see our news snippets section for details on how to get a single ticket for The Yorkshires. Residential Real Estate awards. It’s a chance to network while raising money for disadvantaged and disabled children in our region.