Searches for homes with air conditioning have soared compared to last year following the record-breaking hot summer, Rightmove analysis shows.
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.
Searches for homes available to rent with air conditioning are also up 74% compared with the same time in 2021.
Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert, said: “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.”
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%).
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.”
