Searches for UK properties with air conditioning have more than doubled during the late spring and summer months compared to last year. Property website Rightmove reported a 104 per cent increase in searches on its platform between May 1 and July 31 compared with the same period a year earlier.
Heatwaves drive demand
It comes as the UK has been hit with five heatwaves this year, with temperatures reaching as high as 38C in some parts of the country.
Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove, said: "This summer's heatwaves appear to be influencing how people think about their homes."
Broader shift in buyer priorities
Mark Wiggin, director of Mark Wiggin Estate Agents, said: "Energy efficiency and a home's ability to stay comfortable throughout the year have become much more important considerations when people are deciding where to live."
James Waight, head of sales at John D Wood & Co said: "We are seeing buyers pay closer attention to air conditioning, ventilation and how well a home retains a comfortable temperature during warmer months."
Ian Harris, president of NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents) Propertymark said: "Whilst air conditioning is clearly becoming a more visible feature on buyers' wish lists, agents are seeing a broader shift in what people want from a home: comfort and liveability are increasingly being considered alongside traditional factors such as location, space and price.
"What is particularly interesting is that buyers are becoming more alert to how a property will perform in different conditions, rather than simply looking at individual features.
"Agents are increasingly fielding questions about ventilation, natural shade, glazing, orientation and energy costs, with buyers wanting to understand what living in a property will actually feel like throughout the year.
"This is an important change in buyer behaviour. As hotter summers become more familiar, the ability of a home to remain comfortable in warm weather is likely to become a more established consideration during viewings and valuations, rather than something buyers only think about once they have moved in."
