The Smart Property Revolution: Are Buyers and Landlords Ready?
Smart isn’t just a buzzword any more.
Whether it’s solar panels quietly harvesting energy from the roof, or a heat pump humming away in the garden, the technology inside and around our homes is changing fast.
Buyers increasingly expect properties to come equipped with features that weren’t even on the radar a few years ago. And landlords are under pressure to keep up, or risk falling behind both regulation and demand.
The “green premium” isn’t just about energy bills. Today’s buyers and tenants are asking sharper questions:
Is there an EPC?
What’s the heating system?
Can I install a charger for my electric vehicle (EV)?
And they’re not just asking these questions once the deal is done. They want the answers upfront.
Yet this revolution comes with a few growing pains.
For builders and developers, it means getting to grips with newer, sometimes costlier materials, and learning to install systems they might not have worked with before.
That’s before we even get to the skills shortage in areas like heat pump installation or solar array design.
Retrofit projects are even trickier. The tech might be available, yet is the property actually ready for it?
That’s especially true when it comes to EV charging.
As electric vehicles become the norm, the pressure is on to ensure new homes are EV-ready. It sounds simple - yet in practice, it’s anything but.
In some areas, the local power grid can’t support the extra load. In others, space constraints make charger installation a real challenge.
Flats and leaseholds often face hurdles of their own, with unclear permissions or uncooperative freeholders. Without proper infrastructure, the ambition of universal EV access starts to wobble.
Builders are being told to plan ahead, yet not every site makes that easy.
For conveyancers and estate agents, this shift means navigating a new kind of due diligence.
It’s no longer enough to list the number of bedrooms and the square footage. Buyers want data.
That means understanding what tech is in place, how it performs, and whether it meets modern expectations.
We’re also starting to see tension between aspiration and affordability.
A new-build fitted with the latest green tech is attractive - yet often sits at a price point that’s out of reach for many buyers.
Meanwhile, older homes are being reassessed for what they don’t offer.
Some buyers are walking away from otherwise solid properties because the heating is outdated or the insulation substandard.
Others are asking for discounts to fund upgrades they’ll need to make themselves.
So where does this leave the market?
Landlords are facing tightening energy regulations. Builders are contending with increased specification demands.
Buyers want future-ready homes. And everyone is grappling with the cost.
The smarter our homes get, the smarter we all need to be in how we plan, build, list and advise.
Those who adapt quickly - from developers and designers to the agents on the front lines - are likely to gain trust, and keep it.
It would be interesting to know: are buyers really ready for this tech revolution? Or are we expecting too much, too soon?
On Tuesday 27th May at 1pm, join us live for Property Matters where host Gareth Wax and I will be talking through these challenges, opportunities, and what they mean for the market right now.
Never miss an episode of Spilling the Proper-Tea again, subscribe to our YouTube Channel to catch or watch live:
https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
Whether it’s solar panels quietly harvesting energy from the roof, or a heat pump humming away in the garden, the technology inside and around our homes is changing fast.
Buyers increasingly expect properties to come equipped with features that weren’t even on the radar a few years ago. And landlords are under pressure to keep up, or risk falling behind both regulation and demand.
The “green premium” isn’t just about energy bills. Today’s buyers and tenants are asking sharper questions:
Is there an EPC?
What’s the heating system?
Can I install a charger for my electric vehicle (EV)?
And they’re not just asking these questions once the deal is done. They want the answers upfront.
Yet this revolution comes with a few growing pains.
For builders and developers, it means getting to grips with newer, sometimes costlier materials, and learning to install systems they might not have worked with before.
That’s before we even get to the skills shortage in areas like heat pump installation or solar array design.
Retrofit projects are even trickier. The tech might be available, yet is the property actually ready for it?
That’s especially true when it comes to EV charging.
As electric vehicles become the norm, the pressure is on to ensure new homes are EV-ready. It sounds simple - yet in practice, it’s anything but.
In some areas, the local power grid can’t support the extra load. In others, space constraints make charger installation a real challenge.
Flats and leaseholds often face hurdles of their own, with unclear permissions or uncooperative freeholders. Without proper infrastructure, the ambition of universal EV access starts to wobble.
Builders are being told to plan ahead, yet not every site makes that easy.
For conveyancers and estate agents, this shift means navigating a new kind of due diligence.
It’s no longer enough to list the number of bedrooms and the square footage. Buyers want data.
That means understanding what tech is in place, how it performs, and whether it meets modern expectations.
We’re also starting to see tension between aspiration and affordability.
A new-build fitted with the latest green tech is attractive - yet often sits at a price point that’s out of reach for many buyers.
Meanwhile, older homes are being reassessed for what they don’t offer.
Some buyers are walking away from otherwise solid properties because the heating is outdated or the insulation substandard.
Others are asking for discounts to fund upgrades they’ll need to make themselves.
So where does this leave the market?
Landlords are facing tightening energy regulations. Builders are contending with increased specification demands.
Buyers want future-ready homes. And everyone is grappling with the cost.
The smarter our homes get, the smarter we all need to be in how we plan, build, list and advise.
Those who adapt quickly - from developers and designers to the agents on the front lines - are likely to gain trust, and keep it.
It would be interesting to know: are buyers really ready for this tech revolution? Or are we expecting too much, too soon?
On Tuesday 27th May at 1pm, join us live for Property Matters where host Gareth Wax and I will be talking through these challenges, opportunities, and what they mean for the market right now.
Never miss an episode of Spilling the Proper-Tea again, subscribe to our YouTube Channel to catch or watch live:
https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
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