Wood burner stoves certainly stole the heart of the nation’s homeowners
in 2012, but it seems that renters now also want to jump on the
bandwagon.
According to experts, the key to attracting prospective tenants is to
install one of these efficient appliances, as more and more people go in
search of the comforting, country feeling brought about by a cosy log
fire.
Scotland-based CKD Galbraith has noticed a trend for tenants to seek out
homes to let that come equipped with wood burning stoves, indicating
that if you want to rent out your property in the future, the most sought after properties now feature a
woodburning stove.
Across Scotland, CKD Galbraith has witnessed higher levels of enquiries
where a property has a wood burner stove or some other form of
multi-fuel system.
This is partly driven by current interior trends, but for many tenants,
it seems the lure of lower utility bills is sending them in search of
stoves.
Modern clean burning stoves come with an efficiency rating of
approximately 80-85 per cent, as long as it is looked after properly.
This is in sharp contrast to the average open fire, which has a typical
maximum efficiency rating of 25 per cent.
Recent technological developments also mean that stoves no longer just
have to be a secondary heat source and can in fact act as the primary
way to heat a house.
Wood burning stoves can be located almost anywhere in the home where
there is enough space and connections to a heating circuit. Teamed with a
boiler, the appliances can be used to run a property’s entire central
heating system and hot water supply.
What’s more, modern stove water heating installations enable systems to
store energy for later use when the stove isn’t operating. This makes
them the ideal multipurpose heating solution for landlords and tenants
looking to combine efficiency and ease of use with style.
CKD Galbraith claims that anyone who wants to let their property quickly
and for the maximum achievable rent, investing in a wood burner stove
is increasingly appealing.
Shirley Kenyon, lettings manager at CKD Galbraith, said: “
Wood burning stoves are in demand by tenants. We have witnessed an increase in
tenants asking for properties in rural areas with wood burners as they
believe these offer energy efficient heating systems beyond standard
central heating.
“Tenants always look for value for money and are very savvy when it
comes to the costs involved in running a home and the potential savings
they can make. They see the effective use of wood burning stoves and
open fires as a popular way of cutting heating costs and creating a warm
and cosy home.”
Therefore, Ms Kenyon recommends installing log burners for any landlord
with a rural or historical property. Reinstating open fires also makes
homes more attractive to tenants.
With many people unable to get on the property ladder, the rental market
is becoming more and more competitive and it is these solutions that
will enable certain homes to distinguish themselves from the rest.
Ms Kenyon’s tips follow the assertion by Dawn Carritt, historic home
expert and director of Jackson-Stops & Staff, that fires are making a
comeback in the nation’s homes. The expert told the Daily Telegraph
that more and more people want statement-making fires and fireplaces, to
capture the glamour and essence of years gone by.
“The fireplace is the fingerprint of the house,” she said. “It tells you
so much about the people who lived there in the past and about their
status. In Tudor times, fireplaces in larger homes became flamboyant and
elaborately carved. Quite often, too, the wealth of the owner would be
demonstrated by the number of chimneys.”
A
wood burning stove and an attractive fireplace can also help to add
value to a letting property when the time comes to sell it. According
to Ms Carritt, a fireplace alone can add “anything from £5,000 to
£10,000” to the value of a property, as long as it complements the home.
“By the same token, though, an ugly fireplace can reduce the price,”
she concluded.
