By Katie O’Shea, National Contracts Manger, Beko UK & Ireland
With bold government housebuilding targets and Your First Home aimed at helping more first-time buyers into homeownership, there is a renewed push to help people onto the property ladder.
Buying that first home is one of the biggest financial decisions people make, so what gives buyers confidence in their choice? What reassures them that they are spending their savings wisely? And who can they turn to for help once they have the keys?
Settling into a new home brings unfamiliar controls and routines, so technology that takes some work off buyers’ hands has an obvious appeal. According to Beko’s upcoming Housebuilder Index, which surveyed more than 500 recent and prospective new-build buyers, almost half of buyers say automated energy management would save them time in everyday life, while a similar proportion say smart appliances need to be simple to use before they feel confident using them.
As homes incorporate more connected technology, buyers want it to deliver practical benefits. For housebuilders, that creates an opportunity to focus on specification that saves time, reduces effort and makes everyday living easier.
Technologies such as HomeWhiz are one example of how manufacturers are responding to these expectations helping homeowners monitor energy and water usage, receive notifications about potential issues before they become faults and access software updates, helping them get more from their appliances over time. For specification teams, it is worth asking suppliers how connected features can save homeowners effort, what guidance is built in and how the appliance will be supported as its software develops.
Knowing help is available can reassure buyers about the home they have chosen, with almost two in five saying good aftercare and support gives them confidence in new-build quality. Familiar names matter too, with more than a third saying the same of appliances and fittings from brands they know and trust. For specification teams, this gives service provision and brand familiarity a place alongside performance, efficiency and price when choosing products and partners.
At Beko, that commitment to aftercare is supported by a network of more than 1,100 engineers covering 99% of the UK, helping provide homeowners with access to support if it’s needed. Agreeing how advice and repair requests will be handled during procurement helps customer care teams give buyers a clear route to assistance.
For buyers settling into their first home, useful technology and strong aftercare can make unfamiliar routines easier to manage, supporting confidence in the choice they have made.