THE Cornish rental market is undergoing a fundamental transformation, says Rachel Butchers, Marketing Director of bunnyhomes Ltd — and property owners of all sizes can reap the benefit.
The old days of non-paying tenants and absentee landlords are numbered, according to the founder of rental property developer bunnyhomes.
Rachel said: “Traditional values, but not the traditional way of doing things are probably the best way of describing our approach.
“We started bunnyhomes in 2013 and built it to a portfolio of over 100 properties with customers across the South West by really focussing on taking our customers’ needs seriously.’
Bunnyhomes are tackling head-on the multiple problems tenants face in the current market. They’ve dedicated three years, and considerable investment, developing the world’s first all-in-one online rental dashboard.
The idea is to offer everything you need in one place. You fill in your forms once and sort all your bills, agreements and correspondence in a few clicks. And if you want to transfer to another bunnyhome, there’s no charge under the Mybunnybenefits ‘freemove’ guarantee.
Bunnyhomes’ ethos is to actively encourage a sense of belonging, of buying into the community.
Tracey explains: “We want people to really feel at home in our properties. Because we want them to stay with us for a long time.”
If it’s all about tenants, what’s in it for property owners?
“It’s because we look after our people so well that we have huge loyalty, which means very low voids, and very high quality tenants. Happy people pay promptly and treat their homes with respect. We pass these benefits directly on to property owners.
“We’re so confident of our service, we’re currently offering to manage any property out there for a £90 flat fee per month. And when we say manage, we mean it. You don’t have to do a thing except pick up the cheque.”
A great recent example of bunnyhomes’ approach is their recent opening of Seasalt Apartments. A dilapidated 60s icon, rapidly becoming an eyesore in the heart of Plymouth’s thriving Barbican community, bunnyhomes bought it, took on its challenges and turned it round in seven months.
By launch, it was 70% pre-let. The refurbishment has delighted residents. Brian and Sheila Hearn, a just-retired couple looking for a new low-maintenance life explained the appeal: “We’re frequent visitors to the Hoe, so on the off chance, we came over for a visit. We were greeted by Stephen, (the Operations Director) a very enthusiastic person with an infectious smile. We were immediately impressed by the quality and decoration and the personality of the people in charge. It’s turned out to be way beyond anything we could have wished for.”
All types of property are wanted. The only criteria bunnyhomes have is: ‘Would you want to live in it?’ Their portfolio ranges from small family homes to large, low-density apartment blocks. The company is also actively seeking large-scale multi-occupancy properties in need of redevelopment.
So why Launceston? Rachel explains: “Funnily enough, It’s partly because it still has good old traditional newspapers like the Post. We’ve found they’re a sure sign of an area with a strong sense of community, where people care about what’s going on. Launceston’s in rural Cornwall’s heart but also has excellent access via the A30, making it very popular with young professionals and early retirers — two of our biggest markets.”
Rent your property out for a flat fee £90 per month. bunnyhomes will manage everything. Think you have something suitable? Call 01579 326782.