Luxury Living for Students

The type of student accommodation that is currently being developed in the UK is unlike anything you would imagine. From photobooths to high-end interior design schemes to private cinemas, the student accommodation of 2018 would fit right into a glossy magazine.

Student experience is one of the top buzzwords in the higher education sector and university accommodation plays a large role in this. To boost the student experience, high levels of investment have been going into private student properties, which offer ideal environments for students looking for an easy and comfortable base for their studies.

Some of the features found in UK student accommodation are truly opulent. One student development boasts a room for dinner parties, a games room, chandeliers, study rooms, a fitness suite, a private cinema and a 24/7 concierge service. Other facilities found in premium student developments include a photobooth, sauna, roof terrace, music rooms, BBQ areas, libraries, free coffee and games consoles. Studio apartments are exquisite examples of interior design, with high-end furniture, brand new amenities and stylish décor. Inspirational talks, Zumba classes and organised events are there if students wish to meet their fellow apartment dwellers.

Certain features which would have been considered as premium a couple of years ago, like fast broadband, an en-suite shower room and electronic security systems are now standard in most purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) developments. Often parents foot the heavy bills for student accommodation, and they are much happier with the thought of their child in modern, clean and secure PBSA compared to a questionable old house share. Property investment companies like RW Invest are seeing an increasing demand for this kind of luxury student accommodation, and it is providing lucrative investment opportunities across the UK.

The UK also attracts many students from overseas, and its international reputation for higher education is bolstered by Oxford and Cambridge currently sitting at number one and two in the world rankings. Many wealthy families see a British education as a great investment in their child’s future and would much rather they live in premium accommodation.

Weekly rents in these kind of premier student properties can reach upwards of £650 a week, yet demand remains high for luxurious living. There is currently a shortage of student accommodation in the UK, with an average of three students for every one designated student bed space. UK student numbers remain high, despite an increase in tuition fees and Brexit concerns. The number of Purpose Built Student Accommodation blocks in the UK has risen from 46,000 in 2007 to 102,000 in 2015. Investment has also increased, with student property accounting for more than £5 billion in 2017.

Modern high-rise buildings house luxurious studio apartments that wouldn’t look out of place in a designer hotel. In fact, many student accommodation providers are marketing their developments similarly to hotels and hiring staff from the hospitality industry. Student developments are competing with each other to become the most ‘instagrammable’, commissioning famous interior designers and using quirky concepts to entice the next year of students. It’s far easier for universities to advertise private luxury accommodation than building their own high-end halls and students are staying in PBSA for their whole university career rather than just first year. Student property is no longer reminiscent of the young ones, its high-end apartments, top of the line facilities and extravagant amenities make student living a truly luxurious experience.