1. Get recommendations from people you know. If someone you know has had a good experience with a particular designer, they will likely be able to give you a recommendation.

2. Do your research. Once you have some names of potential designers, take the time to look up their work online or in magazines/books. This will give you a better sense of their style and whether or not it aligns with what you are looking for.

3. Meet with them in person. Once you have narrowed down your choices, set up meetings with each of the designers on your list. This will give you an opportunity to get to know them better and see if they are someone who you would be comfortable working with closely over the course of several months.

It’s impossible to ignore the plight of generation rent. The issue has become so big, with so many affected, that it’s almost a daily occurrence to confront the latest grim facts and figures. Those in their 30s and younger have found the housing market riddled with pitfalls and dead ends, and no one really seems to know what to do about it.

With the prospect of home ownership a seemingly unattainable dream for many, let’s take a look at the latest information and see what the real story is.

The Figures

We all know that house prices have been spiralling upwards for a long time. Whilst this is great for anyone who has already secured their home, it is an obvious barrier to younger first-time buyers.

The Resolution Foundation – which collates and reports on living standards in the UK – recently released a report that outlines some of the biggest issues and challenges for generation rent. 

If current trends persist, the report found that a third of generation rent will still be renting when they reach retirement age. And, by that point, it is same to assume the prospect of home ownership will be firmly off the cards. 40 percent of 30-year olds are currently renting privately, which is four times the rate for Generation X. At the same time, housing benefit covers only 55 percent of housing costs and 1.8 million families with children are living in private rented accommodation, up from 600,000 in the early 200’s.

All of this paints a very grey picture for the future housing prospects of generation rent.

The Causes

Unluckily for generation rent, several factors have come together to keep them from getting a foot on the property ladder.

In line with rising house prices, the amount of money required for a deposit has also risen. With wages only now beginning to rise slightly, this issue alone has left many younger people without an insurmountable obstacle to climb. At the same time, social housing has been sold off in vast swathes by cash-strapped councils looking to make ends meet. Gone are the days of cheaper, affordable social housing for many.

Whilst the government has attempted to remedy this via ‘Help to Buy’ schemes, this has only pushed demand and prices higher for first time buyers, whilst also creating more shortages. All in all, it’s a confluence of factors that is only making things worse for generation rent. 

The housing shortage in the UK has reached a new high recently, with the population continuing to grow by half a million people each year and the amount of homes being built by developers failing to keep up with the demand.

There is a suggestion though, that this lack in affordable living opportunities isn’t down to slow building or the number of houses, but is instead a result of the mindset of British people who aspire to live in houses instead of apartments. It’s true, in the UK only 14% of people live in apartments. In stark contrast to this, 66% of people in Spain choose to purchase apartments.

Why is this, and what can be done to encourage the people of Britain to choose apartment living over their dream of owning a large house?

The reasons for resistance

When you think of apartments in Spain, France, or any European country besides Britain for that matter, the connotations are always fairly positive. You picture large balconies in sun-soaked cities with plenty of communal areas that encourage children to play together and promote a strong sense of community.

Unfortunately, similar things can’t be said for Britain, where flats are often associated with areas stricken with poverty and crime.

There is also the issue of public safety. The Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, which saw 23 residents of the tower block die, has highlighted social injustices and raised concerns about how safe high-rise tower blocks actually are.

For millennials just starting families who may have spent their time at university living in flats with friends, purchasing a house is the next logical step and choosing to stay in a block of flats may not feel like the progress they desire.

The merits of apartment living

• It’s a more sustainable, high-density living solution- something that is important in the UK. The country has the same population as France but less than half its land. Typical housing isn’t a sustainable choice long-term.
• Apartments have much lower maintenance costs, meaning that individuals that choose to live in apartments could pay off their mortgages quicker. This would help to tackle the UK household debt, which is currently one of the highest in the world. 

While in theory, this idea sounds plausible, attractive, and sure to benefit the economy, if it is to work well the right steps need to be taken. The UK must rely on its resources that include capital and technology, to make this living environment seem more attractive to young people and families ready to buy. 

The affordable housing crisis is one that is affecting millennials and those with aspirations of progressing up the property ladder alike. At present, the average one bed new build home in London will set buyers back a whopping £679,681.

This harsh reality is made even harder to swallow thanks to the fact that in most cases, a 10% deposit of the asking price is needed to secure a property.

Given these less than desirable truths, could factory-made homes help to solve the problem? Architect Richard Hywel Evans certainly seems to think so.

The nHouse

This new type of property is certainly ground-breaking and shies always from the traditional new builds we see being built up and down the country. The homes are manufactured in parts on-site and are then delivered and assembled in a location that the buyer chooses themselves.

Benefits to choosing factory-built homes

• More lightand space– The nHouse is 25% more spacious than the average new build property in the UK. Larger windows also make for light, airy spaces that buyers will love.
• Lower running costs – Thanks to a number of green features, these home will significantly reduce running costs and bills for those that choose them. Specific features include the use of carbon capturing timber and solar panels.
• Faster development – The shortage of homes in the UK means that building needs to happen fairly rapidly if it is going to keep up with increasing demand. The architects designing and building these homes make use of production line methodology, meaning that they are able to supply the homes to buyers in around half the time of average builders.
• A much lower price point – With all of these exceptional features, you’d think that purchasing one of these factory built homes would set you back a hefty amount of money. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Individual buyers will be able to a three bedroom house from £180,000. 

While the merits of choosing to invest in these factory-built properties are significant, there are a number of issues that could mean that they struggle to get off the ground, one being urbanization.

Statistics have revealed that the number of people living in cities could increase to 66% of the entire world’s population by 2050. This would mean a need to move out of cities and into rural areas and is also likely to result in more flats being built in the UK.