Never one to do things by halves, student property company Purple Frog has welcomed students to Birmingham in the city’s typical hospitable style. The team put on a feast for new residents at its Selly Oak office to coincide with moving day on 1 July. Almost 500 tenants, landlords and members of the local community came together for the gathering.

As well as the free BBQ, which saw the staff serve up no less than 400 beef burgers, 400 hot dogs, 200 chicken bites, 100 halloumi kebabs, and 150 veggie burgers, free soft drinks were handed out to those waiting in the queue to collect their keys. When the tenants picked up their keys, they were also gifted with a complementary Purple Frog keytag, which allows them to redeem special discounts from local businesses such as cafés, pubs and clubs, over the course of the year.

Commenting on the successful event, managing director of Purple Frog Patrick Garratt said:

“We had 529 tenancies due to begin on the day, which is the most we’ve had since we started almost 10 years ago. Traditionally, 1 July is our busiest day and this one was no exception. There were queues down the block and it says a lot for my team that they coped with this brilliantly. Having been a Birmingham student myself, I know that move-in day can be incredibly stressful, especially if it’s your first time out of halls. That’s why we put loads of effort into making collecting your keys as fun as possible. It’s all part of our commitment to ensuring our tenants enjoy their stay with Purple Frog and are welcomed to Birmingham with open arms.”

Also on hand were the police, who imparted their top safety tips to the students. Police Community Support Officer Tony Owen from Selly Oak Police dropped by to give the tenants simple reminders, such as remembering to keep all windows and doors locked and making sure to keep phones hidden when walking home from a night out.

The welcome party was universally well-received by the tenants and their parents, as well as the local residents and landlords. Second-year maths student and first time Purple Frog resident, Chris Whitehurst, made sure to secure his place in the queue early. Speaking about his experience, he said:

“Renting with Purple Frog is easy as they’re local. It’s also relaxed as a company. A casual workplace makes it less daunting. Especially as we’re Uni students and renting a new place can get overwhelming. Plus there’s free food! All in all, I’m impressed.”

Purple Frog is based on Dawlish Road in Selly Oak. To find out more about Purple Frog, head to the website here: www.purplefrogproperty.com.