While business leaders across the UK are putting off major decisions as they sail the ‘We’ll See’ of Brexit, Britain’s growing army of self-builders and home renovators are remaining completely unfazed by the biggest political story in decades, preferring to adopt a ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ mindset.
As a result, industry sectors including doors and windows; drainage; roofing and cladding; security; lighting; plumbing and heating; kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms; planning permission; renewable technologies; energy efficiency, and home insurance can expect to reap the benefits of this buoyant and burgeoning market.
According to a recent survey of around 2,400 homeowners, carried out by the market-leading Homebuilding & Renovating Shows, 86 per cent said they are continuing with their project.
78 per cent of respondents said that there would be no change in their level of project spend. Additionally, there was no indication that homeowners had changed their minds on product choice or scale of project.
The majority of survey respondents from the recent London Homebuilding & Renovating Show at ExCeL stated that they remained determined to continue with their projects including self-build/custom build, first time conversions, single and two-storey extensions, remodelling rooms and layouts, and creating new kitchens.
“Self-builders and home renovators are stoic by their nature, spending £10,000s and even £100,000s creating their dream homes, often for the first time,” says Jason Orme, property expert for The Homebuilding & Renovating Show.
“The economic and socio-political outlook is impossible to control or predict, but life for those looking to take control of their living spaces carries on regardless. We will always need to build and renovate our homes, as existing stock deteriorates and our needs change. People are not going to pass on that once-in-a-lifetime dream building plot because of a political issue the outcome of which they cannot predict. They have jobs, and they earn money, and house prices remain stable in almost all areas – that’s what affects building activity for individual homeowners looking to commit to a life-changing project. The Homebuilding & Renovating Shows remain the events where these serious, committed and engaged consumers research and engage with those trades that can help them achieve their goals.”
When it comes to confidence in house prices, almost three quarters of respondents expect values to stay the same or increase, with one in 20 of the respondents claiming that Brexit has inspired them to spend more on their upcoming project.
CLAIM NOW your free tickets to attend the next Homebuilding & Renovating Show taking place in Harrogate from 2-4 November: homebuildingshow.co.uk/constructionmag. To book a stand at the event please contact Nick Noble on [email protected].
