Category: Comment | netMAGmedia Ltd

Is underfloor heating right for you and your property?

Monday, 22nd July 2019

When it comes to keeping your home warm and comfortable in the colder months there are more options than ever these days. Some homeowners choose their heating solutions based on wanting a certain look and feel, for instance, wanting a... View Article

Delay disruptive VAT changes to avoid construction chaos, warns FMB

Tuesday, 16th July 2019

The Government has not properly prepared the construction industry for major VAT changes coming in October and needs to delay their implementation to avoid chaos, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said in a letter to the Financial Secretary to the... View Article

Global modular building market upturn is good news for the UK

Friday, 12th July 2019

Beneath the flight path to Heathrow airport, there is row upon row of prefabricated homes. Built during the post-war boom, prefabricated homes were cheap and easy to construct at a time when many urban centres in the UK were still... View Article

LABC condemns MHCLG for its ‘sleight of hand’ consultation on Building Safety System Reform

Tuesday, 9th July 2019

LABC is deeply concerned after hearing from a senior official at MHCLG that the ministry intends to allow Approved Inspectors a continued role in the regulation of in scope buildings. In the current consultation Dame Judith Hackitt’s Joint Competent Authority... View Article

21st century features for 21st century homes

Monday, 8th July 2019

Building and developing homes and houses is one of our greatest skills and traditions. Providing homes for families and professionals can be very rewarding, not just financially, as it also offers a personal reward that comes from building someone a... View Article

MHCLG housebuilding: ‘Structural problems of UK housing industry are painfully obvious’ as new home starts fall 9%

Monday, 8th July 2019

The MHCLG’s house building stats for the March quarter revealed that new build starts are 9% down year on year. Joseph Daniels, founder of modular developer Project Etopia, commented on the stats: “Housebuilding has swung into reverse yet again, and it... View Article

Fall in starts and completions of new homes threaten housebuilding target

Monday, 8th July 2019

New official figures show a decrease in the number of new build homes being started or completed in England over the latest quarter (to March 2019) and only a small rise over the last 12 months. According to the Ministry of... View Article

Theresa May and James Brokenshire speech – reaction from Aster

Tuesday, 2nd July 2019

Following Theresa May and James Brokenshire’s speech at Housing 2019, Bjorn Howard, group CEO of housing association Aster Group, said: “It’s heartening to see that, amid a leadership contest and the ongoing Brexit saga, the Prime Minister is doing what... View Article

Nationwide June HPI – “Market has a slow puncture” – Jonathan Samuels, Octane Capital

Tuesday, 2nd July 2019

Commenting on the Nationwide June HPI, Jonathan Samuels, CEO of property lender Octane Capital, said: “The property market is usually buoyant in June but political events have taken the pressure out of it like a slow puncture. “If it weren’t... View Article

How to choose the right scaffolding for your building project

Monday, 1st July 2019

Scaffolding is used within construction, in order to support workers who are repairing, maintaining or erecting a new building. There are many different materials and types of scaffolding available, each with their own characteristics and suitability for a particular job... View Article

Tiny homes will be part of Theresa May’s legacy, says NFB

Thursday, 27th June 2019

The prime minister must take responsibility for the “tiny homes” that she facilitated by ignoring industry and campaigner advice for better housing standards and more appropriate policy. Changes to policy are welcomed but, unfortunately, it is too little too late... View Article

Avoiding the costs of manual handling & risks with a lift

Tuesday, 25th June 2019

Did you know? Every year more than a third of all work-related illnesses reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or local authorities are due to manual handling – the transporting or supporting of loads by hand or bodily... View Article

Seven equipment maintenance tips for construction companies

Friday, 21st June 2019

Maintaining and purchasing equipment represents a significant ongoing expense for the majority of construction companies, which rely on specialised tools and processes. However, whether you’re a small contractor or the manager of a large construction firm, there are usually ways... View Article

Uncertainty and lack of supply continue to hamstring the Scottish residential property market

Tuesday, 18th June 2019

By Eric Curran It’s the waiting that’s the worst, as they used to say in the trenches. In the case of Scotland’s residential property market, it’s the interminable wait for some semblance of normality to return and for the uncertainty... View Article

What to consider when planning a house extension

Monday, 17th June 2019

With UK house prices continuing to rise, many homeowners have decided to opt for extending parts of their existing property over buying a new one, making house extension one of the most popular home improvement trends in recent years. Extensions... View Article

MHCLG land use data: “Use of Green Belt halves in a year, but dip in brownfield land use disappointing”

Monday, 3rd June 2019

Following the land use change statistics released this morning that show a decline of house building on both green belt and previously developed land, Joseph Daniels, founder of modular developer Project Etopia, commented: “A halving of the proportion of new... View Article

Lawyer warns construction industry should brace itself for large fines, as CMA investigation into anti-competitive practices gathers pace

Tuesday, 28th May 2019

A leading construction solicitor has warned that the construction sector should brace itself for the results of an ongoing investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). In March 2019 the CMA announced that it was investigating suspected anti-competitive behaviour in... View Article

The Government must adopt a more flexible approach on immigration after Brexit

Thursday, 23rd May 2019

The Home Secretary, Sajid Javid has asked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to scrap plans to impose a £30,000 salary threshold on EU citizens coming into the UK after Brexit. Javid has instead asked the MAC to consider allowing companies... View Article

What impact might Brexit have on the construction industry?

Thursday, 16th May 2019

Jerald Solis, Business Development and Acquisitions Director, Experience Invest The revised Brexit deadline – now set for 31 October 2019 – may have given the UK government some extra breathing space, however it remains to be seen just how Westminster... View Article

Response to Government announcement of a £200m fund to replace unsafe Grenfell Tower-style cladding on private high-rise residential buildings

Monday, 13th May 2019

Lesley McLeod, CEO, The Association for Project Safety commented on the Government’s announcement of a £200m fund to replace unsafe Grenfell Tower-style cladding on private high-rise residential buildings: “Safety needs to be built in so, while the government’s commitment to... View Article