Monday 25 November 2013

Build it and they will come...

'Help to buy' is helping
people to buy the homes
they want
"Build it and they will come...". An inspiring phase which illustrates the importance of creating an environment where people can buy homes. This has been confirmed with the latest government figures for Q3. Private sector new home starts in England in the last quarter reached 28,850 - this is 29% up on last year. It just shows how simple policies like Help to Buy can make a real difference to the industry and economy. It must not end with this though, as the industry needs a full recovery to realise our fields of dreams for the future.

This is excellent news for housebuilders as well as manufacturers and distributors of building products.  One of the main reasons of the increase is down to the Help to Buy initiative, a view supported by major players in the house building industry.

HBF (Home Builders Federation) executive chairman Stewart Baseley said: "Help to Buy is increasing demand for new homes and the industry is responding. If people can buy, builders will build."

"Help to Buy has enabled us to build more homes on the sites we have already got open and gives us more confidence about investing in future sites," added Taylor Wimpey CEO Pete Redfern.

Persimmon CEO Jeff Fairburn said the firm was opening 85 new sites before the end of the year while Barratt boss Mark Clare said the company was rapidly increasing production. "We now have the confidence to target the construction of 45,000 new homes over the next three years and we are investing in land and bringing it through planning to meet increased demand."

He added that the firm is taking on 600 new apprentices. The confidence for companies to take on new staff is something that the whole industry is experiencing, as seen in the Reed Job Index which has shown a 73% increase in job opportunities in construction and property this year, and also reflected in our own experience at Pinnacle Consulting.

Steve Rogan, Managing Director of Pinnacle Consulting, commented: "At Pinnacle we have seen a significant increase in our clients - throughout all sectors - taking on additional sales and marketing staff. The most encouraging aspect of this is it is 'additional' staff, rather than replacement staff. A sure sign of confidence and growth. Much of our feedback is that the Help to Buy scheme has made a real difference"

If you are a building products manufacturer or distributor looking to enhance your team, please contact our experienced team of building and construction industry recruitment specialists to discuss your requirements. 

Using Pinnacle as your recruitment partner also benefits building and construction industry charities. Ask about our 'Helping others each time you recruit' initiative. Call us on 01480 405225.



Photo credit "Walkway To Home" by phanlop88 via http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

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