Barratt aiming to bee better

Responding to the fact that bees are threatened in many parts of the UK, Barratt Homes, working with the British Beekeepers' Association, says it will plant bee-friendly shrubs in the gardens of its sales centres and show homes across Lincolnshire

Henry Boot expects election boost

Henry Boot says the outright win for the Conservatives at the election will see a return to normal activity after a slowdown as the election approached. The construction and property firm’s chairman John Brown told shareholders at the annual general meeting that trading had been encouraging in 2015 and that the pace of transactions is expected to pick up now uncertainty over the government had been resolved.

The end of rogue tradesmen

A new government approved scheme has been made available to home owners which could see an end to cowboy builders and rogue tradesmen. Under The Home Improvements Guarantee a builder is unable to lay hands on any money until the customer is completely happy. Instead of upfront fees, the customer will put enough money to cover the work in a secure "holding" account. Once the work is complete, the homeowner must sign off payment to the builder. In case of a dispute an independent surveyor will give a final verdict on whether the contract has been fulfilled satisfactorily.

Avocado bathroom suites the biggest turn-off

According to a new poll, avocado coloured bathroom suites are the feature most likely to put people off buying a home. The Barclays Mortgages poll, also found that woodchip wallpaper and stone cladding, were big turn-offs. The poll also found that two out of five feel a designer kitchen is the most desirable home improvement.

Knotweed problem

The Mail on Sunday notes that many lenders will baulk at providing loans for houses that have gardens infested with Japanese knotweed. Barclays, for example, demands buyers call in an expert who is a member of the Property Care Association - and who offers a ten-year insurance-backed guarantee against its return if the plant has been discovered within seven metres of the home. Leeds Building Society goes further; it will not lend money when knotweed is present in the garden and a valuer concludes it offers a significant risk either to the property or the chances of selling it in the future. Other lenders make decisions on a case by case basis but most have some associated restrictions and conditions.

Factory planning applications increase

Planned investments in land and property from manufacturing companies are continuing to grow, providing a clear sign of longer term optimism, according to Barbour ABI. Its latest report showed that planning applications for floor space for factory construction increased by 50% in 2014, and the figure is on track to increase by a further 40% growth in 2015. Total planned floorspace in the manufacturing sector was 2.2m sq metres in 2014, with a growth of 50% from the previous year.

Election uncertainty impacts construction activity

Britain’s construction industry experienced a sharp slowdown in activity last month, with output and new orders growing at their slowest rates since June 2013. The Markit CIPS UK Construction PMI dropped to 54.2 in April, down on March’s 57.8 and below analysts’ projected 57.4. The sector’s rate of hiring also slowed, falling below the long-term average witnessed through 2014. "A number of survey respondents suggested that uncertainty related to the forthcoming general election had contributed to delays in clients’ spending decisions,” said Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit. The survey’s data, however, painted a “brighter picture” than official data which showed that construction had declined 1.6% in the final quarter of 2014, noted Markit’s chief economist Chris Williamson, who added that many construction firms remain optimistic about the outlook for the year ahead, citing data from surveys by RICS and Markit/Savills. Think tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicts growth will rebound through the remainder of this year.

Election caution weighs on homes

Demand for homes has slumped to the lowest level in a year, say agents. The National Association of Estate Agents blamed uncertainty over next week's general election for the drop in would-be buyers. Just 343 house hunters registered with the average estate agency branch in March, down from 366 in February and a peak of 406 recorded last September. Nearly two thirds of estate agents reckon buyers are holding off to see what happens on May 7. Mark Hayward, NAEA managing director, said: "The outcome will impact first, second, third and last time buyers." Elsewhere, the Times’ Bricks and Mortar lays out what the outcome of the election could mean for your home. Savills’ Lucien Cook says the worst outcome would be if a long time is taken to form a coalition as it would lead to further uncertainty in the market.