14 industry news
Families living in new homes slash fuel bills by half
A
new home built to the latest building regulations can cost half as much to heat as a Victorian house of
the same size, according to a new report by the NHBC Foundation. The advantages of new homes is based on
a survey of 2,000 people who had recently moved into a new home and were asked what they considered the advantages of new homes to be. Many pointed to the energy efficiency benefits of new homes, the better standards of insulation enhanced draught- proofing and improved airtightness that help to lower household annual energy bills, and improve levels of comfort. The report shows that energy bills are
expected to be around £440 lower in a modern one-bedroom ground floor flat, compared to its Victorian equivalent. And for a new build four-bedroom detached house, bills are estimated at £1,050 — saving £1,400 compared to those of a 19th century house. Homeowners of newer properties were
also drawn to the idea of buying a ‘blank- canvas’ ready to be personalised, free from
the nasty surprises of previous owners’ DIY. They also commented positively on the contemporary, flexible layouts and modern facilities of new homes such as new kitchens, bathrooms and appliances, covered by manufacturers’ warranties. Neil Smith, head of research and innova-
tion at NHBC, welcomed the findings: “It is pleasing that homeowners are able to iden- tify the many benefits of new homes, ranging from the obvious advantages of a ‘blank can- vas’ with everything being new, through to the much-improved energy efficiency stan- dards, which lead to greatly reduced fuel bills, compared with those of older homes.” He continued: “Maybe less obvious
benefits are the more solid foundations on which new homes are built, which are designed to suit local ground conditions, as well as the safety advantages of modern wiring and mains-powered smoke alarms, interlinked throughout the home. Smith concluded: “This report is a useful
reminder of the benefits of buying a new home, designed and built in accordance with up-to-date standards.”
Taylor Wimpey “remaining positive”
T
aylor Wimpey has issued its annual trading statement, revealing sustained UK sales year on year supported by a healthy mort-
gage market, tempered by uncertainty regarding cost pressures and the labour market. The housebuilder confirmed that sales rates for
the year to date have “remained strong” at 0.75 sales per outlet per week compared with the 2015 equiv- alent period, which recorded 0.76. For the second half of the year to date, sales rates are 0.70 (margin- ally down on the 2015 equivalent period: 0.74). The firm said the UK housing market “remained
positive in the second half of 2016.” Pete Redfern, chief executive, commented: “Trading during the second half of 2016 and into the autumn selling sea- son has been strong, with good levels of customer confidence and demand underpinned by a wide range of mortgage products. While there remains some uncertainty following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, we are encouraged to see that the housing market has remained robust and trading has remained resilient.” The statement also said that the central London
market has slowed during 2016. “In Zones 1 and 2, prices have softened slightly at the upper end during the second half of the year, however there remain high levels of demand.” In addition, Taylor Wimpey reaffirmed expecta-
tions that build costs will have increase by 3-4 per cent during 2016 “with the majority of cost pres- sures coming from labour where skilled resource availability has improved but not at the same pace as the increase in new home supply.” The statement confirmed the housebuilder was
23 per cent forward sold for expected 2017 private completions and the current total order book was up on the same period last year at 8,981 homes.
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