6 INDUSTRY NEWS
Three- quarters of buyers would consider a ‘green’ home
New research has shown that more than three quarters (77%) of home buyers are likely to choose a green home for their next purchase, and 70% of people looking to get on – or move up – the housing lad- der are also willing to pay more for better energy effi ciency. The ‘Green Homes Report: What Buyers
Want’, commissioned by law fi rm Shakespeare Martineau, included a survey of more than 00 fi rst time buyers and those on the property ladder looking to move into their next home this year. Top reasons for wanting a green home included it being “better for the environment” (39%), that it would “save me money in the long run” (27%) and also that “I want to reduce my energy bills .
More than a third (34%) of homebuyers also wanted to reduce their carbon footprint and get ahead of the curve, stating: “I think eventually all homes will need to be green, so I will preempt this. Despite a signifi cant uptake, more than one in three (35%) respondents who were likely to purchase a green home said they wanted to understand more about how it would benefi t them in the future, indicating a “gap in knowledge and understanding.
When it comes to availability, just 14% of respondents in the Midlands said there were green homes available in their desired location, compared to 25% and 2 in the north and south, respectively. The results also showed that age was an in uencing factor in demands and expectations of green homes. The age group most likely to consider a green home was 35 to 44-year-olds at 84%, for example, followed by 25 to -year-olds . ore than three quarters (76%) of 18 to 24-year olds would opt for a green home, in contrast just 6 of respondents aged and over. First time buyers were also more likely to consider a green home (80%), compared to of second-time buyers. urrently the average age of a fi rst time buyer is .
Neil Gosling, head of residential devel- opment at Shakespeare Martineau, com- mented: “Our results show that not all is lost when it comes to getting more people
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on board with green homes. I believe those on the fence can be convinced with the right information and education.
OUTPUT RISING
Ups and downs in activity recorded for February
According to Glenigan, a gradual increase in construction activity during the last three months suggests a sector “on the brink of resurgence. he latest fi gures showed overall construction output during the three months to January increased 3% against the preceding three months, up 6. higher than a year ago. Glenigan said that repair and main- tenance (R&M) output increased, rising 1. during the same timeframe and up . on the previous year. rowth in this area was predominantly driven by a 2. rise in non-housing , and a 1.1 increase in public housing work. ew work output also increased .0 against the previous quarter, and . compared to the previous year. A rise in industrial work has been a main driver, growing by 11.2 and 0.. Private housing and infrastructure also strengthened. Infrastructure output grew .2 against the last three months and 0 compared to a year ago. rivate housing output increased . and 11. in the same periods. Finally, commercial output rose .2 against the preceding three months but fell . compared with the previous year.
The value of underlying and major pro- ject starts experienced “sharp declines” in the three months to February (-17%), over a quarter lower on 2021 (-26%), but a “rallying development pipeline should give the sector reasons for cau- tious optimism, according to Glenigan’s arch 2022 onstruction eview. Covering all projects with a total value of £100m or less, the report revealed that the value of detailed planning approvals rose by 11% to average £8,991m against the previous three months. ajor project approvals “performed strongly” against the same period (+26%); and underly- ing approvals witnessed growth of 10%, standing 2 higher than a year ago. Despite a “modest” industry-wide dip in main contract awards (-5%), those for “major projects” were up, increasing by 6 during the three months to ebruary. Partially offsetting what Glenigan said was an “abnormally weak start to the year” in terms of construction perfor- mance, this boost in planning approval and contract awards sits in line with Glenigan’s most recent forecast, indicating “potential market revival in the second half of 2022.
MIXED SECTOR PERFORMANCE Glenigan said that many construction sectors were still heavily affected by materials and skills shortages, caused by ongoing supply chain issues and geopolitical disturbances. Overall, housing was one of the worst performers in the three months to February, with project starts 21% lower than the preceding three months (Oct-Nov 2021), plummeting 46% compared to the same period in 2021.
Private housing starts fell once again (-23%), contributing further to the ongoing downward trajectory which has characterised this sector over the last few months. ocial housing project starts fared little better, falling 16% during the three months to ebruary.
REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
The North East managed to buck the declining trend, experiencing 6% growth on both the preceding three months to February and on the same period in 2021. his was, in part, attributable to a number of large projects coming online, said lenigan.
Scotland and London also saw growth on the last three months, at +13% and +9% respectively but were still down -6 and -26 on fi gures a year ago. Elsewhere, the majority of regions have performed poorly during the three months to ebruary, lenigan reported.
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