Blogs

It’s the first week in January so all talk turns to the state of the housing market. Specifically, the first of the house price indices, this time from our old friends at Nationwide.

In November 2017 , one of the largest builders’ merchants in the UK, Jewsons, revealed that it had been the victim of a large-scale cyber security breach – potentially putting countless customers’ data at risk.

Not the most comfortable of reading – the stories doing the rounds about the horrendous experiences of some purchasers of new build homes.

The UK undeniably faces a housing crisis. It’s not just a political soundbite, it’s affecting lives. New build homes are undoubtedly part of the solution, however, is the consumer perception of reduced quality ‘lego block’ estates stopping people investing, causing them to snub new builds in favour of refurbishment projects?

Has the growth in strength and importance of the merchant buying groups dealt a fatal blow to larger distributors?

One of the things this industry is so very, very good at is the building and maintaining of solid, worthwhile, profitable business relationships. In many cases those relationships develop into firm, lifelong friendships.

They say ‘the work doesn’t start until the pain kicks in’, then I must be working very hard - boy are my calves sore!

Finally, it seems housing has risen to the top of this Government’s agenda. At least that’s what it seems like from the talk, whether it was Sajid Javid talking about the Housing White Paper, or Housing Minister Alok Sharma speaking at this year’s BMF Members day event to the man himself, Chancellor Philip Hammond, telling…

The current crop of news stories on what’s going on at Westminster – both now and in the past – brings to mind Jo Moore’s rather unfortunate line in her email to MP Stephen Byers on September 11 2001, that it as a ‘good day to bury bad news’.