August shutdown the answer to an annual dilemma?

Britain’s construction industry could be more efficient if there was a national shutdown for two to three weeks each August, says Dan Grimshaw from leading design and construction firm Beam Development. “The combined effect of post-lockdown holidays, the loss of... View Article

New town centre council homes for local people

Ninety Croydon families will soon move into a new 100% affordable apartment block offering council homes at council rents that was unveiled on Monday. Next month people on the borough’s housing waiting list will move into the new town centre... View Article

Stepping it up

Katie Chown of Spiral UK has researched the latest trends in staircase design, and proposes some fresh ideas for your self-build project One thing is for sure, the shutdown of movement across the country has not stopped people from ordering... View Article

Construction output drops for third consecutive month

According to the latest Office for National Statistics figures, the construction sector’s monthly output fell by 1.3% in June 2021. This is the third consecutive month that output has fallen, which the ONS attributed to a decline in repair and... View Article

UK Property Market Outlook: 9 August 2021

Activity in the UK housing market was frenetic in June as buyers and sellers rushed to beat the stamp duty holiday deadline. What has emerged since is an untenable disconnect between supply and demand. Demand has outstripped supply in most... View Article

Slowest rise in construction output since February

The recovery in UK construction output has lost momentum since June, with slower growth seen in all three main categories of work, according to July PMI data compiled by IHS Markit and CIPS highlighted. Survey respondents reportedly often cited difficulties... View Article

Bull in the Oak

Nestled away in a hamlet just outside Market Bosworth lies what appears to be a typical Leicestershire farmstead. Except this country idyll has pushed the boundaries of design and planning and is now home to a bespoke development of five... View Article

Here’s one they made earlier

Potton MD Mark Stevenson explains how the evolution of ‘prefab’ or ‘flatpack’ methods of self-building means the the assumption they prevent customisation is an now outdated one When you think of the terms ‘flatpack’ and ‘prefab’, you might picture a... View Article

Action stations

If you’re building a dream home away from it all in a beautiful countryside location, it may mean no access to the mains sewer; Dan Berry from Harlequin Manufacturing explains why packaged pump stations are a simple answer If a... View Article

The home front

What will you choose for your dream home’s facade? Lisa Grosse of Cedral explains why fibre cement cladding makes a great choice, for both practical reasons and the aesthetic ‘wow’ factor As well as providing protection against heat, cold, wind,... View Article

Reduce your water footprint

Bart Sobieszczanski of Ideal Standard answers the key questions around how to specify bathroom products to maximise water-saving benefits, and increase your build’s sustainability as well as cost-efficiency When it comes to water-saving in the home, one of the main... View Article

Triumph and tragedy in Cornwall

Renovating a centuries-old collection of buildings into a family home became a labour of love for a mum and her young son looking to leave London behind for Cornwall’s Atlantic coast TEXT & IMAGES EWEN MACDONALD Moving to a new... View Article

Spotlight on housing & care

A spotlight has been shone on how we house and care for our older generation in the UK, Anne-Marie Nicholson of Life3A explains more In our post pandemic world, we have the perfect opportunity to adjust our design approach to... View Article

Interior Inspiration: Fires & Fireplaces

There are a plethora of products on the market to help heat your outside space as well as traditional interior spaces, with homeowners keen to blend interior and outdoor living. We round up some of the current options for creating... View Article