“2009 really is the year for self-build,” declared Joe Martoccia, sales and marketing director of timber frame package home company Potton after the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show closed its doors in March.
He said, despite despondency in the housing market, the show, which attracted 450 exhibitors at Birmingham NEC, provided a much-needed fillip to companies in the self-build sector.
Show director Nick Noble admitted being a little nervous before the exhibition opened, not knowing what to expect, but queues for registration soon dispelled any fears. “Clearly, this sector of the building industry is working!” he said.
Around 20,000 people self-build every year, with an estimated 30% using timber construction systems – and timber frame companies and joinery manufacturers were well represented among the exhibitors at the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show, with many reporting a strong level of quality enquiries from a range of people, including self-builders, architects and trades people.
JELD-WEN, the UK’s largest joinery manufacturer, said the self-build market was very important for the company at the moment and reported being very busy throughout the four days. “Overall, the show was very positive and it was good to see that self-builders don't seem to have been affected by the general feeling of gloom in the industry," said JELD-WEN’s business development manager for windows, Tony Pell.
JELD-WEN's energy-rated timber windows and new DreamVu window were well received, while many buyers placed orders for its sliding folding doors.
Sian Martin, sales and marketing director at internet joinery products retailer eJoinery, said although there was a general feeling of fewer feet on the ground, “the show generated a number of good quality leads”.
“It was a significant show for us,” she said. “Our market is the end user so it was definitely the right audience. We talked to a lot of serious people, and it was a success in terms of the right kind of leads.”
Patrick Cooper, market development co-ordinator at Canada Wood UK, said many people were inspired to use western red cedar by its use on Grand Designs. “It was certainly busy for us and reflects people’s willingness to spend money on their own homes.”
So what are the factors conspiring to herald a new golden age of self-build when all else seems to be crumbling? BuildStore, the self-build advice, products and services specialist is well placed to answer. "There’s definitely land out there, prices are lower and there are a lot of construction workers desperate for work,” said a BuildStore spokesperson. “It is a great time for self-building, probably the best time in the last four to five decades.”
The company offers project advice, a plot-finding service, special finance and insurance, plus the sale of building materials. It has seen a 30% year-on-year increase in enquiries for its services, with the number of plots for sale through its plot-finder service up 50% in the past 12-18 months to about 9,000 plots. “There’s a lot more land coming on the market and prices have started to come down by 20-30%,” said the spokesperson. “People do start to take note of that.“Self-build provides quite a good affordable option because there’s quite a good equity cushion.”
This is because the self-builder can construct their house more cheaply than they could buy from a developer and their finished house is usually to a higher standard than one built by a housebuilder, so it’s worth more. In theory, this should protect them against negative equity.
“From our point of view the market is improving and demand is there,” said BuildStore. “People are looking for an alternative. There is general disappointment with new homes, which are often small boxes and not done to a high standard. We’re catching up with the Continent, where it’s more normal for people to move out of their parents’ home and then build a house down the road.”
BuildStore has two self-build visitor centres, in Livingstone and Swindon. Its National Self-Build & Renovation Centre in Swindon houses 240 suppliers in its trade village and has seen 50,000 visitors since opening two years ago.
Engineered wood product supplier Boise Cascade sees real benefits in the self-build market and in March invested in a permanent stand at the Swindon centre. Boise’s bread and butter is new housebuilding, a sector hit hard over the past year, so it is obviously trying to increase business in other markets. “A lot of our products have gone into self-build properties in the past but not really as a result of a direct effort on our part,” said Simon Jones, sales and marketing director of Witney-based Boise Cascade. “I think companies have to get into as many markets as possible at the moment.”
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The National Self-Build & Renovation Centre in Swindon |
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Boise Cascade's engineered wood products are now on display inside |
