Home building blighted by high costs, after builders cleaners hear - 02/11/2011

After builders cleaners who spruce up newly-built homes once they have been completed could find it more challenging to secure work.

This is because activity in the UK construction sector appears to be on the decline.

Indeed, new figures compiled by the Office for National Statistics have indicated a 0.6 per cent decline in output in the third quarter of 2011. The previous three-month period saw growth of 1.1 per cent.

One factor behind the sluggish nature of the sector is the high costs incurred by construction firms, after builders cleaners have heard.

Head of communications at the Home Builders Federation (HBF) Steve Turner believes there are three main financial obstacles facing house building specialists.

He suggested that the price of materials has grown in recent times, but the biggest problems are land costs and levies issued by local councils.

"It is concerning that materials costs are going up, but in the bigger picture, land costs and regulatory costs remain the biggest constraints on viability," Mr Turner commented.

Cleaning companies recently heard HBF executive chairman Stewart Baseley call on the government not to delay making changes to planning procedures, which could reduce red tape for housing developers.

Posted by Manuela Mendes