The number of planning permissions granted for new homes in England rose by 4% in the first quarter of 2016, according to the latest housing pipeline report. In the first three months of the year permissions were granted for 66,102 homes, which is a 4% rise on the previous year,
Fujitsu has launched a new training centre at its offices in Dublin dedicated to the air conditioning sector. The opening of the new facility enhances the firm’s commitment to its training services and Ian Carroll, the company’s Sales and Marketing Director, commented that Fujitsu is fully committed to raising industry
The average cost of a manor house is now £2,102,344 which is 11 times higher than the national average, according to the latest sale price analysis from Jackson-Stops & Staff. The estate agent, which has 44 offices throughout the UK, states that the manor house cost is almost double the
The number of planning permissions granted for new homes in England rose by 4% in the first quarter of 2016, according to the latest housing pipeline report. In the first three months of the year permissions were granted for 66,102 homes, which is a 4% rise on the previous year, as shown by the report from Glenigan and the House Builders Federation. These figures mean that the moving yearly total has now recovered to levels near the pre-cash peak in the 12 months prior to March 2008, and is ahead of 2006 and 2007 levels, which suggests that house building can carry on meeting the high demand level for new homes. While many of these permissions still have a long way to go before construction can begin, the figures do give a strong indication about future supply. Ever since 2009 permissions have increased steadily, with actual housing supply also showing a marked increase over the last two years as more and more permissions have progressed to the stage where builders can commence with construction. The report also shows that the last year has seen an increase of 66% in permissions granted since the 2009 recession, with numbers now just 0.3% down on their highest point at the start of 2008. There is still a strong demand for new homes and the HBF estimates a shortfall of more than one billion homes in England, with a third of young people (3.35 million) living at home with their parents, while housing waiting lists are 1.24 million people long. The demand for new homes continues to be driven by the Help to Buy equity loan scheme, while interest rates stay at an historic low. In 2014/15 more than 180,000 new homes were added to the housing stock, which is a 22% increase on the year before, as house builders raised their output in response to the increase in demand for new homes.
Fujitsu has launched a new training centre at its offices in Dublin dedicated to the air conditioning sector. The opening of the new facility enhances the firm’s commitment to its training services and Ian Carroll, the company’s Sales and Marketing Director, commented that Fujitsu is fully committed to raising industry standards through training schemes having already pumped a significant investment into a similar state of the art training facility in Elstree. Even though the centre is yet to be officially opened, it has already started running courses due to the demand for training, with the firm’s highly skilled in house engineers teaching the courses due to their many years of experience working with Fujitsu products. The company has developed a specific series of courses which are created and designed to develop the engineers’ knowledge in the installation and design of Fujitsu air conditioning products and the best way they can be applied. Among the current range of courses on offer are VRF system installation and commissioning, mini VRF installation, commissioning and troubleshooting and VRF central controllers installation and commissioning. The courses are already proving popular with many contractors in the area being impressed with the training facilities. Martyn Ives, Training Manager at Fujitsu, said that the new Dublin based training facility is a much needed asset that will provide the required training that is needed to support the well-established product range. He added that all the courses are available throughout the year and are offered free of charge, with each delegate receiving a completion certificate and a full set of technical manuals. Last month the company assured the UK that it will continue its operations in the country following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, reiterating its commitment to UK employees and customers.
The average cost of a manor house is now £2,102,344 which is 11 times higher than the national average, according to the latest sale price analysis from Jackson-Stops & Staff. The estate agent, which has 44 offices throughout the UK, states that the manor house cost is almost double the sale price of the average UK farmhouse, which has an average sale price of £1,089,857. Meanwhile the least expensive of the three typically English homes is the cottage, although the data also reveals that they do not offer the best value for money. On average, the old rectory style cottage comes in at £234 per sq ft, while the roomier barn conversion sosts around £288 per sq ft. Therefore, on this basis, cottages are more expensive at £320 per sq ft. While manor houses cost £1 million more than a farmhouse on average, they provide better value for money in terms of a price per sq ft basis (£343) which is just £23 more than a chocolate box style cottage (£320). Barn conversions are on average £378,066 cheaper than old rectories, which is more than the average sale price of a typical property in the UK. However, in terms of price per sq ft, old rectories provide greater value for money. Although barn conversions attract a higher sq ft premium because of their large open plan entertaining areas that fit in well with dinner party culture and modern lifestyles. Chairman of Jackson-Stops & Staff, Nick Leeming, commented that their research illustrates the feudal hierarchy that remains present in terms of the most popular quintessentially English homes. He believes that for large families who are in a position to invest in a historic property, manor houses offer the best value for money in terms of the space they provide rather than the cheaper farmhouse. The survey also revealed that the typical chocolate box cottage is the cheapest but they do not offer the best value for money with regard to size.