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A London-based property development company, founded by two young local entrepreneurs, managed to post record sales over the last two quarters of 2020 in spite of Covid-19, and argues that it’s Brexit which has been worse for business than the pandemic.

“With the vaccine roll-out imminent, there is light at the end of the tunnel now creeping into view. We are hopeful that 2021 will be the year of ‘build, build, build’ and we look forward to continuing our support of the development industry.”

The housebuilding sector has proven to be one of the most pandemic-resilient industries in the UK over the last year, however, the Home Builders Federation indicates that close to a third of the workforce will be retiring over the coming years, which risks interrupting housing supply and placing the Government’s 300,000 homes per annum ambition further out of reach.

Encouraging the next generation of housebuilders is vital to increasing the supply of new homes across the UK, and will also increase the number of SME’s and diversity within the sector.

SME housebuilders face tough battle ahead as growth and delivery projections fall. A new survey by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and Close Brothers Property Finance.

One of the most comprehensive surveys of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) housebuilders, conducted by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and Close Brothers Property Finance, has found that:

Two thirds of SME housebuilders (65%) have said their growth projections are down due to COVID-19

76% of SMEs use Help to Buy and the regional thresholds are expected to prove to be a barrier, with a number of respondents highlighting challenges in their specific regions

Planning delays and securing permission remain a major barrier to housing delivery over the next 12 months, according to 83% of respondents

Place North West | Development finance: a mixed landscape | Video + Summary
The Covid-19 pandemic has made lenders more wary, skewing the market in favour of larger developers with proven track records at the expense of SMEs, according to a panel of experts at Place North West’s latest event.. The event, Development Finance, was sponsored by lender Close Brothers Property Finance and law firm Kuits Solicitors and attracted more than 250 live viewers.

Business Development Director Richard Hemmings in a recent article for Place North West discusses the role which Housebuilders have in moving the economy forwards.