|
Increasingly homeowners are looking to professionals to carry out home improvements and DIY projects, reports Britain's largest trade association for builders, the FMB, in its latest survey. Almost half (42%) of builders in the UK are reporting a rise in workloads and over 80% of builders expect levels of work in the repair, maintenance and improvement sector to increase.
These figures support research released today by Standard Life Bank, which indicates that on average Britain's homeowners are spending more than £4500 a year on professional tradesmen and 89% of British men are saying they would pay a professional tradesman to do ANY work rather than do it themselves. Electrical safety organisation, the NICEIC, is also anticipating an increased demand for electricians from 1 January 2005 when all domestic electrical work, including DIY, will have to comply with a new electrical safety law (Part P of the building regulations).
Andrew Large, external affairs director of the FMB said: "It is clear that a combination of lack of time and the demand for the highest standards in the home improvement sector has meant that increasingly homeowners are looking for professional people to carry out work on their property. The challenge they face is in employing a builder who they can trust to carry out the work to the highest standards.
"Our advice is to visit the FMB consumer website at www.findabuilder.co.uk. This offers a list of local builders, all vetted by us. Only builders and specialists who can prove their skills and good business standing are accepted and the FMB logo is widely recognised as the sign of building quality."
First posted:25 November 2004. Last modified: 25 November 2004.
|
