As we approach the end of 2012 we can look back on what has been a bit of a roller coaster of a year, January and February saw our busiest period for some time and this carried on until the early summer when business seemed to tail off slightly. On refelection we can probably put the slow summer down to the Olympics, which for all their success it would appear now that many businesses and individuals almost put life on hold to watch our amazing Team GB revel in glory. Now that the Olympics are a distant memory business seems to be picking up again and things are getting back to normal, in fact we are experiencing our best month for orders in over 4 years. Long may it last.
The planning stage of any sort of construction is the phase in which all of the fundamental and also finer points need to be ironed out. Despite the undoubted importance of this part of the whole process there can still be some methods and projects that allow for less of a thorough design than should be deemed necessary. When you choose to implement timber frame construction into your property you decide upon an option that leaves no possibility of a lax design procedure and it is certainly true that all angles are taken care of with this method.
The design process of timber frame construction is one aspect that is comprehensively managed and carried out but so too is the manufacturing phase. The manner of the measuring and cutting in the factory is extremely thorough and in many ways this sets the tone for the rest of the project that you buy into when you invest in timber framing. The engineering of timber frame homes is something that requires a highly skilled and detailed type of engineer and as a result this is a guarantee of the quality that timber frame construction is characterised by.
The amount of purchases in the commercial property market of the UK to have come from overseas investors took a huge rise to £8.1 billion in the first half of the year according to a report from the property company DTZ. The figures represent an increase of 80 per cent in comparison to the first six months of 2011 and it was also found that 53 per cent of the overall investment in the UK’s commercial property market came from foreign buyers. The overseas share of the UK market is as a result at the highest level it has ever been thanks to a sustained rise in recent times.
Among the findings from the report, it was alluded to that there was just a fifth of the UK’s commercial property market accounted for by foreign investments back in 2001. It was found that outside of Central London the most popular areas of foreign investment include Cambridge, Rugeley and Farnborough. Out of the amount of foreign purchases away from Central London the report showed that 40 per cent of these were from American investors, with 21 per cent coming from other European nations and 9 per cent from the Middle East.
In any method of construction, whether in your home, business or elsewhere, the safety and thorough quality of the finished project is the biggest thing that must be ensured. Besides securing the standard of the job, being able to have the construction work carried out and completed in a particularly brisk fashion is an advantage that will set any method apart in this and indeed any other industry. The favourability that many people have developed for timber framing in their homes and other properties is down to a high number of reasons, with speed and quality among the most prominent of these.
To be able to lay out all your requirements for the task in hand and to have the peace of mind of knowing that the job will be done in not only a skilled and comprehensive manner but also in a swift way is a key benefit. One of the biggest plus points in this sense is that you can plan accordingly and because it will be done relatively quickly you do not have to suffer from a great deal of upheaval in your home and with regard to your other arrangements.
Those who are trying to clamber onto the property ladder in the UK are among those who are set to feel the effects of the new regulations most strongly. The Financial Services Authority are targeting a decrease in the amount of interest-only mortgages which have led to so many making it onto the property ladder previously because of the manageable monthly payments they make possible. This is evidenced by the FSA’s statistics that have shown that 43 per cent of loans on 11.2 million properties are interest-free mortgages.
Amongst the details of the changes is expected to be an insistence that borrowers prove they will be able to repay any such mortgage before they reach 70 or 75 years old. This will naturally present a significant obstacle for potential mortgage borrowers in their 50s. It has also been suggested that those who are in self-employment will encounter further problems as they will be required to make proof of their income by way of audited accounts. The past five years have seen a particularly steep drop in the amount of mortgage loans given out – from 103,000 in August 2007 to just 55,300 in August 2012.
The shortage of funding made available from banks to the smaller construction businesses in the UK has resulted in huge problems for the industry in a wider sense, according to a report carried out by the accountants and business advisers Wilkins Kennedy. The money from the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme put in place by the government has reportedly decreased to an alarmingly low extent with regard to how much the small companies receive.
The report made the assertion that £25 million was distributed in the three months leading up to June back in 2009 but the same time period for this year saw only £3.5 million given – a huge drop of 86 per cent. These problems for the smaller businesses in the construction industry have extended to the sector as a whole, and this has in turn created greater struggles for the economy in the UK. Employment in the construction business has as a result been significantly jeopardised and Wilkins Kennedy have claimed that their report proves the Enterprise Finance Guarantee is practically without use for funding small construction companies. It was also found that upwards of 3500 businesses in the industry went bust in 2011.
The mortgage industry in the UK went through something of a slow period during September according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders. Two of the primary reasons for the lack of activity were said to be a faltering level of re-mortgaging and a lack of demand for buying homes. Additionally, there was a decrease of 10 per cent on gross mortgage lending in comparison to August this year and a 15 per cent drop when compared to the corresponding period for last year. This value was £11.6 billion and came despite the increased amount of accessibility for prospective mortgage borrowers.
It was also suggested in a survey carried out by the Bank of England that although the government’s Funding for Lending scheme is intended to lead to a greater degree of availability for those looking to borrow there could still be a similarly slow period for the market reported for October. It has been stated that the prominent mortgage lenders in the UK have been expecting some fall in the house prices for this period amid a continuation of the uncertainty with regard to the country’s economic situation. The current state of the mortgage market is in contrast to last year when a higher amount of homeowners chose to re-mortgage.
Timber frame construction continues to enjoy an admirable level of popularity to go alongside its undoubted quality and this has been a theme that is indicative of the progress timber framing has made during this century. Although it could not conceivably be suggested that timber frame housing is a trend exclusive to the last twelve years it is possible to say that this time has seen it undergo something of a boom in how well utilised it has been.
For a method of construction, timber framing holds more advantageous characteristics than most and this has brought it to the attention of many when they come to planning and designing their home or property. It is made to deal with all kinds of temperatures and climates and it manages to offer extreme protection at the same time as functioning as a very environmentally-sound option.
You can also experience a quicker construction time and a less expensive way of doing it if you choose timber framing. These reasons have seen timber frame construction not only becoming a much sought-after option in people’s homes in various parts of the world but also when it comes to commercial projects.
The last year has seen a clear contrast within the changes in house prices across the UK with the difference highlighted most starkly in the cases of Northern Ireland and London. According to the Office for National Statistics, there was a considerable drop of 12.8 per cent in the price of properties in Northern Ireland for the last year up to August. Conversely, the same time period saw the prices of houses in London increase by 6.3 per cent.
The house prices for the UK as a whole went up by a figure of 1.8 per cent, with the average cost of a home calculated at £234,000. When the separate nations of the UK are examined the figures show that only Northern Ireland experienced a decrease in the price of its houses. With the significant rise in London house prices this was a clearly significant contributory factor in the 2.1 per cent increase for England as a whole. It was also found that Wales went through an increase of 1.4 per cent, with Scotland’s prices rising by 0.5 per cent. The downturn in the UK’s housing industry has led in recent times to a low amount of price changes.
The living arrangements of any person should be in a place that has a high level of safety both to themselves and others in the area, and indeed the environment as a whole. It should be a base to protect those who live there and if you can find a way of adding character to the building and its design then this is a very impressive thing indeed. Timber frame construction is ideal for creating an inviting and stylish feel to your home. It also has the highly significant advantage of offering safety to the environment.
In comparison to alternative ways of home construction, timber frame houses are much more beneficial to the earth’s atmosphere. The amount of carbon emissions given off is reduced considerably and the insulation is particularly impressive too. Energy efficiency is always an important quality for a construction, vehicle, device or appliance and timber framing certainly has this on its list of numerous advantages. It is not just a case of peace of mind or satisfaction to have an energy efficient way of living it is totally necessary for the world in which we live. Choosing timber frame construction can help you in this goal.
