Focus on:
This month we catch up with Andrew Dixon, head of policy at the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) about how the UK’s decision to leave the EU might aff ect the country’s self build sector
These slate roof tiles from Travis Perkins are imported from Spain
The FMB recently revealed that 70% of UK contractors have observed an increase in materials prices due to the falling pound following the Brexit vote. How is this likely to impact on self builders?
Around a quarter of all materials used in the UK construction industry are imported, so there’s no doubt that Sterling’s fall in value is having an effect on materials prices, and this applies as much to products as it does to commodities. Many goods manufactured in the UK will use components from overseas, so it does tend to push up costs all round. In terms of specifics, at the FMB we’ve heard reports of a 22% growth in the price of Spanish slate and a 20% rise in the cost of imported timber.