Election blues
Glass Time editor Nathan Bushell asks if the effect of the European vote is starting to bite.
I’ve just had a job requoted on my house. For one reason or another we delayed the start of some building work, which meant going back to our chosen builder for a re-quote that turned out to be about 20% higher than it was a year ago (not an exact figure because of work added on).
According to the Construction Products Association I have Brexit to blame for that. Rising raw material costs, labour shortages, and rising salaries attributed to the consequences of the 2015 referendum are dampening optimism among some SMEs.
Similarly, Glenigan explains that the recent general election put the brakes on some projects this summer, but the analyst is confident that delayed projects will bounce back, especially since the value of projects underway remains high.
One encouraging element of my own building work (although not from my point of view) is that I am going to have to wait for at least three months for my builder to start work because his order book is so full.
Let’s hope other homeowners continue to hold their nerve, and that the effects of Brexit don’t affect their confidence too dramatically as we enter the post-summer period.