The COVID-19 pandemic has seen more Brits spending time at home and focusing cash flow on home improvements instead of holidays and activities.
With this, we have seen an increase in demand for trades people and raw materials. An industry spokesperson commented: “The current global raw materials shortage is set to have a big impact on the UK trade and construction industry over the coming months. Soaring demand, the impact of Brexit and the continued pandemic recovery are all having a significant knock-on effect on building and construction timelines, which will in turn affect consumers".
Recent consumer research has revealed that awareness around the shortage is low, with only a small percentage of Brits (22%) claiming to have heard of the shortage and understanding how it affects them. However, many have already experienced its impact, with 21% of respondents experiencing delays in either their jobs being started or completed due to a shortage of raw materials.
The knock-on affect of business closures, reduced staffing levels and Brexit are all contributing factors to the reduced accessibility for raw materials. The property and home renovation market has been booming over the last year and demand shows no sign of slowing down – our site had its busiest ever day in May, whilst searches for the full month were up 67% year-on-year. We’d recommend that homeowners factor these shortages into any upcoming projects they plan to undertake on their homes.
Here at Mayne Gas Heating we have seen a huge increase for plumbing improvements around the home, where local residents have been putting money from holiday cancellations into boiler upgrades and other plumbing and heating related improvements.
We are continuing to keep our customers in the loop with any potential delays for raw materials, but the on-going global shortage might effect some completion dates.
Please contact us today if you're concerned about your on-going project or would like to discuss plans for a new one!
