6 FACTORS THAT AFFECT HOUSE BUILDING COSTS… WITH 6 IDEAS FOR STAYING ON TOP
Construction work is complex - it begins long before you start clearing earth... and continues long after your buyer gets the keys. But there are ways to stay competitive throughout.
Let’s look at the three areas that matter:
LAND, MATERIALS, AND PEOPLE.
1LAND:
MAKING FINANCE YOUR WEAPON
OPPORTUNITY:New £100m fund for small builders.
Accessing �nance can be a challenge at the best of times. And new government funding only goes to SMEs who can back up their abilities with evidence… meaning those with rock-solid information systems will win.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:Strengthen your systems, and you’ll win more funding.
2OPPORTUNITY:
Think like a top building �rm.
A few years back, no small builder had information systems that compared with the big boys. Today,
business modelling tools are available even to those building <100 units a year.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:Model your business processes,
and you’ll see where the returns are.
SMALL BUILDERS
SHRANK TO LESS THAN
25% OF THE MARKET POST
THE CRASH IN 2008...
MATERIALS: WINNING THE RACE FOR RESOURCES
3OPPORTUNITY:Drive down costs with smarter buying.
Short of bricks? Over-ordered steel? It’s hard to guess what a project needs in advance. But accurate planning with today’s software tools can reduce your losses… by multiple percentage points.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:Cut costs, by knowing what to buy in advance.
4OPPORTUNITY:
Quote accurately to win more jobs.
When you know exactly what materials go into each build, you can quote with pinpoint precision from the start.
Make the most of your information infrastructure, and you’ll have a price advantage.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:Win more bids with accurate costings.
PEOPLE:
56
OPPORTUNITY:Build staff loyalty with a training plan
The sector’s a million people short… partly due to a skills shortage. But for many small builders, training is haphazard. The right training
policies let you attract and retain the most capable staff… year after year.
WITHOUT IT, YOU’RE VULNERABLE. POST-2008 THE NUMBER OF SMALL FIRMS IN
THE UK DROPPED FROM 12,000 TO 3,000.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:Build value in your staff, to build the value of your business.
OPPORTUNITYKnow who to put on the payroll… and who not to.
Using outside contractors can quadruple your labour costs: a bricklayer can cost £1,000 a week.
THE SECRET ISN’T TO GO 100%-EMPLOYEE OR 100%-CONTRACTOR: IT’S TO GET THE RIGHT MIX. THE
RIGHT INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE CAN TELL YOU WHAT THAT MIX IS.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:Get the skills you use most, at lowest cost.
TAKEAWAYS
IT CAN DRIVE DOWN HOUSE
BUILDING COSTS.
HOUSE BUILDERS CAN STAY COMPETITIVE
WITH CONTROL OVER THEIR BUSINESS INFORMATION.
HELP IS AVAILABLE - WITH £100M
AVAILABLE TO SMALLER BUILDERS.
Why not go further, with a look at:
ESTABLISHING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE - A GUIDE FOR HOUSE BUILDING COMPANIES?
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE EGUIDE NOW
REMAIN COMPETITIVEDESPITE RISING HOUSE BUILDING COSTS
Where construction firms can save money and boostmargins in the face of rising house building costs
WWW.EQUE2.CO.UK