The latest research carried out by the Federation of Master Builders has revealed consumers are twice as likely to be 'very satisfied' with the quality of their new home if it was built by a small and medium-sized (SME) house builder. The research also draws a clear distinction between what is being delivered by SMEs and what is being delivered by larger firms.
Key results from the FMB research:
- 36% say they are ‘very satisfied’ with the quality of their new build home if purchased from an SME house builders.
- 17% say they are ‘very satisfied’ with the quality of their new build home if purchased by one of the top 20 large builders.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, highlighted that there is a popular misconception that new build homes are poor quality compared to period properties that were built to last. Furthermore, SME building firms are more likely to work with a small team of broadly skilled tradespeople. Whereas, large house builders tend to use gangs of semi-skilled bricklayers who can lay row upon row of bricks in a line but only a handful of broadly skilled brickies who can turn corners, build chimneys and arches.
In order to improve the image of the house building sectors, all house builders, large and small, need to put quality at the heart of every project. As we are in the midst of a serious housing crisis, SME Builders need to win people over and make them more pro-development.
Read the full press release here