May edition of Housebuilder magazine now out
The May edition of Housebuilder is now out and available to read on the www.house-builder.co.uk website. With the Future Homes Standard finally published, the latest issue looks at the detail, the industry view and housebuilders’ plans. Andy Hill, founder and group chief executive of Hill Group, talks to Suzie Mayes about his company’s next phase of growth, ambitions and challenges in a toughening market.
Research shows shift in home buyer priorities – Story Homes
Research from Story Homes shows a “striking shift” in what buyers want from a new home, according to the housebuilder, with energy efficiency, quality and intelligent design “overtaking location and lifestyle as the key motivators”. The study of 2,002 nationally representative UK residents reveals that 61% cite lower energy bills as a “major factor” when deciding to move. And nearly 30% of respondents believe a more energy-efficient home with lower running costs would encourage them to move.
New taxes/regs add £76,000 to cost of building a home - HBF
New research from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) reveals that £76,000 has been added to the cost of building a home since 2020, raising concerns about the viability of new housing developments across the UK. HBF is calling on the government to implement a moratorium on new policy costs, taxes, and levies affecting home building and to conduct a comprehensive review of cumulative regulatory impacts.
Gleeson incurs legacy remedial costs
Gleeson has encountered “issues” on legacy schemes that will cost the housebuilder between £5.2 million and £7.1 million, it said in a trading statement. Issuing an update covering the 11 weeks to April 24 2026, Gleeson, the low-cost housebuilder and strategic land specialist, said the previously completed legacy developments, mainly in Yorkshire, needed remedial works to achieve road adoption, with this to be undertaken over the next three to four years.
Geopolitical uncertainty impacts land and developer sentiment – Knight Frank
Activity in the new homes market declined during the first quarter of 2026, according to 41% of respondents to Knight Frank’s quarterly Land Index and Developer Survey. The audit of 60 SME and volume housebuilders and developers measures activity in site visits and reservations. For Q1 2026, global property consultancy Knight Frank also found that the same percentage of participants said activity remained steady, with only 18% reporting a rise.
Removal of leasehold system a long process – Pennycook
The government will not remove the leasehold system “overnight”, according to the housing minister Matthew Pennycook, who indicated that the intended ban on leasehold properties would not be enacted in this parliament. Pennycook said the “outright and immediate abolition” of leasehold would be “almost certainly impossible”.
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill becomes law
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has become law, handing elected mayors more powers over planning and housing and the ability to make development orders. The new Act, forming the basis of the government’s devolution plans, mandates mayoral strategic authorities to develop local growth plans, “aligning regional economic strategies with national policy”, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said.
HMI advanced ticket sales end this Friday
The Housing Market Intelligence Conference this autumn is set to tackle the key issues facing the industry in these difficult times, focusing on the challenges facing both SMEs and bigger builders.
TW sees steady sales but pricing pressure
Taylor Wimpey has seen “steady” sales in its year to date but also some underlying pricing pressure, with build cost inflation expected to be up to mid-single digit for the year as the company monitors the “macroeconomic backdrop”. In a trading update on the day of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) today (April 28), covering the year to April 26 2026, the housebuilder said that its net private sales rate for 2026 so far was 0.74 per outlet per week, slightly below the 0.77 of the equivalent period last year.
