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UK Homes

UK Homeowners Struggling To Complete Interior Renovations Due To Labor Shortages

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An industry-wide labor shortage in the United Kingdom is causing a multitude of homeowners to be left waiting for months longer than usual for bathroom and kitchen renovations/installations. The labor shortage is growing due to a combination of Brexit-related issues as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. 

While the pandemic overall has caused a major increase in the amount people have invested in their homes, the demand for labor hasn’t been able to keep up. Specifically, bathroom, kitchen, and room renovations would, on average, take about four to eight weeks to complete before the pandemic, and now homeowners can expect to be waiting at least 12-18 weeks. 

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Damian Walters is the chief executive of the British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom, and Bathroom Installations, and recently spoke to the press about the “unprecedented demand for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and home improvement in general” throughout the pandemic. 

“Lengthening lead times were part of the fallout from the incredible labor shortage. Our organization has been inundated with inquiries from retailers desperate to recruit more fitters. There were a number of problems, including an ageing workforce and a decrease of youngsters wanting to take up apprenticeships. Brexit had also deterred tradesmen from moving to the UK for work,” Walters explained.

“There are not going to be any tradesmen parachuting in from Europe, or anywhere else for that matter. EU migration was a little bit like a Band-Aid that’s been ripped off and the real problems have been exposed,” he said.

B&Q is known as the UK’s largest DIY project chain, and according to their data sales of supplies for interior DIY projects have increased by 13% within the last year of the pandemic, with some of the most popular projects being organizing outdoor spaces, and new kitchen and bathroom designs.

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Global supply chains are still dealing with trading disruptions brought on by the pandemic while demand has continued to increase for these supplies. This is not only bad for the DIY renovator, but for contractors who are still in business but don’t have access to the supplies they need to complete the projects being asked of them. 

The EU has reported shortages in everything from plumbing materials, to screws, handheld and power tools, as well as appliances like washing machines and fridges. 

The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom, and Bathroom Installations has announced a campaign that will begin this fall and hopefully recruit 700 apprentices from the UK’s school systems every year to become apprentices in the construction industry. Without new recruits, according to Walters, the “problem will only worsen, as a third of sole traders are due to retire over the next decade.” 

“We simply haven’t focused on vocational learning, and that has caused huge problems in terms of a gap between the demand and the available labour to do this type of work. Put bluntly, we’ve relied for too long on an ageing workforce who are now looking forward to their retirement. We need to pull out all the stops to prepare a new generation of skilled installers ready to take their place,”  said Walters.

Campania Italy

This Italian Town Is Selling Homes For One Euro

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Have you ever had the dream of just quitting your job, packing up your things, and flying to Europe to start a whole new life? Well, thanks to a town in Italy which is now selling properties for one dollar a piece, that dream is beginning to seem like a much more feasible reality. 

Bisaccia, Italy is located in the country’s southern Campania region, and they’re working on putting over 90 dilapidated buildings on the market for one euro each. A dilapidated building refers to when “the physical life of a building is beginning to expire, i.e., the building is approaching a condition which would render it unfit for use.” The one-euro plan for these properties is part of a larger initiative from Italy in which they’re trying to save their dying communities and motivate people to move there. 

“Forsaken houses are clustered together, one next to the other along the same roads. Some even share a common entrance. That’s why we welcome families, groups of friends, relatives, people who know each other or investors to join forces. We encourage them to buy more than just one house to actually have an impact and breathe new life,” Francesco Tartaglia, the town’s deputy mayor, tells CNN.

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The extremely low price point, decrepit status of the properties themselves, and overall abandoned ambiance of Bisaccia may seem like a bit of a turn off to potential buyers, however, the opportunity to renovate and rejuvenate a town that once was thriving with culture and life may seem appealing to real estate investors. 

Buyers are expected to renovate their proprietors and bring them up to code with their own finances and ambition, however, as opposed to other real estate policies in Europe, buyers in Bisaccia have no limited time-frame in terms of when the work needs to be completed. Also, unlike other one-euro property villages in Italy, there are quite a few, the original owners don’t have any legal connection to the Bisaccia properties; instead they’re all owned by local authorities, which makes the transactional process much more straightforward. 

“Once a thriving feudal center renowned for its wool-making and artisans, it [Bisaccia] has been hit hard by emigration. A series of severe earthquakes, the last one in 1980, accelerated its population decline. Bisaccia is dubbed the ‘genteel town’ because, despite the hardship, its people have always been respectable, welcoming, hard-working and resilient. Newcomers here are pampered and taken care of. We want this place to shine again,” says Tartaglia. 

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While a majority of the town emulates the quaint and abandoned village aesthetic, parts of it are still very much thriving with shops, families, farmland, and ancient architecture that anyone would travel to Europe to see; including a historical center located at the base of a medieval castle.

In terms of real estate, everyone knows that location is everything, and what Bisaccia lacks in modern architecture it surely makes up for in terms of unique location. The village borders three of Italy’s more popular southern regions: Campania, Basilicata and Puglia, Naples is also close by, allowing for as many spectacular Italian day trips as one could desire.

The town itself has dozens of nature trails for hiking that have been left just as untouched as the homes; a rarity in a world full of deforestation and climate change-induced destruction. Bisaccia also has a bunch of more developed sub-districts that offer fine Italian eateries known by locals for their unique pasta shapes. So while a one-euro home may seem like the biggest surface level scam one could invest in, the logistics of it all are fairly straightforward. Local authorities are offering the chance to be a part of a community that’s ready to be reborn and grow with modern society, all while still maintaining it’s traditional Italian values.

Home Renovations

Home Renovations Actually Worth The Investment

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When it comes to renovating the home, the list of things to do can easily grow into a novel of projects ranging from fixing the porch light, to completely gutting the kitchen. However, when we find ourselves with enough money saved to finally check some of these projects off of our lists, it can be hard to prioritize what renovations are worth putting the time, effort, and money into, which ones can take a back seat, and which aren’t even worth it at all. 

Once it comes time to make this decision, interior designer/business owner Colleen Quinn says to prioritize the projects that will make your property universally more appealing. That way, if/when you have to sell your home, the changes you made will be well-received by a wide variety of people. 

“It is important to make investments that will be the best use of your money. We don’t want to put in custom details that are only for your specific use. Think about things that will be valued by a range of people,” Quinn said.

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According to a study conducted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), when it comes to the money you’d make back on your renovation investment, it really depends on the project. The study found that full kitchen renovations typically give homeowners a 59% return on the money they put in, and a full master bedroom would typically bring in a 50% return. 

The study also showed that projects that were considered to be much smaller scale, when compared to full room remodels, actually brought the most money back on the homeowners original investment. For example, installing hardwood floors brought back an average of 106% of whatever was originally put into it. Replacing the heating and cooling systems brought back 85%, and a full insulation upgrade in the home recouped about 84%.

So, when it comes to actually choosing what projects would be the biggest bang for your buck, it really depends on the reasoning behind the renovation itself. If the upgrades you’re making are with the intent to sell, then point your focus in the direction of all the main living spaces. The study found that the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms are what potential buyers deem as the “most important spaces” when looking for a new home. Basically meaning that if the kitchen and bathrooms are updated, buyers are less likely to care if they would need to put their own money into other projects, such as the flooring or re-modelling the back deck. 

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Shane Steele is the Vice President of a California real estate investment company who also contributed to some of the reasoning behind the results of the study. She claimed that besides the main living spaces, the flow of the house is most important. The “flow” she’s discussing refers to the fixtures and finishes around the home that act as accents for the overall space. 

“Keep the fixtures and finishes somewhat neutral so they will be more appealing for multiple buyers. Add the flair with your decor that can be taken with you when you leave. While a neutral palate and a universal appeal should be the goal when renovating, retaining original details can help a home stand out. Where possible you should try to preserve the bones of the house. Any details like crown molding, arches, built-in shelves should stay, because there is demand for character,” she said. 

Renovating the home is truly a subjective experience based on personal desire and taste, however, it’s important to think about the future when adding all of your customization’s. You may not make all of your money back on your investment depending on the project and how well it’s executed, so make sure you’re working with a trusted and well-researched contractor. Ask other trusted individuals in your life, or in the business, about what projects will be most beneficial to both your life and your future, and get hammering!