Shock waves

This week, we see not one but two separate reports of the knock-on effect of recent political events on homeowners’ plans and aspirations, both reflecting the view that people swing back to the old ‘don’t move, improve’ ethos in times of uncertainty, which can only be good news for the retrofit sector.

Meanwhile, for those in the industry who reacted to TV’s White Gold with a smug sense that all that sort of thing is behind us, the court sentencing of one well-known operator may have given us cause to be a little less sure. Read Story

There are big moves in the aluminium industry with the news that Norsk Hydro, 50% owner of Sapa, is buying the other half to make it sole owner, with claims of very significant synergies to be gained from the move. Read Story

And speaking of aluminium, for those who are following – or trying to follow – the recent blurring of the PVC/ali boundaries with PVC-U finishes made to look like ali and ali making inroads into the plastic-dominated domestic market …we now see a GRP composite door that’s designed to look like aluminium. Read Story

Whether you are into tarnished gold or ersatz aluminium, we hope we have galvanised you to enjoy this week’s issue.

Chris Church Editor

Please send all your news stories to news@the-glazine.com

This Week's News

Zenith ordered to pay £300,000 for false sales claims to ‘vulnerable’ homeowners

Zenith Staybrite has been fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £250,000 costs for quoting inflated prices to make discounts look better and falsely claiming offers were time-limited to persuade customers to make snap decisions.

Guildford Crown Court heard that, at a previous hearing, Zenith Staybrite Ltd admitted ten offences under Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations following an investigation by Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards.

Five offences were engaging in an unfair commercial practice by quoting an initial inflated price before applying a number of discounts to give the impression of a bargain.

Read More Here...

Norsk Hydro buys
out Sapa

Aluminium producer Norsk Hydro is to take full ownership of aluminium products manufacturer Sapa by buying a 50% stake from conglomerate Orkla, the companies announced yesterday.

The transaction, which values Sapa, at NOK 27 billion (Norwegian Krone, equivalent to $3.24 billion) on a debt-free basis, will give Hydro global leadership in the industry and establish a platform for growth, according to Chief Executive Svein Richard Brandtzaeg.

Hydro predicts the deal will see synergies of NOK 200 million a year.

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GGF creates advisory panel for emergency response

The GGF has formed a new Government Advisory Panel (GAP) that will be part of the GGF’s Political Strategy Committee, in the wake of the Grenfell fire tragedy as well as recent terror attacks in London and Manchester.

The organisation expects that the Panel will be particularly effective when national and local Government may require expert advice on the many products, services and sectors covered by the GGF Membership. Its formation will enable the GGF to co-ordinate its internal resource and Members’ opinions to enable swifter and more focused, but fully considered, responses to emergency situations.

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Election shock hits
house supply

The supply of homes coming onto the market dropped by 1.9% across the UK last month, a fall attributed to the surprise election result combined with ongoing Brexit fears, according to the latest Property Supply Index from online estate agent HouseSimple.com.

Of the 100 towns and cities analysed, 81% of areas saw property supply fall in June compared to May, with Dundee and Barnsley registering the biggest drops, down 48.1% and 39.3%. Of the few areas that saw a rise in new listings, Lichfield and Hartlepool registered substantial gains of 20.6% and 18.7%.

London bucked the trend, with property supply up 5.3% across the boroughs. Sutton stood out with new property listings in June up by more than half (54.1%).

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Home improvers on the up

The number of homeowners saying they are more likely to consider home improvements has risen by a third in a year, from 10% to 13%, while those in the 18-35 showed an even sharper increase from 22% to 33%, according to a survey by home service marketplace Plentific.com.

The figure for aspiring home improvers is even higher in London, where 39% of homeowners say they are now more likely to spend money renovating their current property as a result – almost double the 22% last year. 

Other hot spots highlighted by the survey include Cardiff (20%), Edinburgh (17%) and Newcastle (16%).

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