Brickonomics

£9 billion owed in trade debt to UK's building specialists

It's a risky time to be owed money. Contractors and clients in the property world are falling like flies. So it was quite disturbing to calculate that £9 billion is outstanding in trade debt to the UK's building specialist contractors....

Posted by Brian on August 25, 2009 12:36 PM

Chancellor provides optimism in the gloom...and that's what's worrying

The direct measures aimed at construction-related activities and businesses in the 2009 Budget will be welcomed in some quarters, mainly among the house builders. Though I am not so sure I would go with the instant view from the surveyors'...

Posted by Brian on April 22, 2009 2:41 PM

Is the housing market out of the woods?

More encouraging news for those involved in selling houses came from the surveyors' body RICS today with the release of its latest housing market survey. The survey adds further weight to the argument that the catastrophic collapse in house prices...

Posted by Brian on April 15, 2009 11:34 AM

Experian revises down its forecast for construction output

Industry forecasters at Experian followed their rivals and cut expectations of construction activity over the coming three years. The predicted decline in output in 2009 is now put at 7.8% followed by a slight drop of 1.7% in 2010 and...

Posted by Brian on April 9, 2009 3:02 PM

Not a good time to be taking risks

What do the latest inflation figures tell us? Firstly, we are set for a heightening of the row between the quantitative easers and those leaning towards the views of the Austrian school on the matter of pumping money into a...

Posted by Brian on March 24, 2009 12:58 PM

RICS report stamps on signs of green shoots in the housing market

For all the excitement created by the Halifax upward blip in house prices in January it now looks increasingly like a freak result, at least that is what the latest housing market survey from the surveyors' body RICS would suggest....

Posted by Brian on February 10, 2009 9:45 AM

Lack of grit and the economic crisis

Why is it understandable in the current British economy that councils are running out of grit? That was the thought that came to mind as I walking to work this morning. For me it was an enjoyable walk as the...

Posted by Brian on February 5, 2009 10:25 AM

Construction output to fall to 1996 levels by 2011, says forecast

Remember the pleasure and pain of Euro '96, the rise and rise of the Spice Girls, This Life and Chris Evan's TFI Friday on TV, John Major as Prime Minister and Swampy digging in against the road builders? Well some...

Posted by Brian on January 22, 2009 1:32 PM