Back in March, European Finance Ministers voted to allow EU Member States to reduce the VAT rate to 5% on home maintenance and repairs. This marked a victory of sorts for the ‘Cut the VAT‘ coalition who have been campaigning to get the VAT rate for maintenance and repair work reduced to 5%.

At the time, Brian Berry (Director of External Affairs at the Federation of Master Builders) said:

“News that the UK Government now has the option to reduce VAT to five percent on home maintenance and repairs is very exciting as it cannot no longer blame Brussels for not being able to take action.

If the UK Government goes ahead and implements the VAT cut it could mean that many more small building firms will be able to stay in business.

The EU experiment where VAT has already been cut in parts of Europe already proves that a cut will increase Treasury revenue as well having many social benefits such as creating a greener, more energy efficient housing stock and tackling the growing issue of fuel poverty.”

On 20th May, the Federation of Small Businesses added their backing to the campaign following a survey of their members which revealed that 59% of the respondents reported a decrease in business, and 37% were concerned about their financial prospects in the future.

49% of respondents highlighted that the lack of demand in the private and public sector was negatively affecting their business.

As a result the FSB are now working with the FMB in order to campaign for VAT on home improvement to be lowered to 5%.

John Walker (National Policy Chairman for the FSB) said:

“Confidence in the smaller building projects around the country has dropped to a low, and people who were thinking of adding an extension to their home, renovating their bathroom or building a garage, should be given the incentive to go ahead. Lowering the VAT rate on home renovation projects will encourage people to spend their money and give a vital kick-start to the important, but currently beleaguered, construction industry. It will also help the Government to meet its carbon emission targets by encouraging green home renovations.

With more than 300,000 jobs in the sector under threat during the recession, and more than half of smaller construction firms and builders across the UK warning they will have to lay off staff in coming months, the construction industry needs support today.”

To find out more about the benefits of cutting VAT on Home Improvements why not visit the Cut the VAT website, and add your support to the campaign. The benefits of a reduced rate of VAT include:

1. Economic Benefits - increased employment, and a potential increase in actual tax take, as despite the VAT rate decrease, the number of projects undertaken should increase.
2. Reduce the number of rogue builders - many ‘cowboys’ flourish by evading VAT altogether thereby offering customers cheaper deals; a reduced rate of VAT would level the playing field and allow reputable traders to compete with their pricing.
3. Reduce the number of empty homes - surprisingly there are over 700,000 empty homes in England alone; but the cost of repairing them to make them fit for habitation is too high - a reduction in VAT would help alleviate this.  
4. Reduce the number of those living in substandard housing as people will be more readily able to afford repairs.
5. Protect the countryside - by making home repair and improvement work more affordable, it would encourage the use of existing structures rather than continuing the development of greenbelt land.
6. Stop the destruction of decent existing buildings - the difference between having to pay 17.5% VAT on building repair work and not having to pay any VAT on new buildings can lead to perfectly good existing structures being demolished and then rebuilt for tax reasons.
7. Increase the number of zero-carbon homes - The most cost-effective way of increasing the energy efficiency of buildings is when they undergo major renovation, however currently the VAT rates are heavily weighted in favour of demolition and new build as opposed to refurbishment - 0% VAT on new homes versus 17.5% on the renovation and repair of existing homes.
8. Help tackle fuel poverty - the number of people living in fuel poverty in this country has doubled since 2004. If the VAT was cut on energy efficient home improvements, more people would be able to afford to make these improvements, and save money on their heating bills.
9. Help preserve our national heritage - Britain’s national heritage is threatened by the VAT burden that repairs and maintenance work carries. Buildings of significant historical interest will continue to be lost to modern developments unless the costs of their maintenance can be reduced.
10. Allow disabled people to have essential renovations made to their homes - charging VAT on this building work can reduce the available grant by up to 17.5 per cent (reducing the current maximum grant of £30,000 to £24,750).

Image credit - Cut the VAT Coalition.

John Savage (Managing Director), Simon Bowden (Head of Manufacturing) and Vanessa Summers (Administration) were delighted to welcome students from the Raphael Independent School in Hornchurch, Essex; to SEHBAC’s Factory in Ipswich last week.

The year 10 Business Studies students visited in order to further their understanding of the manufacturing processes employed by companies like SEHBAC.

Accompanied by their teachers Mrs Willis and Mrs Gilbert, the students were first given an introduction to the company’s history and current structure, before touring the factory floor.

There we explained the processes we use when manufacturing windows and conservatories, and went on to show examples of the finished products in our Ipswich show centre.

We then took a break for lunch. 

A little bird told us it was Mrs Willis’ birthday, so we couldn’t resist spoiling her with a surprise birthday cake - well it’s not a proper birthday without cake is it?

After lunch we took some questions from the students, and were particularly impressed by Priya who asked some excellent questions on our production methods.

All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable day, and it was an absolute pleasure to have the students and their teachers visit. 

A write up of the visit can also be viewed on the Raphael Independent School’s website.

Even in the current climate, home improvement is still a great way to add value to your property.

In a study commissioned by HSBC, property experts offered their opinions on the financial benefits of adding a conservatory or new windows to a home. Interestingly, the experts rated building a conservatory as one of best ways of increasing the value of a property.

On average a conservatory will add more than £7,000 to the value of a property. New windows also rated highly offering an average of £4,000 to the value of a home.

Contrary to popular belief, nearly half of the experts claimed that redecorating or re-carpeting a home would add little or no value.

Obviously we’d warn against people undertaking home improvements purely for the potential increase in their home’s value; but nevertheless we think it’s an excellent side benefit!

Plus, there’s really no better time to think about a Conservatory or replacement Double Glazing, but hurry - our lowest ever prices offer can’t last forever!

Image credit Chris Isherwood

This morning, BBC Breakfast reported a new initiative by police in Northamptonshire.

In an attempt to cut the rising number of burglaries, the police there are patrolling the streets using a loud hailer to encourage people to keep their windows and doors locked.

It may seem a little extreme, however it’s an important message to get across. The need for adequate security - e.g. doors and window locks has been emphasised by the police in recent weeks. This is particularly pertinent as police in North Leeds and Dorset have reported a spate of ‘distraction burglaries’.

Distraction burglaries are when one or more individuals will engage the homeowner in some way (e.g. by trying to engage them in conversation - hence the distraction), whilst one or more others will try to gain access to the property (normally via an open window or unlocked door).

Once inside the burglars will take any items which are easy to carry - e.g. purses, wallets, handbags, car keys, jewellery and so on. Sadly the victims of these sort of crimes often don’t realise what has happened to them for several hours, therefore leaving the perpetrators with plenty of time of abscond.

For the most part burglars are opportunists, so the best way to avoid being targeted is to take reasonable steps to make sure your home is secured. It goes without saying that you should always keep your windows and doors locked when you leave your home, but it’s also worth being security conscious even when you are at home.

Take a look at our top ten security tips:

1. When you leave your property double check that it is properly secured.
2. Keep your backdoor locked at all times (unless you’re actually out enjoying your garden!)- particularly if it’s easy to access the rear of your property. You might think is fine to leave it unlocked when you’re home, but if you’re upstairs you might not hear someone sneaking in.
3. Don’t leave ground floor windows open if you’re not in the room - you’re making it too easy for someone to enter your property.
4. Never leave keys, wallets, purses, jewellery or other valuables near open windows - someone could simply reach in and help themselves.
5. Get to know your neighbours, and look out for each other.
6. Try not to advertise the fact that you’re going away on holiday - if at all possible have someone pop into your property now and again whilst your away to open and close curtains and make the place seem inhabited.
7. Beware of distraction burglar’s tactics - if you are suspicious of someone do not get engaged in conversation with them, politely but firmly make your excuses.
8. If the rear of your property is easily accessible via side gate (or similar) invest in a decent lock - and make sure it is secured at all times.
9. Invest in secure locks for your home e.g. deadlocks for external doors and locks for your windows and so on. 
10. Never leave spare keys under doormats / in flower pots etc - it’s the first place burglars will look.

You might also like to read the Home Office’s an excellent guide to Home Security for more hints and tips.

Here at SEHBAC we take home security very seriously. All of our double glazed windows benefit from the very latest in security features including multi-point locking systems with up to six locking points, and all SEHBAC doors are fitted with the latest multipoint locking systems, and are designed to endure sustained attempts to gain entry. 

If you’re thinking about replacing your windows and / or doors, and would like to talk to someone about security options why not call us on 0800 666 444, drop in to one of our show centres or arrange a home visit. Our staff will be happy to talk through the options with you, and offer guidance in selecting the right solution for you.

Image credit altemark

SEHBAC are pleased to announce their partnership agreement with VBH, who will be supplying hardware for SEHBAC’s PVCu and composite doors, PVCu outward opening casement windows and tilt & turn windows.

John Savage (pictured on the left), Managing Director of SEHBAC said: “We’ve worked hard to earn ourselves a reputation as a supplier of premium calibre double glazing products. For that reason we always want to fit the best hardware, so when VBH demonstrated their ability to pull together all the top brands and supply from a single source, it became a really simple choice.”

Under the terms of the partnership, VBH and their partners will provide on-going technical assistance whenever required. For example, Melvin Hutton (VBH Technical Manager) has recently been working with SEHBAC in setting up windows for testing at BSI for BS7950 kitemark certification.

Melvin Hutton of VBH said “This is what VBH is all about. Bringing all the links in the supply chain together to provide more support, more value and more efficiency. Our aim is to provide ’simply everything’ to our business partners and to support them in their plans to provide market leading products and service. We look forward to a successful and growing business relationship with SEHBAC.”

News of this partnership was also picked up by several industry publications including Glass & Glazing Magazine and Glass Times.