Rebuilding costs will be impacted by the rise in costs of construction materials as well as labour expenses due to labour shortages. These will increase the rebuild cost i.e. the amount it will cost to replace the exact same property including demolition, decontamination and clearance of the site, local authority restrictions on materials or construction, external works and infrastructure, and professional fees. BIBA describe the rebuild cost as “the anticipated sum, net of VAT, of a fixed price competitive tender cost that would be submitted by a competent contractor to completely rebuild the property on the day of valuation”. These increases in rebuild costs have been slowly increasing but now jumped by 24% overall this year (BCIS).
Effects from Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have been largely responsible for these increases. Here are some of the specific factors influencing high materials and labour costs:
➡ Brexit induced inflation and complexity in international trade and supply chain such as tariff changes
➡ Migrant workforce shortages and changes caused by new immigration rules
➡ A decline in the value of the pound and added bureaucracy further complicate workforce issues
➡ Covid lockdowns and closures reducing manufacturing capacity around the world
➡ Furloughing of construction workers putting delays and driving up labour costs
➡ Surge in DIY projects, creating strain on the supply chain and further increasing the cost of materials➡ Material stockpiling and over-ordering cause further strain on the supply chain
➡ Low unemployment and increased salaries, increasing the cost of labour
➡ Inflation of fuel and energy costs driven by supply chain issues
➡ Long lead times in manufacturing
➡ Environmental factors like war driving up energy prices as well as extreme weather events that have damaged timber production
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