We need to address the problem of who will build the houses we sell

摘要

With all the major housebuilders having now reported their latest results, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that commercially the industry is in its best shape for seven years. Talk to any housebuilder, though, and the growing skills shortage is topping the list of longer-term worries, ahead of the perpetual concerns about planning. Our own recovery was underlined last week by a doubling of profits and a new return on capital target. It wasn't a recovery built on last week's sales figures, but on a land investment strategy started five years ago and on improving every aspect of our operational performance. Since then, we have committed £3.8bn in land investment, identifying where we want to invest and the types of homes we want to build. The new sites we acquired are now driving up returns. Last year, we committed to buy 21,400 plots and this year we're looking to bring 180 new sites into production.