Chris Tranter, Senior Product Manager at Bristan, discusses how consumers are becoming more trend-aware when it comes to their kitchens and bathrooms.
The new build sector is continuing to grow with new home registrations in Britain at their highest level in more than a decade, boosted by a number of large developments in London.
But what are the latest products that the housebuilding industry needs to be aware of in order to make the most of this rise? When it comes to taps, these are some of the options that should be of key consideration.
Fashionable functionality
Whereas certain areas of the home such as the kitchen were once seen as practical spaces, today’s homebuyers want to balance aesthetics and functionality. Consumers perceive kitchens as the heart of the home and are willing to invest to create a stylish space.
Products that were once thought of as practical finishing touches – such as taps – increasingly make the crucial difference for potential homeowners who want to put a real stamp on their new home.
Nowadays we’re seeing innovative new products such as boiling water taps that combine hot, cold and boiling water in one unified design. With an estimated 165 million cups of tea drunk each day in the UK, these taps could soon make kettles obsolete. Instead of waiting three minutes a day (or 18 hours a year!) for the kettle to boil, users only need to twist a handle for instant hot water.
Bristan’s new Gallery kitchen range is designed to provide high-end design combined with functions to match individual personalities. The Gallery Smart Measure in particular is for homeowners who are keen cooks and want a stylish kitchen tap that helps them achieve cooking and baking perfection with precise water delivery.
Alternatively, there’s the Gallery Pro Glide, which is packed with intuitive features that make a stunning tap that is a statement piece for any chic kitchen.
Easy-fit options
Following feedback from the industry, manufacturers are increasingly looking to create pioneering, new product designs that meet the need for quick and easy installation. The objective is to reduce the time it takes to install kitchens and bathrooms in new builds, and the number of hours installers need to be on-site.
For example, Bristan’s new sinks range has an Easyfit base already pre-installed along with pre-fitted flexi tails. This means that an Easyfit tap body can be fixed to the sink with minimum fuss.
If the householder decides they want a new look in the kitchen, the existing tap body can easily be unscrewed and replaced by another model from the Easyfit range in a matter of minutes. By specifying these packages on new builds, developers can offer customers the ultimate ease of upgrade.
Staying on top of the latest developments in product design is essential for housebuilders to improve the efficiency that is needed to boost productivity in order to meet ambitious new build targets.
