Sustainable construction, the ability to adapt, the creation of an accessible property ladder, consideration of mental health in planning, and improving the performance of homes, have all been identified by industry experts as crucial elements in the future of housebuilding in a new industry whitepaper – The Homebuilders Insight Report – from Origin.
The report, designed to help housebuilders prepare for the future of homebuilding and build homes for the next generation, draws on five leading experts, all of whom share their insights on the challenges and opportunities the future of housebuilding presents. Curated by Victoria Brocklesby, COO and Co-Founder at Origin, the whitepaper includes contributions from Cat Smith, Director & Co-Founder at Pixel; Matthew Richards, Partner at Ridge and Partners LLP; Karen Curtin, Managing Director at Graven Hill Village Development Company and Melissa Balk, Associate at Fisher German.
Victoria Brocklesby commented: “The housebuilding industry is at a pivotal point and those who do not adapt will be left behind. The way people live is changing and homeowners’ priorities are evolving – and fast. The industry must recognise this. With this in mind, we have collated the opinions of some of the industry’s most high-profile and well-regarded thought leaders, to share their views on what they predict for the future of housebuilding and how industry professionals should adapt.”
For professionals concerned with homeowner lifestyle changes and the impact they are having on buying habits, Cat Smith looks at how the evolution of the homebuyer has been accelerated by the pandemic, whilst offering advice on how the industry can prevent being left behind. Also feeding into this pool of thought is Melissa Balk, who considers the importance of mental health and wellbeing in planning. She discusses how this should be considered alongside climate change and biodiversity to deliver homes fit for the modern buyer.
Matthew Richards considers the retrofit challenge for housebuilders in creating homes that consider the energy and carbon required to run them. Similarly, Victoria Brocklesby argues that taking a holistic view of sustainability should be at the top of the industry’s agenda to ensure it is able to respond to the changing and realigned priorities of the modern homebuyer.
Finally, Karen Curtin considers the property ladder and the options available to buyers looking for personalised homes, offering food for thought to industry professionals considering the framework for the future of their business.
