Chris Collinson, Sky Sales and Marketing Director, talks us through the latest innovations from Sky to give your development the competitive edge.
Building rates in the UK continue to look strong since the 2009 low. According to the latest Government figures released this month, nearly 200,000 homes have been added to the UK’s housing stock in the last financial year.
Furthermore, figures from the NHBC show that almost 36,000 new homes were registered in the UK in the third quarter of 2016. The NHBC’s registration statistics are a lead indicator of UK house-building activity and show that the market has recovered well from a quiet period in July following market-wide nervousness after the EU Referendum.
The demand for new builds is strong and it’s easy to see why. Figures from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) show that energy efficiencies alone can see buyers saving up to £1,400 a year on utility bills when compared with the equivalent Victorian property.
Not only are there savings to be made but new builds are typically built to a much higher specification than older properties. This means buyers can and do demand more from their property, making it increasingly important for developers to stay ahead of the curve.
Earlier this year Sky carried out a significant piece of consumer research with more than 3,000 adults in the UK to further explore consumer expectations of new build property against a backdrop of changing media consumption and rapidly advancing technology.
This showed us that almost 70% of people would like new build properties to be better equipped for modern living, with people citing a desire for more storage, renewable energy, and pre-wired TV and broadband. More than half the people surveyed would opt for a new build because it would allow them to have input on the style and design of the interior.
Broadband and TV services ranked in the top five essential services, just behind more traditional utilities such as electricity, water, and gas with 55% of people expecting to have TV services in place either before they move in or within 48 hours. The research clearly showed Sky is the preferred provider for TV services.
At Sky we are committed to delivering solutions for property developers and their clients. The demands of modern living mean that people have less time to wait for services to be installed and being connected has become essential to people’s lives. Expectations are rising, with people demanding even more from their property.
We work closely with developers because research tells us it is not only an area of opportunity for us but it is also a key area where we can help developers to meet consumer demands and to improve their service offering, which all helps to achieve the coveted HBF five-star rating. We are also introducing a new approach to our partnership strategy that means we can help developers with their cashflow.
Our partnerships with many of the UK’s major property developers ensure that homebuyers’ expectations are met and that new builds are future-proofed to offer the very best in entertainment with Sky Q ready buildings.
Sky Q offers state of the art wireless home entertainment which meets the needs of homebuyers from the moment they walk in.
Sky Q means that viewers can experience the very best of Sky, on our best ever box. For the first time, you can access recordings anywhere around the home, pause a show in one room and carry on in another and much more. With Sky Q you can discover award winning entertainment in every room and on the move – all in Ultra HD. Our Sky Q mini boxes also boost Wi-Fi signal throughout a property. It’s easy to see why installing Sky Q sets your development apart.
Through our partnerships developers can get DSCR switches for free – these are Sky Q and legacy compatible multi-switches that must be installed instead of standard IRS multi-switches, in order to future-proof developments. If legacy systems are installed during a build there will be a cost when it becomes necessary to upgrade at a later date.
During the install, you will have the back up of a Sky Specialist Install Team to ensure your system is up and running smoothly. Not only this but we give you access to a dedicated account manager to ensure the process is hassle free. Once you’ve met your account manager you work together to decide how Sky can best deliver a spectacular experience for your customers. Your account manager visits the stakeholders in your business and we design and print co-branded marketing materials to inform and promote our unique deals to your customers. Our dedicated team contact your customers to answer and questions and make sure they are happy to proceed.
It really is that simple.
At Sky we understand that moving home is stressful and so we want to help developers to make things as hassle free as possible for buyers
We also know that house builders are under significant pressure to meet not only the government’s target of 1 million new homes by 2020 but to meet the expectations of evermore demanding home buyers. Competition is high. Build costs need to be squeezed. Timings are tighter than ever and land is at a premium.
The house building sector is a tough place to do business. At Sky we are committed to building partnerships to support developers and give your development the competitive edge.
[i] Survey conducted by Opinion Matters on a sample of 3,387 consumers aged over 18.
