Opinion

John McHugh, managing partner of DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, discusses the state of the Scottish residential market. Spring is in the air in the Scottish residential property market and, after a winter which both dampened and at times froze growth, activity and interest is burgeoning again, raising

Organisations in the construction sector are being warned to expect a rise in the number of adjudications around contracts as government support comes to an end and cash becomes scarce for many businesses. Companies that might have a claim in a construction contract or might be on the receiving

Alan Gordon, senior partner of DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, discusses how the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine will help boost the Scottish property market. As the socially-distanced queues snake round the block at vaccination centres across Scotland, there is a general acceptance that a shot in the

Early adopters of sustainable practices, including retrofit programmes, may be better placed to reap future benefits, writes Sheelagh Cooley. In the year that Glasgow hosts the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), UK law firm Shoosmiths joined over 120 other UK businesses committing to

Jim Burberry, partner at RSM, comments on the Domestic Reverse Charge which was introduced yesterday. After being pushed back twice, the VAT Domestic Reverse Charge for the Construction Industry (the ‘DRC’) was introduced yesterday (1 March 2021). The introduction of the DRC will po

Matt Wheelis, VP industry strategy at the build & construct division of the Nemetschek Group, discusses the importance of open standards for the construction industry. The construction industry accounts for approximately 13% of the world’s GDP. However, it is an even bigger contributor to

Cruden Homes' sales and marketing director Hazel Davies explains the psychology of colour and the effect that has on our home and why, particularly in lockdown, we could benefit from introducing a bit of colour into our home to enhance our mood and wellbeing. After the last 12 months

Rosie Gollan, an Edinburgh-based solicitor at law firm Womble Bond Dickinson, looks at the Building Safety Bill and its implications in Scotland. Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the UK Government has been reviewing and taking steps to reform our building and fire safety regimes. 

Stuart MacPherson, senior business services manager at Aberdeen-based chartered accountancy firm Meston Reid & Co, gives advice on VAT changes in the construction industry. A change to VAT collection arrangements is finally heading the way of the UK construction industry.

Growing awareness of environmental issues will encourage builders and developers to make new homes ever greener in the coming years and decades. Queensberry Properties’ sales and marketing director, Hazel Davies, identifies four main areas by which tomorrow’s homes will reduce their envi

Following SCAPE's report in December which revealed that residents are reporting they don't see community improvements from construction work, Sarah Stone reveals what construction firms can do to not just improve the way they create social value, but do so in a way that also builds economic va

Writing on behalf of storage container supplier Mobile Mini, Andrew Richardson builds the case for construction offices in 2021. Construction workers have faced a difficult year. Output in the construction sector has been hit by the first national lockdown and subsequent social distancing

Womble Bond Dickinson partner Simon Lewis on the continuing discussion around building safety, and particularly the replacement of combustible cladding. The UK Government’s February 2021 announcement on support measures for affected buildings came against a backdrop of increasing pressure to i

Faithful+Gould director Stewart Macleod shares this article developed from a paper he and a colleague wrote looking at construction sector conditions. We wrote previously about the impact of 2020 on the UK construction sector and our work forecasting ahead. We are still facing challenges in the

Jennifer Campbell at Baird Lumsden talks about the increasing number of off-market transactions in the rural property market. There is a perception among many people of sufficient financial means that the only real wealth is privacy, and that the core purpose of mere money is to secure the space an