Our population is increasing, people are having to be a great deal more mobile and the traditional family unit is changing  -  all of which means that the demand for housing is growing. Targets set by the government for building new homes run into hundreds of thousands but the current recession and slowdown in house building has put enormous pressure on those targets ever being met. Unless there is a significant increase in the number of homes built the country is facing a desperate shortage of homes over the next few years.

The recession and the cost of moving up means many people are not buying but choosing to extend and enlarge their homes. Rising energy costs and global warming has encouraged many to consider more sustainable building methods and find ways to make their homes more eco friendly. The lack of imaginative, sustainable and innovative design from many house builders has contributed to more and more people choosing to build their own homes. Self-building is a growing phenomenon and again self-builders are choosing to make their homes more eco friendly by using sustainable building products and practices.