In this episode Paul talks through the significant barriers faced by house building developers, emphasising the critical issues of land availability, planning complexities, and the current skills shortage in the construction industry, Paul shares insights on the importance of understanding the development process and not overly relying on consultants.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Land and Planning Challenges: The primary barriers to growth for house building developers are the cost and availability of viable land, along with the complexities and delays in the planning system. These issues have been persistent and are worsening, leading to a significant housing shortage.
Skills Shortage in Construction: There is a critical skills shortage in the construction industry due to a lack of training and apprenticeships over the years. This has made the actual building process more challenging, compounding the difficulties faced by developers.
Over-Reliance on Consultants: Many developers make the mistake of being overly reliant on their consultants, particularly architects and planning consultants. It is crucial for developers to have a comprehensive understanding of the entire development process to effectively manage and instruct their consultants.
Importance of Knowledge and Experience: For smaller developers, possessing a certain level of knowledge and experience is essential to navigate the complexities of property development. This knowledge helps in managing the various consultants and ensuring that the development process runs smoothly.
The Insider System: A structured approach, referred to as the Insider System, is essential for successful property development. This system emphasises the importance of instructing consultants rather than merely asking for their input, highlighting the developer's role in coordinating the entire process to achieve optimal outcomes.
BEST MOMENTS
"The cost and availability of viable land and the planning system are the biggest barriers to growth for house building developers."
"Building in a sustainable way, and in particular, protecting and looking after nature is a massively important thing."
"When developers become overly reliant on their consultants, particularly architects and planning consultants, that is usually where things can go very, very wrong."
ABOUT THE HOST
Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development
Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.
Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was
just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.
In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach
established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know!
Paul is also a founding investor and former board
director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.
CONTACT METHOD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs
Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/