Investing in a new van is a big decision to make. Between the different makes and models, varying specifications, questions about fuel consumption and insurance costs to consider, it’s hard to decide what’s best for you and your business. Insurance comparison website The Van Insurer has crunched its quote data from the last 12 months to find the most popular vans amongst …

It takes courage to leap from the security and comfort of your job, but the fact that you're here tells us that you're thinking of making the leap into the world of being the master of your own destiny.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of people consider a lack of quality of build to be a major disadvantage of buying a new build home over an older property, according to a recent survey by BLP Insurance, a specialist residential warranty and commercial latent defects insurer. People living in the north of England (29%) were more likely to view a lack …

According to recovery figures from TRACKER, 82% of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) were stolen without the owner’s keys in 2017 –  up by nearly 100% compared to 2016 (44%).  The Ford Transit was again the most popular van stolen last year and are said to have accounted for over half of the LCV recoveries made by TRACKER. “Keyless entry technology …

Roger Bisby attends a one day damp-proofing course with Safeguard Europe where he learns about the different causes and types of damp in buildings and what can be done about them. I have been using DryRods from Safeguard Europe for a couple of years now. Before that I used the Dryzone cream. There is no doubt that the product works …

Research undertaken by MoneySuperMarket has revealed that the nation has deep concerns about the impending smart home revolution, despite possible cost savings. 76% of Brits admitting to being ‘fearful’ of the smart homes concept, with unapproved data collection cited as the greatest worry. Other concerns about connected homes include the technology being hacked by criminals (51%), being made unusable by …

Home owners should book in their builder at least four months before their project begins or risk working with a cowboy, new research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has revealed. The research also shows that many consumers don’t ask their builders for essentials such as a contract or references when embarking upon a major piece of building work. …

Companies across the UK have been forced to pay out over £61m in health and safety fines throughout 2016 with the construction sector seeing fines double according to law firm BLM’s health and safety tracker. Research conducted by the insurance and risk law firm found that fines for the construction industry jumped from £6,644,807 in 2015 to £13,636,346 in 2016 …

London startup Plentific.com, a growing home services marketplace, has announced a new feature that will allow customers to book home improvement jobs with just a few taps on their phone. This new service lets customers skip the process of searching for potential tradesmen, comparing quotes and haggling for a fair price just to book a minor home improvement job such …

The Government has made the right decision to row back on its plan to hike up National Insurance Contributions for the self-employed, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said. Brian Berry, FMB Chief Executive, said: “At a time when we need to do everything we can to ensure economic stability, this would have been a destabilising tax increase which …

Makers of the Brick Brace claim it will help you gain  fitting space, reduce repair time and achieve a superior and safer finish when undertaking masonry alterations. Roger Bisby takes a look. Most builders hardly give a second thought to knocking away supporting walls and propping them with a small forest of screw-jacks or Acrows as they are generally called. …

Tradespeople and small contractors struggling with late payment issues should welcome changes to the speed of commercial insurance claims payments as part of the Enterprise Act according to ECIC, the specialist insurer for the construction sector. Unnecessary delays in claims payments should be a thing of the past, with the Enterprise Bill having now become law, giving the UK’s smaller …

Isuzu has bolstered the D-Max line-up with the launch of an extreme version. The new Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 is engineered to take on the most arduous terrain, according to the manufacturer. Available in either double-cab or extended-cab configurations, Isuzu says the AT35 is the most capable pick-up it has ever put on sale. It is priced from £30,995. …

Staff from building chemicals manufacturer Bond It have helped to raise money for a worthy cause. A team drawn from across the manufacturer of sealants, adhesives and building chemicals recently took part in a five-a-side football tournament for Bond It’s chosen charity, Overgate Hospice. Located in Elland, West Yorkshire, close to Bond It’s head office and main manufacturing site, Overgate …

Roger Bisby tries out the Innofix clip from Redland, a useful clip that prevents storm damage by stopping roof tiles from being blown off when it’s windy. Despite the change in the standard BS 5534 Code of Practice for roof slating and tiling there are still a lot of cowboy roofers out there laying interlocking tiles without any fixings.  Nobody …

“The extreme winter weather, having ruined Christmas for tens of thousands and likely to cost the country up to £1.5bn, serves to remind those concerned with building design, construction and management of the important role PVC-U building products can play in adding flood resistant and resilience to homes actually and potentially threatened with disaster”, says Chris Coxon, Head of Marketing …