Recommended by TV's expert builder ( Posted : 08/07/2010 )
One of our satisfied customers...
We at Easy Price Pro have recently discovered one of our very satisfied customers is the expert builder that fixes building jobs on TV's Cowboy Builders programme! The show is all about standing up for aggrieved consumers. Each episode of Cowboy Builders focuses on the owners of one home that has suffered at the hands of unreliable workmen. It could be that they have been saddled with a crumbling extension, an illegal loft conversion, a destroyed bathroom or a gutted kitchen - but whichever way, these helpless homeowners are in dire need of help. Melinda Messenger, with over ten years' experience as a property developer, takes charge of a makeover of the property to surpass all expectations. The expert builder they use for this is John Russell, who regularly uses and highly recommends Easy Price Pro.
In fact, he is so impressed with what Easy Price Pro does for pricing construction work that they will be using it to price projects they undertake for the hit show on channel 5. John is delighted to be 'the face' of Easy Price Pro!
Launch of the new version for pricing renovations ( Posted : 08/07/2010 )
The new version of Renovations & Alterations estimating software is about to be sent out to the 100 Professional Builder magazine readers that responded to our article requesting their help. Basically, the best way we get feedback is by actual builders that try using the software, and in return for their vaulable time, we are giving them 6 months free use of the finished product.
After the recent and very successful launch of the new upgrade for pricing up new house builds and extensions, we are now about to launch yet another new version, this time of their other best-selling product, Renovations & Alterations which is specifically designed for pricing up renovation/alteration works.
Extract from Professional Builder magazine, "With the new version of the R&A, more builders will have the nation’s favourite brand of builders’ software to price up their work."
Estimating renovation work has never been easier now the program has been completely upgraded with many more functions including our unique 3D explanatory graphics for every item. These offer an alternative way to enter data, select materials and to check what info the program requires. They also have easy-to-use ‘wizards’ which take you through the main functions of the software step by step, assisting those who are not so technically-minded. The program also has more pre-defined job templates, ready for the user to enter basic information which the program then uses to maximum effect, creating everything the builder requires, and creating your own customised ones is simple.
The rise in VAT to 20 percent will be a big setback to recovery in the building trade.
That’s the verdict from Britain’s builders as the Government’s emergency budget was digested and analysed in the last week of June.
One spokesman for the industry said the move could encourage cash in hand ‘cowboys’, who are already a blight on the trade. Another view was that the budget had done absolutely nothing to help the availability of affordable credit for builders, again considered essential if the recovery in the housing market is to continue.
Generally, the proposed £6billion worth of cuts was seen as a threat to the recovery. However, in some ways the budget was considered to be ‘business friendly’. The reduction in the small profits rate of corporation tax, to 20 percent, was welcomed. And it’ll be cheaper to employ people as there’s been a £21 a week increase in the threshold for employers’ National Insurance Contributions.
But it’s the VAT rise that everyone was talking about and there’s already talk of a campaign to try to ease the situation. Many builders are calling for the VAT rate for repairs and renovations to be reduced to 5 percent. They say that this move alone could significantly stimulate growth and improve the UK’s green credentials.
Free listing on the 'find a builder' website ( Posted : 08/07/2010 )
We have teamed up with HomePro, the makers of the 'Quote-me' service and we're giving away a free Premium Listing on their website for 6 months. This free offer is for Easy Price Pro customers.
What is the Quote-me website?
Anyone wanting building work or home improvements can go to the website, enter their postcode and request a quote from tradespeople in their area. These enquiries will be sent to you to follow up.
The site receives over 10,000 searches take place every month so there is a good chance you will receive new enquiries from potential clients.
If you would like to be listed, all we ask is that you complete our brief survey.
After the free 6 months we will automatically remove your listing from the site, unless you tell us you want to continue which you may want to do, but of course, you will be under no obligation.
New movie for the New Houses & Extensions 5 ( Posted : 08/07/2010 )
Take a look at the detailed tour of the new version of our best-selling estimating software.If you already have this version, the movie will take you step by step through pricing up a job and generating the reports, charts and graphs. View movie (use the drop down menu at the top of the movie to view different video sections
Change to brownfield rule ( Posted : 08/07/2010 )
The Government has announced that gardens are to be removed from the ‘brownfield’ site category in planning regulations. This will have the effect of giving local councils more power to refuse applications to build extra homes in some of the larger gardens in our towns and cities. The Housebuilders Federation said that houses had to be built somewhere and that this latest move would only cause confusion, as councils already had the power to veto applications on other grounds.
There’s been a significant rise in the number of new homes being built in the three months up to April. The National Housebuilding Council say an extra 31,000 houses were registered in the period, that’s up 74 percent on the same period last year.
Experts are saying the latest figures are evidence recent improvement is now showing consistency, after a long period in the doldrums when new housebuilding slumped to its lowest level in 30 years.
Our Managing Director, Paul Betts, commented:”Thank goodness there now seems to be growing evidence British builders are through the recession and, though many may be leaner, they are also fitter. Here at Easy Price Pro, we’ve also noticed improvements since the turn of the year, with sales up considerably as builders realise our estimating software saves them time and ensures accuracy, helping them cut costs as they recover from the slow-down.”
Outlook improves slowly ( Posted : 08/07/2010 )
The Council of Mortgage Lenders says there was a 27 percent increase in the amount of money loaned to people to buy their homes in the year to April. Also, the actual number of loans issued was up by 15 percent.
Other figures released show that house prices in England and Wales grew by around 11 percent over the year. However, there was only 2.2 percent growth in Scotland and in Northern Ireland there was a big fall in house prices, down by 8.9 percent.
More builders are snapping up the software ( Posted : 11/04/2010 )
We have seen positive signs that builders are gaining more work and deciding that now's the time to invest in estimating software. The first quarter of 2010 saw a sudden rise in enquiries we received and sales of our software packages. Last month, Eamonn Manners, one of our UK consultants gained more customers than any member of Easy Price Pro has ever achieved since we began. The agents' total sales for this quarter are double what they were last year in the same period. We have also noticed a large rise in upgrades and additional products bought from our existing customers. The newly released New Houses & Extensions Plus™ 5 has proved very popular with customers that originally purchased a few years ago but now wanting to upgrade to the latest version. The new version has only just been released, so if you are still within your upgrade time, expect to see your new program in the post very soon. More information on version 5.
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ar in the same period. We have also noticed a large rise in upgrades and additional products bought from our existing customers. The newly released New Houses & Extensions Plus™ 5 has proved very popular with customers that originally purchased a few years ago but now wanting to upgrade to the latest version. The new version has only just been released, so if you are still within your upgrade time, expect to see your new program in the post very soon. More information on version 5.
