Enevate Homes, a national and independent provider of modular homes, has seen turnover increase by 118% this year as the need for a sustainable housing solution grows.
The modular housebuilder saw its turnover jump from £3.9million last year to £8.5million this year, with 250 homes being ordered in recent months. As a result, the company is looking to increase its workforce by up to 40 additional employees over the coming months to cater to the influx of new homes, and is working alongside the Ministry of Defence and the Career Transition Partnership to give military veterans the opportunity to retrain and join the rapidly expanding business.
Gary Mayatt, managing director of Enevate Homes, said: "Despite the benefits of modular housing, many providers have been loss-making, with momentum stalling and leading to several companies falling into administration last year. However, the solution to the UK housing crisis appears to be gaining serious momentum since February this year with significant interest from ministers and housing associations."
"We have seen a significant uptake in modular homes — which is vital, especially if the UK is to tackle some of its biggest issues, such as an ageing workforce, a mismatch between the supply and demand of new housing and the urgent need to gear up the economy to meet net zero targets by 2050."
The modular construction industry in the UK has seen mixed fortunes over the past few months, but Enevate believes that the recent high demand it has witnessed may be a sign that modular might soon deliver a significant proportion of new homes.
Enevate Homes, which was founded in 2016, has seen an influx of housing associations show interest in factory tours and learning about modular homes in recent months, signalling a start for plans to rapidly produce modular homes to provide low-cost "social housing" for people in need of a home. The company can produce an average-sized home in just 30 days at its 150,000 sq. ft. North Lanarkshire factory.
Shona Robinson, deputy first minister for Scotland, also recently visited the company's headquarters to discuss the country's plans for modular.
Savills' Impacts Report predicts that the UK is set to see the strongest growth in modular housing in Europe, estimating that the number of homes delivered using modern methods of construction (MMC) will double to 20% by 2030.
Leading UK MMC trade body, Make UK Modular, has calculated that the industry will be able to build 20,000 modular homes by 2025. This would equate to a fifth of the 100,000 annual shortfalls, following government targets of 300,000 new homes a year by 2025.
Gary Mayatt said: "The UK currently delivers just 10% of new homes using modern methods. We expect this to significantly increase in the coming years as we continue to see a pick-up in momentum. In four years' time, the modular industry will be a significant part of how we deliver homes in the UK."
Source: Enevate Homes sees demand for modular skyrocket (offsite-now.com)
