How Britain Plans to Catch Up. Future Homes Standard

Newsletter ▶ skill-builder.... ◀
Roger looks at the The Future Homes Standard and how it will change the building industry.
🔻MORE🔻
The Future Homes Standard: Changes to Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations for new dwellings.
Detail of outcome
Government response to the Future Buildings Standard consultation, covering energy efficiency, ventilation and overheating.
It built on the Future Homes Standard consultation by setting out energy and ventilation standards for non-domestic buildings, existing homes and includes proposals to mitigate against overheating in residential buildings.
It set out proposals for a Future Buildings Standard, which provides a pathway to highly efficient non-domestic buildings which are zero carbon ready, better for the environment and fit for the future.
The interim outcomes of this consultation and the previous one, will now be implemented through a statutory instrument and new approved documents which will deliver an uplift in energy efficiency standards for new homes and buildings, improved ventilation and a requirement to mitigate any overheating in residential buildings.
Download The Future Buildings Standard: 2021 Consultation on changes to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations for non-domestic buildings and dwellings; and overheating in new residential buildings.
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[@johnlesoudeur3653]

Ask anyone in the UK that has a property with a party wall about UK housing quality...you could ask the question on the other side of the wall and you would still get an answer.

[@Stefan_Kawalec]

If a bad construction job makes someone a cowboy builder, your "history lesson" just made you a cowboy historian.

[@nialstewart8263]

Is it not the case our houses haven't had as good insulation etc as most of Europe because we didn't need it and fuel was cheap?

[@tlangdon12]

Exactly. We didn't need it because fuel cheap. Now fuel isn't cheap and we have to rely on other countries very much more than we used to. We've also realised that burning fossil fuels is very polluting, and that we are giving children asthma because of the amount of pollution in the air.

[@swampcastle8142]

That blew my mind when I was stationed there in 2006-2009. The price of heating oil had spiked and it was getting rough paying the bills. When I went up into the attic of the house I realized there was almost no insulation installed. Some over the main rooms. None over the bedrooms, bath, and utility. Hit DIY and spent 400 pounds and installed it myself. (The land lord was not interested.) Went from two tanks of oil per year to half a tank. Asking around, that seems to be common problem.

[@hub-p4g]

No..the long term running cost of a poorly constructed uk home is still huge regardless of climate or fuel cost, like the u.s.. it's all about profits and selling price. in over 25 years plastering i have only worked on one large site where the developer actively wanted good homes..not the bare minimum. Most prioritised hiding shoddy shit rather than doing it well.

[@mikerodent3164]

Not only did we have, and still have, 00s of years of coal reserves. But also our climate is insular, not continental, so less extreme, and is massively warmed by the Jet Stream, the effects of which extend even to northeast Scotland. Boston USA is on the same latitude as Rome. But it regularly falls to minus 25 C in Boston in winter. There's a reason why the Scandinavians and Swiss build in the way they do. I remember seeing something about a Scandinavian couple who had made the mistake of spending the Swedish winter in a sort of summer house, not specially designed to cope. It was a harrowing experience and it was clear they'd never try that again.

[@jannenreuben7398]

Fuel was never especially cheap in the UK but lifestyles were different when coal fires were a thing. The fetish for insulation probably started with the fuel shortages in the 1970s.

[@tlangdon12]

Good video Roger. You are right about why homes were thrown up cheaply in the 1950s, but people have been living in those homes for sevety years, and most have done little to improve their energy efficiecy, mainly because energy has been so cheap that there was no economic reason to do so! Similarly, the building standards were aligned with the expected costs of heating the home, i.e. using cheap fossil fuels.

[@w.w.8823]

Nah. I don't buy this explanation for the UK"s relatively poor housing (debt from world wars). Until the 1950's the UK controlled 26% of the world's land mass and it's trade. A nice little earner. We won the lottery big time in the 1970's with the discovery of North Sea oil. Fifty years ago. Where did all the money go? It wasn't into housing and infrastructure that's for sure.

[@Subcomandante73]

NHBC warranty is a joke.

[@mrcombiBedford]

So true, thanks for another amazing video, when I see thousands and thousands of graves I see Doctors Teachers etc.etc. that we need today, thanks Government for that. My cousin just came from Poland, we went to see a new build site, he said these houses are completely rubbish and would not be allowed. Air source and rads are banned only under floor + unvented cylinder. The EU is 10 years ahead, All the UK has to do is COPY but our government is not interested. 😘

[@mrcombiBedford]

👍Thanks for your comment

[@damianbutterworth2434]

Plus we was paying for stopping the world wide slave trade until just recently.

[@strummer6642]

Sorry Roger I love your videos but Germany paid massive reparations, housing is bad because Mrs T sold it for a song, and didn't invest in new social housing, preferring to reduce income tax to buy votes. And after the war there wasn't enough labour to rebuild the economy, hence immigration. If landowners were restricted in what they are paid for housing land i.e. existing value not value with planning, a huge part of the housing problem (cost of land) would be solved.

[@niceiceman]

Hi Roger, would you please tell us about " weather compensation sensor" , how does it work and whether it is worth it?

[@gurglejug627]

Mate your vids on building are really interesting but your historical knowledge varies from questionable to a load of. The Treaty of Versailles, brought about by the UK sticking its nose into a war it had sod all to do with left Germans (our traditional allies) starving and eventually in chaos. Something was bound to crack and if we didn't arguably cause it, we could easily have mitigated it. But didn't lift a finger, indeed continued to make supply awkward. In WW1 yep Sweden exported gun metal ('disguised' to be legally exported usually as horseshoes) and in WW2 yes Sweden exported steel but often more importantly ball bearings - though it did export these to the UK as well on fast MTBs which came to 'the narrow bit of' Norway to pick them up. Sweden also had training camps training the Norwegian resistance. It's a rule of thumb to say the upper class in Sweden supported Germany but the workers didn't (not least as much/most Swedish (and Finnish) nobility and industrialists and military generals were German) - so where did that leave the average person? In fact Sweden had been p... poor, literally starving and freezing and people sold themselves into slave labour around 1905 (mostly in Denmark) so one can understand some of the need to collaborate as Britain ruled the waves and took all the pie - which they took from the entire world (not that I blame them, everyone was trying, we were just better at it, but that too has consequences). Britain worked via Sweden to supply the Finns during the Winter War and helped stimy the dreaded threat of communism, so it's not as though we didn't co-operate politically. However that very communism and the Russian spirit won the war for the whole of our free world though that's 'never' mentioned - in fact we have deliberately tried to wreck their economy during and after the communist times, even now - with a potential to cause the start of WW3 in the same way it started in WW2 Germany, had we stupidly succeeded. Who sold us out with Lend Lease and Battleships for Bases? Our supposed mates the US who didn't join the war(s) until it suited them financially. The US continues to screw us over today, wrecking our TSR2 and Super Harrier projects as well as far more as the UK was far ahead of the US in aeronautics, and just as it buys up already educated people causing 'brain drain' in countries which need their people, the ones they themselves paid to educate (see Michio Kaku's B1B documentary on KZbin) - ergo the US stuffs any country which invests in its young and we wonder why we have hunger/poverty/ignorance based wars the world over. The reason most of our housing stock is p.. poor is bad planning and a stunning lack of interest in ordinary people in the UK, with as many small beams used being due to corruption as due to the war. I give you posters of babies on bayonets the crass and disgusting propaganda of the time used to get young British men to join up to world war one - a great way to get rid of some population and note how the Germans supplied their forces with things as simple as machine guns (i.e. dirt cheap lifesavers) which the Brits simply didn't bother with., and duckboarding for their trenches, etc. When the Eastern front collapsed and the Russians 'wondered off home', did the 'evil Germans' follow and destroy Russia? No, they went home, too. Now we have mass immigration which has been shown not to work the world over, corrupt police (5 forces in 'special measures' as I write), an anyway unaffordable court system falling apart and political correctness games put ahead of families and children. You can't blame that on Germans or Swedes: Well, maybe Merkel, but Blair was as foolish. In upshot the UK is its own worst enemy and it seems to be getting worse almost by the day. The 'big two' parties need to go if we are to have any chance of success ahead of us. By the way, the Swedish well insulated housing is a result of long term thinking and differed gratification (if any) as Swedes don't socialise much if at all, have few evenings out or pub sessions and prefer to spend the money on their homes, not least as it's so cold in winter and it can be 50 miles between houses - a social difference. Further, Swedes tend to live in flats (and some have summer houses which don't need to be heated much - and they have the space, in houses vacated during the industrialisation, mostly from the 30s to 70s), as opposed to the year-round houses which belong to the more wealthy which you will then see. Also, the majority of the housing stock which looks so nice is 1930s-70s timber built structures newly covered with secondary insulation and planking to make them look modern - but it does the job and looks shiny and new. Also the Swedish economy was aided by women going to work in men's jobs and providing the manpower that led into the 70s "3rd way" socialism - something now almost unmentioned in the media, even on the internet - financially it worked well but the children are now reaping the rewards of a lack of available parenting, with the vast majority of the populous on 'happy pills' whilst telling people they are the 'happiest in the world'. Indeed, Yugoslavia is painted more or less as evil and as a 'failed communist state' where, as the only other 3rd way socialist country, it was streets ahead of the UK and many other economies in terms of life quality and individual wealth - we have a lot to learn from both! This is of course a nutshell argument. But don't get into history and sociology mate, stick to building, please...?! With very best wishes...

[@outfoxthefox]

Wow, what a reply.

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

Roger is far better giving building advice than his Alf Garnet style history lessons

[@ge2719]

he said there were more factors. so... yeah. stop being a pratt.

[@samanthaday5097]

Why do so many people say 'stick to what you do and don't get into politics?' I know thus us a building channel, but politics affect building and builders and their families. Who should speak for builders? Politicians might ignore us anyway but at least they can't accuse us of not being interested. The state schools system does enough to keep the working class stupid. I might not agree with Roger 100% but it's great that he throws his thoughts on the table for discussion. Just like it's great you took the time to throw yours in too! 👍🏻

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

@@samanthaday5097 how about the billions spent fighting stupid wars or looking after millions of immigrants , why didnt he mention that ?

[@UK75roger]

Ah Roger! I think you're from Southend? Me too. Or thereabouts? We probably went to the same school! I agree with a lot you say, but not everything, but i do like watching your channel.

[@SkillBuilder]

I have only been to Southend once in my life. I am from London via Surrey

[@swampcastle8142]

When only the largest builders and developers are basically the only ones that can navigate your regulatory, insurance, and banking systems, you have some big problems.

[@denniskeogh3422]

I've just bought a 1977 house .... insulated the exterior walls on the inside with the graphite polystyrene lining paper , skimmed the walls and you cant tell its been done . Makes a huge difference, holds the heat in the room longer, but need to use a dehumidifier to control the humidity. Loved your rant , your spot on , keep going with it .

[@gurglejug627]

keep and eye on that mate and experiment - a well running insulated house is always a balance between airflow and insulation, it oughtn't need a humidifier if it's properly balanced.

[@davidcassidy2944]

Look at getting a MHRV, it will help control the humidity for you - also you'll get fresh air.

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

I hope the new guarantee isn’t run by those clowns at the NHBC 🤡🤡🤡🧱👍🏽

[@GosforthHandyman]

Useless in my direct experience Steve! 👍 Amazing how every claim I've tried to make is just under the claim value threshold. 🙄

[@thegrandmuftiofwakanda]

'ello I'm that Roger Busy Bee off that Skill Builder channel wot you all like and today I'm asking a question to which the answer is obviously "...because too much of Europe wants to live here". Right ta ra for now I'm off to the Grand Mufti's gaff in Wakanda cos he's had the bloody cowboys in again.

[@gmurdock]

While there is some truth to Roger’s history lesson, I think he’s ignoring political considerations. How likely is it that absent the war debt the governments of the UK would have legislated for better quality homes? I think not so likely given the constant carping about the ‘nanny-state’ and calls to tear up red-tape. I think a comparison between how the UK and Norway used the revenue from North Sea oil is indicative of why the UK has poor quality homes and generally lower quality infrastructure.

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

Norway has 5 million people the UK has 65 million and Norway is bigger and has Hydro as well

[@SkillBuilder]

They also have a lot of oil but I don't remember talking about Norway.

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

@@SkillBuilder you didnt but the guy i replied to did

[@gmurdock]

@@JaneBloggs-jr9qd @SkillBuilder My point concerned how the revenue was used rather than the comparative land area or population sizes. The UK government used the money to cut taxes and fuel an economic boom instead of ring fencing the money to fund activities connected to future energy needs such as cheaper insulation, nuclear power, etc. Projects instigated with the knowledge that the oil wouldn't last forever. Now the oil revenue is declining and we're facing energy insecurity with a housing stock that is comically inefficient to heat.

[@f1remandg]

I have to say that the building of houses in this country has and still is poor, I have only lived in one modern house and all the others have been from 1894 to 1940s and everyone is different in a bad way, the property I live in now suffers from damp, that I can’t seem to find out why, I’ve replaced floors and joists, I’ve put in more air bricks, cleared out cavities and I still have to have dehumidifiers running, mould settles on surfaces and I even had a French drain installed. It’s like platting fog,

[@rupertmiller4718]

The history lesson is ionteresting but like much of history is distorted by which side the story teller is on. WW2 had its roots in the aftermath of WW1 which had its roots in the insanity of the somewhat inbred rulers of Europe at that time. Similarly the borrowing from the USA during WW2 should have been renegotiated at the time of the Marshall Aid plan but it wasn't. That however doesn't excuse the massive increase in profits that the developers have made since 2008, nor the depressing rows of ugly brick shit boxes they populate their estates with. When I worked in London I lived in mostly Victorian, sometimes Edwardian, sometimes older properties. The Victorian semi we lived in in Wimbledon, still has the same roof and tiles it had when built 120 or more years ago, it never leaked or lost a tile. Even a wartime bomb exploding nearby only put a small crack in a window sill. Yet 120 years on, we haven't really progressed, we have gone backwards. Yes we have better insulation but the fabric of our houses is far worse. Houses could be largely built in factories bnecause its not as if the shit boxes couldn't be modular, as they all look the same.

[@craiggreenhalgh1082]

WW2 🙈🙈😂🤣 Come On Rodger. Where's James 🤔👍

[@TheBlibo]

Hi So we have had a history lesson to explain why our homes a crap up until 2005 so what is the excuse for 2005 till now, it seems as the larger the the developer the worse the problem

[@youubik]

The average UK wage is £34,000

[@andrewholden5575]

Can you update us on heat pumps as new grant tasty

[@michaelfraser5723]

behind Greece? Moldova ? Turkey ? Estonia ? Latvia ? doubt that, nice try, EU (former EEC)

[@nicks4934]

Building regs and inspections. 80years ago?😂

[@Major.Alvega]

They could have just surrendered and have better homes today 🤦

[@valtur25]

Hi Roger. Great video as always. As a Pole living in NW England for quite few years now I have my own opinion on that topic. Of course it's based on knowledge I gained on the local level, not national. So it might be not so accurate when it comes to South of UK or Scotland. I wouldn't say that houses here are built or made from worse materials (since I tried few times to drill through bricks in my own home I learnt how sturdy it can be built) or in worse technology than in continental Europe. The difference in all insulation of homes here comes from two very important factors - different weather outside and people's preferences when it comes to temperatures inside their homes. Before I moved to UK it was unacceptable to me to live in a house that had less than 21*C inside all day long. Up here in North most of people I know, including myself have 16-19*C at heir homes. Even in heating season they have open windows through night for fresh air. It might be that infamous Vikings blood in people that is causing it. Winters here are also very mild, with temperatures not falling too often below zero degrees. When in Europe it's not that rare to have winters with temperatures below -10*C. So not that much energy is used here to heat up homes and usually it's lost over cold, windy night anyway because of poor insulation. UK's history with cheap coal and huge gas reserves is probably another factor. Why to save energy when you can just put more fuel in the burner?! Summer here is also not that hot on average, so there is no big reason to thermally isolate houses. And obviously air humidity here is probably on similar level as one in Brazilian jungle. That's why I wouldn't call houses here being behind European standards, since UK has own very specific climate, history and preferences.

[@gurglejug627]

I agree with much of what you say, but how does difficulty in drilling into bricks equate to a well designed home?

[@valtur25]

@@gurglejug627 houses here are built of kiln brick, while in continental EU they're built of wood, concrete blocks, ashfield bricks etc. which are quite "soft" when drilled

[@appstratum9747]

@@valtur25 Much of continental Europe - particularly the south (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy) - use steel reinforced concrete structures (pillars and beams) and hollow ceramic bricks to infill and for interior walls (or alternatively using a plasterboard wall with a structure based upon thin steel profiles rather than than timber studs and noggins that are favoured for the most part in the UK). The steel reinforced concrete structure is necessary (or favoured) in southern Europe due to its resistance to a) earthquakes and b) termites. And c) the construction skill level to build this is low and thus suitable for cheap labour. In such regions, kiln bricks (and skilled bricklayers) would require much more costly labour and the structures would be very dangerous in a major quake unless exceptionally well built (using vaulted ceilings and the like for a very strong structure, which is how this used to be done). Likewise concrete blocks (without steel). Timber houses - like in the US - don't perform particularly well in earthquakes and are also vulnerable to termites and fire. With a decent wind the wildfires in southern Europe get so hot that they can ignite a timber building from quarter of a mile away from the actual flames. The hollow ceramic bricks are typically rendered with 15mm to 20mm of sand/cement render on both sides, covered by a thin layer of plaster. But when drilling in, it's the 15mm of render (plus 7/8mm of ceramic brick) that together provide pull-out resistance. The mixture of render and ceramic make a surprisingly tough/strong combination. Sleeve+epoxy resin anchors are inserted into the ceramic bricks where heavier loads are to be supported. Older buildings in Iberia are often built with kiln bricks, just like the UK. Though modern building regulations (for the safety reasons mentioned above) and high labour costs in this day and age make this construction technique a lot less attractive these days.

[@Jamesp1972]

he's talking about material quality there@@gurglejug627

[@philipoakley5498]

100% agree. The UK's climate (we have 'weather') is not continental (they have 'seasons'). It's the same in USA. The lectures by Dr Joe Lstiburek also mention that UK's weather only matches the Washington state coastal region of USA. Climate (and broad sweep of history) drives the local house build solutions!

[@brianballard905]

Bollocks. The national debt as % of gdp fell below the prewar ratio by the 60's and to pre ww1 levels by the 90's. Yet housing build quality has progressively got worse as housebuilder profits have soared and building control become a more or less pay to play exercise.

[@caz6152]

This...^

[@gurglejug627]

hahahah I did try to say it in a long rant to SB - and rather more subtly. But I can't argue - the UK is knackered due to mismanagement and corruption from the top down, coupled with US greed and insistance on payments for so many years.

[@mikerodent3164]

Debt to GDP is not that straightforward an indicator if your GDP is also affected by war, which was the case for the UK in the world wars. Hundreds of other factors are obviously also involved in pricing and quality of housing. The economic effects of WW1 and WW2 were pretty huge, but they were for some other European countries. The main reason our homes have never been very well-insulated is because we've never really needed it: with abundant coal reserves (still present), an insular (so less extreme) climate and massive warming by the Jet Stream all winter long.

[@IverKnackerov]

Bollocks. Blaming housebuilder profits for the lack of quality, is lazy and simplistic

[@WolfCounty682]

I bet you never dealt with Building Regs and planning. 😂

[@kristaylor92]

What it really comes down too, is house builders maximising profit at every step. 15 year warranty is nothing and the house builder knows that. New build houses will barely have a lifespan of 100 years unlike most houses already built from the 1900's (Albeit not energy efficient or damp proof but certainly able to stand the test of time). I've worked for a large amount of housing developers and the workmanship, materials are used to appease the regulation, not exceed. This only leaves the companies that build to high spec, but unaffordable to everyone outside the 1%. More money needs to put into building sustainable properties, rather than grants to house builders exploiting overpriced sheds with tiles for 300k and shared ownership.

[@gdfggggg]

I don’t agree. 1900’s house we’re terrible by modern standards. The mortar they used is like dust, no damp course, no cavity. The roofs were built with non treated timber and more often then not, with no skill at all; the fit and finish of most of the Victorian roofs I’ve worked on could have been done by the 14yo apprentice. There’s cold bridging around the windows and the windows openings were built as such that they could leak. They used wooden lintels well below spec that are prone to rot. They were more often than not built on foundations about a foot deep, on clay that would expand and contract depending on the climate, cracking the already crap walls. Victorian houses built for the workers were beyond crap. Modern buildings will have a decent foundation, often at least a meter deep, with a damp course and using cement mortar. If the ground floor is wooden it will be built with c24 treated timber with the correct ventilation or if concrete will have insulation and a DPM; the first floor with c24 and the roof built with treated timber either trusses or cut and checked by the building inspector. I agree some house builders cut corners but I’d be willing to bet they’d still be better than most Victorian crap. On Victorian, the first floor timbers would be sat on non treated timber wall plates (as was ground), and the whole mass of the building would be sat on that, and would rot. Old buildings, by enlarge we’re pure crap. There are the more grand buildings that held up better. They tend to have much thicker walls, making it harder for the elements to encroach. Having a cavity wall and a damp course alone will eliminate many problems.

[@lksf9820]

Rubbish. Exactly what way will new houses fail completely that their life is ended within 100yrs? Many houses built 100+ years ago have had some serious work done to them to make them survive, I know, I've owned and worked in a many. The government actually ordered thousands of them to be demolished they were that bad.

[@ukrytykrytyk8477]

As an outsider I can tell you my view on why British housing is so bad. 1. Land availability would be first. Building plots are so uncommon that forces everyone to buy from the existing stock or big developers. No realistic option of self build. That's direct result of feudal systen that Britain has neve gotten rid of. 2. Culture. Builders can do a crap job and still people are OK with it because they have no other point of reference. 3. Lack of/bad regulations. If new estate is build it's housing mostly with little to no amenities. That creates car dependent places with no life outside. Many other reasons can also be listed but those are my main ones.

[@fenrifegads5571]

1) feudal system didn't make Britain a tiny island. It also didn't start importing millions of foreigners as fast as possible. Lack of land is because we are bloody full. No more room left. But we are now importing millions a year to be dependant on the state. 2)Most of our builders are foreign. The culture they work to is that of the company they work for, which are often foreign owned. 3)This simply doesn't apply to the UK. We are too small a landmass to have people remote enough that they are too far away from amenities.

[@ukrytykrytyk8477]

@@fenrifegads5571 I heard that myth of small island far too many times. Let me give you an example to show how silly it is. The Netherlands. Population density two or three times greater than in Britain yet their housing stock far exceeds British, both in quality and beauty. On top of that they managed to carve out enough farmland to be the second food exporter in the world! And they also have many migrants, quite a lot of whom are British.

[@fenrifegads5571]

@@ukrytykrytyk8477 Where is your data from?

[@leebennett7014]

@@ukrytykrytyk8477 I wonder how much land you will have when the water levels rise due to global warming. I don't think that the little boy with his finger in the dyke will cut it if you know what I mean. We have already built housing on a lot of the flood plains in this country hence all the recent news reports of people been flooded out of their houses and having to start again and again and again. How much land do you think we have?

[@louiswilliamterminator2887]

Spot on. Land planning, forcing ordinary people into crappy small homes, even if they have a reasonable plot, and the planning limitations on plots meaning only companies can afford to develop land on which to maximise profits with rabbit hutches

[@MagicianMan]

NHBC Building Warranty is in reality about as much use as a Chocolate Toothbrush. What IS NEEDED is for Building Inspectors to be independent (like they used to be) and NOT employed by the House Building Company (as they now are). At least that will ensure the houses are built to the correct standards.

[@tlangdon12]

Another thing that would help is to have publicly-owned building companies that were in competition with the private home builders. If the publically-owned companies we responsible for building all the affordable housing at a good standard, the private developers could use their landbanks to build a premium product that was better/bigger than the affordable housing - the quality of the houses they would build would go up if you could by a better house for less money in a slightly less desirable area.

[@geoffhanbury4978]

Spot on. These inurance policies are often not worth the paper they are written on and the cost is simply built intp the price of the property.

[@malachy1847]

My Uncle was a ,"Clerk of Works" on Local Council & Corpo, Building Sites for decades, so 'On Site' Inspections were carried out during those vital stages as the Construction progressed, as in Blighty, here in Ireland we are coming to grips with those dodgy builds of ,'The Naughties" [Celtic Tiger days] as Rodger says, Fire Stopping and the likes non compliant materials were the order of the day, later we were promised Tighter Regulation and Certification of Companies and proper training and the use of only certified licensed Contractors, but that never happed ... So it's back to those days of Drive By inspections by the Architects and their Hired Engineers, then signing of the the Building is ," In Substantial Compliance." Happy days again...

[@domtest2460]

There was such a thing. Eco homes and sustainable homes code was compulsory until that fat rodger hunt Eric Pickles got rid of it to "free up building potential and ease" that was removed in 2014 so nothing to do with the war... The code made sure homes were suitably and properly insulated, drainage and flood assessments Uvalues, you name it. Very very beneficial in insuring building companies on large developments make sure they stay within code.. now it's easier to get away with building homes from 1990 today with zero progress. So yes EU are way ahead of the curve even in countries that also suffered during WW2. .

[@alantomlinson3858]

Building inspectors are not employed by house builders, they are either council building inspectors or approved independent inspectors

[@wesvd1978]

It's not really the war that caused this. Half of Belgium was bombed (mostly by the Allies) and about 30% of men lost and housing standards are way higher than in England. It's purely the way houses are built here. Building companies maximising profits and hardly any legislation to stop them delivering shotty homes. Simply walk around any new build estate up and down the country. It's just shocking.

[@ep1981]

Do Belgian housebuilders (or Danish, German, etc.) not try and maximise their profits? Or are they held to higher independent standards than the useless building inspections done here?

[@AnthonyHancock-s7v]

But Belgium is still an absolute shit hole

[@wesvd1978]

@@ep1981 A lot of people still build their own houses. I think that creates a 'social' control which then requires building companies to achive higher standards. There def are incidents there as well but not on the scale you see here. But the government there has more regulation in place in general to protect the public in general as well. Not just buidling-wise. You don't have these cowboy situations like in the series White Gold or banking issues like the tracker stuff they did over here.

[@Jamesp1972]

yeah it does seem a bit of a weak scapegoat move to be honest

[@jimdavis5230]

Since we paid off the war debt in 2005 we have now accumulated a national debt of 2.8 trillion pounds. Well as we haven't been involved in another world war, it seems that something dodgy is going on.

[@SkillBuilder]

I think we are sending quite a lot to Ukraine and we sent almost the entire workforce for a holiday during lockdown.

[@MinkieWinkle]

@@SkillBuilder Ukraine packages are mostly equipment, it has not cost to us all that much, since we are replacing it anyway. and would have had the pay to dispose of it. to giving it away is a win win. Paying millions to sit on their behinds though, that has done immersible amounts of damage, Can not print trillions and not get inflation.

[@tlangdon12]

Our governments have been borrowing to avoid getting unelected. They have borrowed so that they can do a bit of everything that someone seems to care about. That way they stay in power. But they have been irresponsible. Norway has a fraction of the UK's debt, because they used the North Sea Oil and Gas revenues wisely.

[@MinkieWinkle]

@@tlangdon12 i can only speak for myself. personally i will not be voting for them because they spend to much. because they indebt our unborn generations of the future that will see little to no benefit from the spending but will be expected to pay it back. Imagine if parents could rack up debt, and then be able to force their children to pay it back. it would be disgusting to do so. Government is no different, why should they be allowed to get away with it.

[@jimdavis5230]

@@MinkieWinkle The Government get away with it because they make the rules and mark their own homework.

[@logik100.0]

The reason the british houses are so bad is 2 fold. 1 We have a very old housing stock. 2 We do not have very cold weather, Temperate maritime etc. So you could get away with building drafty houses throughout history. If you live in a cold climate you HAVE to build better.

[@shyft09]

So why is it better in France?

[@logik100.0]

@@shyft09 Have you been to Brittany? They have drafty old houses with little insulation. Why is that?

[@basoon]

The first 3 minutes of this video are absolute bollocks. I mean what you’re saying is obviously true that the war cost us a lot but it also omits masses of other stuff and complexity like for example the amount of resources we used from other empire countries to fund WW2. But it’s completely irrelevant to the question asked - the simple and very boring answer is just political decisions. We’ve elected governments for which improved regulation and retrofitting has not been a priority. Simple as that - that is to say it’s not simple at all. I think you know this though and you want the engagement so get everyone riled up for the less interesting rest of the video. I guess I am helplessly obliging.

[@paulappleyard5832]

Lack of regulation and training is to blame and that falls squarely on Government. Quote from the Guardian 'Before the 2008 financial crisis, an average home built by one of the nine biggest UK housebuilders netted a pre-tax profit of around £30,000. By 2017, that had doubled to more than £62,000'. The largest house builders do not care about a good product they only care about profit. Imagine being able to use that £30K for energy improvements across the older housing stock.

[@tlangdon12]

Agree completely. I would suggest that we start a number of publically-owned building companies to challenge the private firms by building good quality and affordable homes.

[@jackp492]

Except our money is worth half as much so that 60k is basically the 30k they got before

[@macsmith6216]

@@jackp492 Read the report before commenting

[@damianbutterworth2434]

I remember the house price rise started under Labour around 1998.

[@samnichols4361]

@@damianbutterworth2434 Then you're misremembering. House price rises started in 1975, and average prices had increased by 500% between 1975 and 1990. The financial crisis around 1992 stemmed the tide for a short amount of time (as it did in 2008) but the trend has been increases under all governments since the 70s.

[@brianballard905]

I'm not sure it's wise for us Brits to argue "things are shit in this country now because of the wealth stolen from our ancestors by foreigners in the distant past". That might come back to bite us.

[@brianmonahan7990]

And how much in aid have we given to these countries over the years ( Trillions)

[@brianballard905]

@@brianmonahan7990 not remotely close to trillions. UK aid and investments in India since 2016 have amounted to a bit over £2 billion. However estimates put the value of wealth extracted during the British raj at around £9,000 billion. The centerpiece diamond of our crown jewels was njcked from India. Blaming the past actions of foreign nations for todays inequalities will always be a losing game for us brits. Our houses are shit because successive government's have failed to invest in skills and enforce standards. Nothing to do with WW2. Apart from ring mains, that's WW2.

[@goldar4846]

@@brianmonahan7990 can you direct me to where you've obtained your 'trillions' fact from? I believe it's quite the opposite. England stole what equates to trillions in today's money. The aid it has given since then is equivalent to pennies.

[@brianmonahan7990]

@@goldar4846 We the British public since the 1920’s have sent aid and money to countries all over the world , even in my grandparents time they donated money in their infant school to what was called then “money for the African babies “ and even now / today the schools still do send money collected from the British . Ask India how much money they have had from Britain over the years , I believe it more than paid for their navy over many many years. You have all got this opinion that Britain owes you , Britain owes you nothing so you all need to get in your rubber dinghies and head back to where they crawled out from .

[@hvt8147]

​@@brianmonahan7990Brian Bunch-a-numbers having a meltdown😅

[@gallowsongs]

One of the key cultural differences between the UK and Europe is that in Europe we treat houses as our homes that we want to live in, not investments. My parent replaced the roof on their 1960's house when they were in their 70's. Economically, one could argue, they could have left it and accepted a broken tile or little leak here or there. They'll never get their money back on that investment. But in Europe, we do these things because they are necessary, not because they make best investment sense. Cold windows? Change them. It will take you 15-20 years to make the money back on the heating costs, but that's not the point. The point is pride in maintaining your home, and not accepting a draft when you live without. This non-acceptance of bad buildings is what continually improved standards. It doesn't matter that your 50's house has a sub-par roof. At some point since then you had the chance to re-build it better. But it wasn't considered worth it. Of course the economy has something to with it, but you can't blame Victorian house building on the Germans. Or managed neglect. Or simply considering houses as investments rather than homes.

[@simongreenidge6454]

Generally UK house owners DO put significant effort and much money into maintaining and upgrading their homes. There are many independent "roofers", electricians, plumbers, carpenters, masons, tilers etc. that earn their living carrying out renovations for home owners. The fitting of higher efficiency windows and doors is a typical improvement that homeowners implement. There are also building companies that offer more substantial services, such as house extensions. With rented homes, I would agree that many landlords do not maintain or improve their properties sufficiently.

[@tarquinfintim5910]

it's a fallacy to suggest people in the UK don't upgrade their homes. Some people of course, just can't afford to spend any money on such things, especially as they get older and fall out of the job market (private pension provision in the UK is not great and the UK state pension is poor), and typically these people will shortly be selling their house and downsizing. But the majority of home owners in the UK install new windows, doors and update heating and electric systems to more efficient ones. No-one upgrades to less efficient system (generally - heat pumps do not work in a lot of older stock UK properties) and if they do major building they have to adopt new insulation standards by law.

[@gallowsongs]

@@tarquinfintim5910 I'm not saying that Brits aren't working on their housing stock, I'm saying other nations do more. In addition, housing prices are so prohibitive in the UK, and unrelated to the material structure and size of the plot, that people spend their money on paying for a house and don't have enough left to maintain them to the same level. It's fundamentally the same argument: the housing market in the UK is a market, it's viewed as assets for investments. You can't get interest only mortgages in other countries, you can only get repayment mortgages. It's an indication that people are buying houses they cannot afford and hope that their value increases, so they can sell for a profit. In Europe there is no housing market in the way it exists here. People only move for jobs or family, and consider houses as places to live and stay. In the UK, the design lifespan of a house is 60 years. In Germany, there is no design lifespan. They build for eternity. Add all these factors together, and you amass the differences that we can observe.

[@simongreenidge6454]

@@gallowsongs Yes there are several terrible things wrong with the UK housing market. Primarily there is a small number of 'huge', very profitable companies that control almost all of house production to the detriment of the market. For decades they have done everything they can to maximise profits, such as not building enough homes to cope with demand. More recently they have begun compromising on the' build quality' of their houses to further increase profits. With demand far exceeding supply, prices naturally increased. At this point (around the mid-to-late 1990s) the UK gov. should have stepped in and done what was necessary to increase house production and significantly reduce rampant house-price inflation. Instead they essentially did nothing. This is when the mortgage companies saw an opportunity and began providing ridiculously huge mortgages, which allowed house buyers with the means to afford overpriced houses. Buyers did justify this expense by thinking that their 'new' house would then greatly appreciate in value over just a few years and someone else would come along and buy at an over inflated price. It sounds like a kind of 'Ponzi Scheme' doesn't it? Almost everything that the UK gov has done over the past couple of decades has ultimately only served to increase the huge building companies' revenue. However please note that the traditional UK house, constructed out of bricks and mortar (especially when those bicks have been set by a skilled masons) will very likely last for far longer than 60 years.

[@gallowsongs]

@@simongreenidge6454 Agreed Nr artificial squeeze in the housing market. I've worked in property marketing for national builders, I know the tricks. Also agreed on your other points - I think it's way more nuanced than it's being portrait here. I also know about skilled masons making proper buildings, I'm buying one that's 130 years old.

[@EgoShredder]

Regards WW2 history and the version never taught to us in school or in films. Go watch the 12hr Europa The Last Battle made in 2017 (updated in 2019). Your entire worldview will change completely after that, and so much more will make sense about what is happening now in 2023.

[@stewartbridge5162]

Always have been behind Europe. I did exchange visits to Germany and Austria in the 70s and was amazed at the quality of their homes.

[@colefamily213]

Wow! We have poor housing because we were at war 80 years ago......😅

[@SkillBuilder]

You weren't listening. I said "It is not the only reason but it is a reason" it is the time it took for us to pay back the loans that meant we had less money for other stuff. Try taking out a massive personal loan then see how much spare cash you have.

[@jackrussell9811]

great rant roger , 15 year warranty on something takes 25 years to pay for ! regarding part 1 of rant paying of debt to other countries due to wars ,history is NOW repeating itself we seem to have plenty £sssss to support every other foreign problem and every invader that enters our island but no cash to make our lives more affordable

[@moonshinepz]

Housebuilders squeezing every £ out of the bare minimum quality they can get away with is a part of it. Our 1979 3 bed estate house is probably better built than a lot of today's 3 bed estate new builds. So we are going backwards.

[@WolfCounty682]

😂 also, the old house is better insulated. All jokes aside... don't know why you think they do bare minimum... apart from concrete structures that have lifespans of around 100 years, the house building techniques have not changed much, and house insulation has improved...

[@tombrown407]

That's not to mention flood plains.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Wise words as usual Roger. It's also interesting to look at how many nuclear power plants the UK will have by 2035. In the late 80's we had almost 20. If my research is correct as things currently stand by 2035 we'll have 1. Perhaps 3 if you include Bradwell B & Sizewell C (construction hasn't started). 😬

[@tombrown407]

We NEED the Rolls Royce modular reactors and we need them yesterday.

[@matthewtrow5698]

I thought this channel was about building, but it seems to have got increasingly more political over time. Was this intro really necessary? I don't think so, but what do I know. I just want interesting content on building techniques, not a history lesson or politics.

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

Roger I like your channel but bringing up world wars is stupid

[@SkillBuilder]

Why? I don't think we should just forget it happened. Where does that get us

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

@@SkillBuilder the history opf WW2 has been falsified , i am anti Nazi but Germany was not our enemy nor are they to blame with the fact we had to repay America

[@richardmarsh5777]

Come on Roger !!!! Very weak argument using the war, lack of regulations and from personal experience a lot of builders and customers are scared of change. We can build better but we do the minimum that the building regs require. Doing better won’t cost much more

[@ChristianWagner888]

@SkillBuilder You are making specific historical claims regarding Germany, Sweden and Britain with regards to build quality and the cost of the war. I am sure much scientific historical research has been done. Could you please provide a reference to a scientific paper that discusses this relationship between build quality and the cost of WW2 for Britain?

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

blaame teh Germans has alwaays been a theme , as for me I really like Germans and Germany

[@paul756uk2]

​@@JaneBloggs-jr9qdI've just had 2 months there. Really love the place and the people.

[@SkillBuilder]

I like Germans and Germany. I am talking about some people who comment on our channel. Let us not ignore that lack of historical perspective.

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

@@SkillBuilder a few Germans on here make comments on UK building codes , its not a reason to bring up WW2 , Germany lost huge amounts of terrirtory and had to cope with millions of refugees , anyway the official version of what teh Germans allegedly did in ww2 is wrong . why not look into it , start with Jewish historian David Cole

[@frenchgreguk]

Roger, please have a topic on the useless yet expensive "elephant in the room" which is conservation or heritage. Crappy georgian houses, damp, draughty and we can't do anything about it due to those tories on the board not allowing us to alter buildings due to "appearance ". Tenants are suffering as a result, timber sash windows and no installation between floors and ceilings, no cavities.... cheers Roger.

[@ep1981]

This would all be fine, except why don't German houses suffer from this to the same degree given they were demolished in greater volume than ours in the War, they were left with bigger debts than we were after the war, etc., etc.

[@doktoruzo]

The Marshall Plan

[@ep1981]

​@@doktoruzo The UK received more than twice as much aid under the Marshall Plan as Germany (West Germany at the time) did. $3.1bn vs $1.4bn. The populations of both countries were about the same (about 50m, give or take) at the time, so it's not even comparable on a per capita basis.

[@SteifWood]

The question remains: why did it take the UK so long to come up with "modern" legislatures for decent house construction (when the rest of the "developed" Europe has had it for yrs)? Maybe there was a shortage of competent lawyers due to war fatigue?

[@Redrally]

Yeah it's not just a question of how little money we had post war

[@jannenreuben7398]

The UK has had building regulations long before WW2.

[@deanholloway7755]

All these new regulations are a joke, have you watched the snagging videos. Builders don't even know what a spirit level is but are experts with expanding foam and yet miss the insulation in the walls. I wouldn't let site builders put up a garden shed.

[@richharper8159]

The National Grid wants the change. Crazy to think it’s not been planning for majority home and transport electricity.

[@tlangdon12]

Of course they have been planning. They know where the weaknesses are, and what it will cost to fix them, but it takes time, and they have to factor in new connections required by renewable generators.

[@bishbashbosh390]

The national grid are incredibly vocal about how they are preparing and will be ready for the transition. People should do some research on supply/demand. Electricity use is down 20% in 20 years, yet the naysayers seem to imply even getting up to past supply is impossible. What a depressing outlook on Britain. Meanwhilst the pipeline of supply is huge. EVs will and already do largely charge at night. I think Skills Builder may have shares in BP of Roftsnet.

[@xlerb_again_to_music7908]

Please be aware that the National Grid is a company name; it is not the system. Many take it to be so, but NG own less than 4% if the UK power system. The rest is owned by DNOs. NG can assert stuff, but they only know about and talk re the tiny part they own. NG buy and manage power from generators and move it about the country via transmission lines (cables strung between pylons); the 230V homes get are via systems owned by the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). The NG system is broadly fit to supply the future power demand (EVs and Heat Pumps) as they are long scaled to supply industry as well as residential. However the DNOs are woefully under-prepared and will likely see a massive jump in demand their systems are not fit to supply.

[@bishbashbosh390]

@@xlerb_again_to_music7908 Electricity use is down 20% in 20 years. EV's will largely be charged overnight during the low demand period of the day. Add in solar and batteries at location which will grow exponentially. What exactly will DNO's be struggling with? Because there should already be a wealth of spare capacity in the system. I agree demand from industry will surge once renewables dominate, because the cost of electricity will fall, but this is a separate question.

[@sygad1]

rampant profiterring, corner cutting, backhanders, low cost fuel and reasonably mild weather.......I have a feeling these play a higher role than wars that were fought a century and 80 years ago

[@tonybarrett8543]

The cost of the wars was nothing compared to economic benefits of colonisation. Also the Great War was as much the UK's making as any of the belligerents.

[@jannenreuben7398]

The wealth from the colonies is overstated. The vast majority of it cost more to supply and defend than it brought in. Some people did get very rich though.

[@MrFlyby34]

Yeah right, what a lot of nonsense about the war. That’s ages ago man. I think it’s something else and imho has a lot to do with the mentality and understanding about delivering proper houses….

[@funnythat9956]

Building quality is determined by building regulations; the buildings in Britain are poor because building regulations are lax and barely enforced; they are lax because house builders fund political parties so that the regulations stay lax. That means more money for the CEO, board and shareholders and lower quality for the customer. This has nothing to do with war debts.

[@shmink2]

Great video. I never really understand the point that the national grid wouldn't be able to handle all houses being electric only including electric vehicles. It's said as if it's something that's stuck in stone. As more houses become electric only and as more people own electric vehicles the national grid will be upgraded to suit the demand. It won't be something that happens over night and there will surely be teething problems but it's such a defeatist point.

[@jannenreuben7398]

The problem is with the local low voltage distribution network which is over a hundred years old in parts. It was never designed to cope with multiple huge non-linear loads like EV chargers. People underestimate just how much juice those things take up. It's fixable but horrendously expensive and I've yet to hear a good answer as to who pays for it. It probably won't be the private DNOs.

[@markgamester]

Most skilled builders I know want to get out of the game due to riduculous rules and regs that came in effect in 2022, now more crap with Future Home Scheme. What's going to happen when all this skill is lost. Double glazing is becoming a joke with the U-values and trickle vents, and they are lowering the U-values again! Probably triple glazing as standard (double the failure rate). You say about solar gain and reducing it so homes don't heat up, that's exactly what low-e glass does, it heats up your house.....how is a window supposed to heat that room in the winter then switch to not heating it in the summer. When ever governments stick their noses into anything it all goes to rat shit.

[@sirjosephwhitworth9415]

Similarly then, WW2 is to blame for the ubiquitous potholes in the UK road system? Which, when repairs are effected, the substandard materials used look as if they are applied with a catapult. Yes, WW2 did cost a fortune and there was little other choice, but did the UK squander the Marshall Plan grants buying tobacco and propping up a lost empire etc? Like most things including the HS2, metrication, and the EEC, Britain never commits to anything properly. That includes house building. Roger keep up the good work!

[@DaveBalch]

Whilst your little history lesson is interesting in itself, the more recent history of rampant, deregulated, free-market capitalism since the Thatcher/Reagan era - capturing government and hampering regulation and standards improvement - makes far more sense as the reason for the poor state of UK housing.

[@piotrzurek9732]

It isn't about the war, GDP or the builders making a profit. It is all about the average expectations of the general public. Take the DIY shops as an example. B&Q (UK&Ireland) and Castorama (Europe) are owned by the same bunch. Now go visit both of them and you will immediately understand why British homes are badly built. Brits in the majority simply don't care hence there is no market for modern construction methods. Only the Brit could fit a sink with separate taps for hot and cold water in the 21st century.

[@rumco]

Lmfao this is a windup. The reason why housing is shit is because of Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Brits stopped evolving the building trade and built much less than others. UK has the oldest housing stock.

[@John_Wood_]

How do we feel about being forced to use heat pumps in new builds? Can the grid cope? Who pays for grid reinforcement? Will HP's work? Is it sensible putting all our eggs in one basket (electricity)?

[@Aethid]

Heat pumps make a lot of sense in a new build.

[@MinkieWinkle]

@@Aethid not when they add 15-20k to the new home price. people would rather cheaper homes, and have the option to move to heatpumps if they want, not being forced to pay the extra with no say at all

[@ManderSeis]

Questions like these are the real reason britain is behind. They are already the new standard outside of britain

[@ManderSeis]

​​@@MinkieWinklereal question is, why are they so expensive in the UK, in the NL we can get one for half that, and 1/4 that for a hybrid heat pump. After all it's just a glorified AC, no expensive materials.

[@John_Wood_]

@@MinkieWinkle The installation cost is one issue. Running cost is another.

[@peterbooth2804]

You can blame the wars for some of it but in my opinion there has been no excuse for the shoddy workmanship in new builds since 2000. Ask many about snagging issues on new build homes and new schools that fall down. Poor cladding etc in my opinion its to do with: Change of building companies to use contractors rather than employee builders Corruption in the industry Poor quality inspection Cheap poor quality materials To name a few. I really enjoy your series, and it has helped me sort out many many issues left by cowboy builders. But blaming the war now is a bit like a workman blaming his tools for a bad job. Actually our house was built just after the war and is well built the only problems came with the cowboys and the increased heavy traffic... 🤔

[@HYUKLDER1]

Germany should have been continuously paying reparations to U.K. and U.S.A. for war funding after the end of their German Reich, not spending money creating the E.E.C. empire and subsequently another European military.

[@yorkyone2143]

Reparations demanded by the Allies after WW1 were a major reason for Hitlers rise to power & WW2. It's not as simple as asking for money.

[@nicks4934]

No

[@matthewstagg9786]

After World War II, according to the Potsdam conference held between July 17 and August 2, 1945, Germany was to pay the Allies US$23 billion mainly in machinery and manufacturing plants. German reparations were partly to be in the form of forced labor. By 1947, approximately 4,000,000 German POWs and civilians were used as forced labor (under various headings, such as "reparations labor" or "enforced labor") in Europe, Canada and the United States after the end of the Second World War. The last of the German debt repayments relating to World War 1 was paid on 3 October 2010. You are right that British housing stock is rubbish, but it's not for the reasons you give which are factually incorrect. You are an expert in your field, but not in History. You would do well the research the Dunning-Kruger effect. "For I was conscious that I knew practically nothing..."

[@stephenjones7804]

I believe most European countries have proportional representation I will be 60 next year and have only been represented for one parliament.

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

for most people voting is entirely useless

[@RichardLamsdale]

I'd love to know how the energy loss from an old house compares with the energy use of demolishing a re-building a new house. Bit like EV's - you need to driver 50,000+ miles before you save any energy, due to the massive energy use in building the thing. Maybe Britain's old housing stock isn't so poor environmentally?

[@ManderSeis]

EV's only require around 30% more energy to produce than a comparable gas powered car

[@boyasaka]

⁠that’s 30 percent of a lot I’ve no idea why some goons insist of having to have a brand new car every 3 years They have no idea they are the goons causing huge pollution I bought my car when it was 3 years old 7 years later it’s 10 and still looks and drives great Some people are into their 3rd brand new car by now

[@stephen-boddy]

@@boyasaka Do you not see the irony of criticizing people who replace their three year old car while also stating that you bought a three year old car? If people didn't upgrade there would be no supply for you to buy. Instead you'd have to buy a new car which would probably double your outlay. I could even make the argument that by hanging on to your car for so long you are depriving less well off people of a supply of better cars. Instead they're forced to keep running older less efficient vehicles.

[@RichardLamsdale]

@@stephen-boddy I think we’re missing the general point, and I don’t think boyasaka’s point is a contradiction. He could just buy an older car. The argument for making / building more efficient things is often much more nuanced than people realise.

[@boyasaka]

@@RichardLamsdale thank you Richard My point isn't just a problem with Cars, it's with everything ,people are obsessed with the lastest TV ,the latest watch ,the latest phone ,I just don't get it I bought a LCD TV 12 years ago and the picture is still perfect ,ywt the amount of people I know who change there TV every couple of hears cos of a newer model ,LCD ,LED NANO CELL 3 K 4 K 5 K OLED ,bla bla ,iPhones every 2 year new model ,etc etc ,but as well as this makes me made it also makes me laugh lots As I know many people who have the latest phone ,the latest iwatch ,the latest car model ,and the latest TV ,but same guys often can't arrord to come away for a night out ,cos there skint till pay day lol 😂

[@icecreamconn5948]

I like the channel but whining on about fighting two wars is a bit ignorant of the fact, in the century before that, the empire pillaged countries all over the world of their wealth. Speaking as someone in one of those countries, not sure the positives outweighed the negatives

[@skimmingstoness]

Those 10 year warranties aren't worth the paper they are written on. A relative had a house on a new build and after 8 years every single house had a leak sue to the dodgy mix of cement on the roof. The house builder went insolvent a few years ago. The contractor that they had to pay to fix all the leaks was the guy the did the roof fixing originally, couldn't make it up.

[@haydnlawrence8167]

Second World War casualties, Uk 420k , US 450k , Germany 20 million.

[@Mistah_john]

builders are building shitty buildings because of something happened 80 years ago? it is not to do with lack of regulation, which in turn is linked to lobbyist bribing politicians not to introduce new regulations that would include proper insulation etc.

[@kosobek]

IMO a lot of these issues are because of culture which trickles down to politics, poor worksmanship, adequate material availability, local councils idiocies etc. In Poland a lot of people are doing self build (all my family and friends did so). It’s normal. Because of that you fully control the level of quality in your house and most Poles are very proud of their homes (especially younger generation). That high standard keeps tradesmen in check and you see less and less cowboys (I still remember a reality show catching cowboys red handed, beautiful thing exposing scammy practices before social media was a thing). Here in U.K. people are used to poor finish. Every time I had the “pleasure” to hire a tradesman I was very dissatisfied with the result and these days I’d rather DIY things unless absolutely necessary. It’s the “don’t worry about it” attitude that gets in the way. I understand that you’re on the clock and time is money but there’s a level for standard that should be met if you’re paid. Unfortunately most people have no point of reference and accept it as normal. When I mentioned this to my British mates at last party they looked at me like I’m from another planet. If someone comes over and does the bare minimum they will be happy. Similarly they will just be blissfully unaware of the issues plaguing their property. For instance instead of fixing extractor fan and sorting mouldy patch on the ceiling they rather ignore and live with it. As someone else said here in the comments people treat houses as investments and a vehicle to move in social ladder. It’s very different in Poland when most people build they ideal forever home.

[@michaelfraser5723]

Importing half of Africa, needing to house them all. Where's France's quota ?

[@clivelockwood3236]

It is such a shame that we don't have a government that know what they are doing, before trying to push people toward electricity for gods sake lets have a cheap reliable source of power, is that not just common sense or am i missing something,

[@giogio4833]

If you think the houses here are bad, i worked on buildings in italy for 20 years...built to withstand earthquake but mostly old renovation. New builds just arent happening there...id say 90% of there housing stock is epc G ...tiling and finishing is miles better that here though.

[@zebidee55]

The argument of UK vs Germany only makes sense if you don't take into consideration German war reparations of billions, with the last payments for WWI completed in 2010, the millions dead, and the cities destroyed. If you take blame for the war out of the equation, and bear in mind the country was occupied and divided until the 90s, Germany arguably had a harder time recovering than the UK did. So - if you're doing an apples to apples comparison, the wars cancel each other out, and it turns out Britain's housing stock quality issues come down to different standards, expectations, and obligations between the two countries. Blaming British modern quality issues on Germany nearly 80 years after the war makes no sense at all.

[@SkillBuilder]

German reparations are interesting because they initially were only in the form of goods and raw materials and that boosted the German economy. That and the Marshall Plan which was all about keeping Europe out of the hands of the Soviets made a huge difference. The countries who grew rich as a result of WW2 are still rich.

[@steve_787]

WW2 debt doesn't really explain a lot when it comes to poor quality housing in the UK. Yes during the 40's-50's they were rebuilding at a pace with limited material supply so explains why they are crap. Wasn't till the 70's that we started to get cavity walls (and 90's before they had to have insulation installed!). But by the late 70's the government weren't building the majority of housing. The bulk of all housing in the UK is by house builders so where are they paying for this debt? The Government set out the standards in the building Regs and aren't the ones footing the bill so why not force them to build better? It's the house builders that have resisted the improvements to protect their profit margins! Nothing to do with World War debt. The stuff built post war should have been temporary housing and most of it needs tearing down and replacing. You can retrofit these houses but is it really worth the hassle when you could have a new modern home? You'll always struggle to stop thermal bridging sticking insulation on to a solid wall.

[@TheMercifulKnight]

Austerity by the Tories, deregulation by the Tories, Lobbyist filling the pockets of the Tories.

[@howardosborne8647]

They have a lot to answer for.

[@LoremIpsum1970]

I'd rather an old house with problems and 'character' than any new build I've seen on the continent. What's wrong with having to put a jumper on..?

[@jannenreuben7398]

This "mustn't grumble" BS is part of the problem. We'd get so much further as a society if we actually solved problems rather than mitigating them all the time.

[@simonlinton8123]

The next big problem will be the current fashion for building with timber frame construction. This will result in fires as well as timber rot, both of which will lead to the need to rebuild in masonry. Pity we still haven't learnt the lesson of the Great Fire of London in 1666.

[@gurglejug627]

built in isolation, timber framed houses can be excellent for may reasons and last 'forever'. There is no need for timber rot whatsoever if the building is properly designed and built - I've built a number of both types and would prefer timber in less dense housing areas, anyday - I live in one now and it's dry and warm and cosy, cheap to run, durable and no issues whatsoever - it was the first house I built from scratch (some 25 years ago) and I have learned a lot since, yet I wouldn't change it per-se.

[@woutertron]

Good lord you've gone full Daily Mail now. It's sad but today is the day I finally unfollow. The good DIY advice no longer makes up for the UKIP talking points

[@grandprix1337]

Another excellent video and pertinent history lesson. Very fair that you show a German WW2 cemetary at the beginning. Of course the cost of WW2 affected UK infrastructure investment too - the post war railways are a perfect example.

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

Why is Britain so far behind Europe? A factor might be we are nowhere near the size of europe limiting space to put houses! (No it wont be the "cost of living crisis", france and germany are doing worse. Good job we left eh!) It might also be houses are more expensive in Britain, smaller and not built as well. Lowering confidence in mortgage lenders.

[@Aethid]

Our population density is similar to the other similarly wealthy countries in Europe. Our limited building space is self inflicted via laws like the green belt, protecting farmland and intentionally limiting the growth of cities.

[@MinkieWinkle]

@@Aethid France twice the size 10 percent fewer population Germany similar pop, only about 15 percent more. however Germany is twice the size. Spain, twice the size, 20 percent fewer people Italy about 1/5th bigger with about 5 to 10 less percent population So i would love to see your where you got that info from.

[@nialstewart8263]

​@@AethidEngland is the most densely populated big country in Europe.

[@nialstewart8263]

​@@MinkieWinkleHe might be looking at the UK figure which looks like other countries because lots of Scotand is mostly uninhabitable.

[@JohnyLatelyCome]

As an American looking at how construction methods are carried out in Britain, it blows my mind how everything is so over regulated, it seems that you can’t even take a crap in Britain with out the government telling you how to wipe your ass and what you can and can’t use to do it. The general population seems to have relegated itself to the role of sheep. A lot of this can also be said about other Western European countries, but I haven’t followed the others as closely.

[@nowyouareoneofus9684]

Wow dude I did not see that comming. I feel that the less informed or reactive reader might take this as stigmatise. That many uk houses are bad quality has little to do with the availability of workforce or means after wwII. It is not only the government developing houses, also there is a culture of doing things a certain way. Also, there are maybe wrong incentives for home owners to upgrade their houses. You cant say "our houses are shit because 80 years ago Sweden did this and Germany did that.

[@brianfalconer9499]

Hi Rodger - just had my first experience of a heat pump last week. Stayed in a modernised Air B&B which was super toasty. Only problem was I had to sleep with ear plugs in as I got woken up every night at 4am when the bloody thing turned on. A constant hum that you cant get out your head. Doesn't bear thinking about if you live an an estate full of these things at various levels of maintenance or lack of. Rant over!

[@goldar4846]

Could it have been toastier?

[@brianfalconer9499]

It was so toasty we had to open the window every night. It had those underfloor pipes to heat the whole house. No radiators except electric towel rads.

[@Milosz9]

Ww2 really go Poland and have a look on houses there. The truth is when in eu everyone is open on technology and new building products in uk still building and using same materials for last decades. It's same with every aspect of life in uk. Famous why change it when works. New technology what's in uk now been used years ago in Europe.

[@JaneBloggs-jr9qd]

Poles must use Ukranian builders as so many Polish builders have moved to other countries

[@robertk1968]

Good Rant

[@oooollllmmmm0987]

Ok short inside to Poland. Before WWII Poland had nearly 40mln people. After the WWII only 20mln. Many emigrated from before stalin regime and out of fear. Poland finished pay their WWII aid to UK and USA in 2018…. Polish industry, towns etc was destroyed in nearly 70%. With polish capitol being ruined in 100%. A lot of men after collapse in September 1939 went to fight it France and uk (btw polish government end up paying France and uk for their equipment 🤦‍♀️- defending their borders). And let’s move from this to now. I moved to uk in 2014. I work in building industry in uk. And we Eastern Europeans when we arrive here we expect standards better than Germany because we hear this “great” Britain myth. Well our houses even the old ones have no mould on the walls. 3 phase electric connection, walk in showers, soft close system in the kitchens, efficient ventilation system (not a hole in the wall with air brick - this is not a ventilation system in understanding of polish building regulations - that’s wasting energy to heat the house), dry basements, electric and plumbing installation concealed in the walls (you won’t see the pipes outside the building), efficient insulation, double& triple glazing. In Poland windows don’t have a vent - it’s not necessary- as I mentioned we have ventilation system, electric showers are rare and we have sockets in the bathroom- guess what no one died because of it, our electric toothbrushes don’t charge in the hallway or on the kitchen counter. I’m shocked when thing I know since childhood in Poland like energy efficient doors with 13 lock system and energy exchange on rate of 0.01kwH are sold here for nearly £3k-£5k as new system. A lot of things which are shouted in uk as new in a lot of European countries are well know since decade. British building industry is behind and I cannot explain rationally why. Blaming war seems odd, there are countries much greater affected by world wars than uk yet still with better houses. I feel sorry for Britons who accept this mouldy, cold houses with condensation on the windows and pay ludicrous price for it. I work as site administrator- I read building control and read about materials and ‘new solutions’ every day.

[@tinytonymaloney7832]

Wow Rog, that was the rant upon rants. And a damned good one. I didn't know we had actually finished the debt payments from WW2. I also wasn't aware Sweden wasn't entirely nuetral. We didn't get told that at school in the 70's. Still not started our extensions and am dreading the extra cost of all this stuff, it just makes building work too expensive now. On solar gain, why dont they make reflective roof tiles, all our roof tiles in the UK seem to be black or dark grey. More of this please. 🎉🎉

[@lazylad8544]

And bloody abba have the cheek to sing about Waterloo 🤣🤣

[@EgoShredder]

The (((bankers))) ordered both world wars for a purpose. Afterwards all that money Germany paid went to those same bankers, who made sure Germany would never again rise up to gain its freedom from the debt slave usury system. It served as a warning to any other countries wishing to escape that system, which we have all been trapped in ever since.

[@yorkyone2143]

Need to do a video on external window shading. My Mum recently bought a bungalow with the latest fad of multiple glass doors, it can get very warm in summer when windows allow so much light in. All new builds seem to love this feature so buyers get no choice (I blame Grand Designs).

[@coppito6326]

Cos the war?! 😅😅

[@benchippy8039]

A good friend I work with has his roof built with fire damaged rafters, apparently the builder bought a load from Coventry after ww2

[@thegrandmuftiofwakanda]

I dumped a load in Coventry after the second Gulf War...only just finished paying the CSA.

[@benchippy8039]

@@thegrandmuftiofwakanda u gotta breed them biches bruv ting

[@philipoakley5498]

regarding the AirCon (at end of vid), part of the problem is that the UK climate isn't 'continental' so we need to be more careful about the solutions we use. It's mentioned in a few of Dr Joe Lstiburek's videos that the UK climate, relative to USA, only matches the area around Washington state, so we have our own (obvious to us) 'special' conditions.

[@twistedl2009]

NHBC probably wouldn’t bother fixing a leaking roof, probably below their minimum claim value… Mine is currently £2,200

[@Marozi1]

Profit, profit, profit. Thats whats killing our housing stock, build the most houses as cheap as possible and trickle them into the market to keep prices high, notice how these new builds are all 3 story? Smaller footprint = more houses per acre, they arent homes for families so much now, they are investments for landlords and profits for shareholders.

[@peternatoli2555]

Hullo Roger, thank you for what your forbears did in the 2 wars. I was sorry to hear of the housing situation due to your countries stand against satanic behaviour leading to massive debt. I would never have thought of this result of Britain's sacrifice. We also must not forget that in that time of the history of the world petrol was being used to run that new device the car. That petrol contained lead which has, over the last few decades, been blamed for some of the most horrible bloodthirsty crimes in modern history. Authorities in America are just starting to free some of the perpertrators of these crimes from American jails because they now know the truth. May I ask what you think of our housing here in Australia? Cottages are built on a waffle pad concrete slab. An attached concrete beam, lower than the slab, supports brickwork. Timber frames on the slab portion of the footing, support a truss roof. There is a cavity between the brick veneer and timber frame to stop water ingress to the inner walls. Apart from bulk insulation in the walls and ceilings, some houses have wall frames wrapped in various building papers as are the top of the trusses. Whilst on the topic of poverty caused by war, let us not forget the common-sense stories of the bible in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. There, corruption was so bad, God just wiped the place out. The same happened in Jerusalem in 70 AD, even after Jesus introduced the brilliant New Testament of love, truth and grace. So, let's all of us in the world choose good, AS, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. Thank you for your programmes Peter

[@glynluff2595]

Hey hey don’t shout too loudly about others in EU. Sweden had a two way trade both RAF and Luftwaffe were parked on the same aerodromes in Sweden picking up engineering parts. People don’t read history well I’m afraid. Yes we had post war debt but that was separate from the war debt. Thatcher was proud to claim the debt from three wars was cleared by oil revenues. The national debt was an alternative calculation. Now as to German housing they have many old houses that are as awful in insulation as our own. Those little chequer tiles on old half timber houses are often asbestos tiles to prevent wet penetration. They do however put in double glazing and modern double glazed doors on house styles that would be protected in Britain. In the case of many EU countries their populations vary between 5 and 10 million. Britain’s population is 68 million. Britain also post war devised the NHS, extended pensions, a raft of benefit payments and nationalised a large number of private industries. They did not emplace the means of paying for these on a long term basis. But, there is the point if we had not held the western block until America could provide means and manpower which assisted by massive Russian casualties Eu would be very different today So yes it is our fault. Our stomach was bigger than our pocket was to fill it. b

[@dirtmcgirt168]

A very one sided view of history. Uk profited from invading how many countries? Sweden was neutral as it traded with both sides of the war. What about UK involvement in the 1936 Munich agreement?