New centre cashes in on £6.6bn market
Self-builders construct around 20,000 houses a year in the UK. That\'s more than any single house building company. Add to that the 300,000 major restoration programmes carried out by householders each year and you have the £6.6billion rationale behind BuildStore\'s new National Self Build & Renovation Centre that opened in Swindon in February.
The Centre is a permanent exhibition of goods and services needed by people carrying out self-build and renovation work.
It is housed in purpose-built, 6,200m2 premises just off junction 16 of the M4. Companies pay to be included in the exhibition and visitors pay £8 each to enter if they book their visit on-line and £12 if they don\'t.
The Centre was launched by TV builder Tommy Walsh, who is also championing Stone Federation Great Britain, although the federation has not yet decided whether to be involved or not.
Cumbrian stone producers Burlington have their natural stone on the roof floors of the Centre\'s full-size three-bedroomed Potton show house, complemented by a border and thresholds in Caulfield, one of the limestones added to the range when Burlington bought Baycliff Quarry in Ulverston in 2005.
Cotswold Natural Stone, Core & Ore from Bristol and stone tile company Indigenous, from Milton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, are also among the 200 companies represented.
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