Builder homes in on boutique properties

ROBERTSON Homes, the Scottish housebuilder, expects to move back into profit this year following a strategy overhaul which will see it work with the interior designer behind Malmaison hotels.

The firm, which is part of the Elgin-based Robertson Group, is seeking to overturn heavy losses during the recession by building more upmarket, boutique homes.

It has hired Amanda Rosa, who in addition to Malmaison has designed interiors for Dakota and Gleneagles, as it seeks to reposition itself at the higher quality end of the new homes market.

The new collection will target "aspirational" homebuyers with unusual extras such as home cinemas – popular with footballers and celebrities.

Robertson made a pre-tax loss of 8.1 million in the year to the end of November 2008 – the last year for which accounts are available. Much of this loss was attributed to a significant writedown in the value of its land bank, but Elliot Robertson, chief executive of the firm, said the new strategy will regain some of that value.

The first show home from the new collection will open in Dumfries in September and Robertson says it will mark a transformation for the company, which has also undergone a 100,000 rebrand.

"We are trying to recover from the slow market conditions so we are focusing very heavily on our brand and product and how we are differentiating ourselves," Robertson said.

"We are looking to move ourselves into a different category – a premium, luxury category within the family homes market. I've felt for a long time that homebuyers tend to buy properties that are close to their relatives or work which they aren't particularly happy with. I feel a lot of the product on the market is uninspired and quite bland."

Robertson believes few other housebuilding firms are operating at the luxury, design-conscious end of the new build market. He said housebuilders are having to do something to differentiate themselves in the current climate, in which homebuyers remain "nervous".

Although small pockets of the property market in Scotland have experienced a revival in demand, Robertson said concerns over budget cuts, public sector job losses and mortgage lending continue to challenge the housebuilding industry.

"(Landbank] writedowns are a continuing feature," he said. "But hopefully we should move back into profit in this trading year (which runs to the end of March 2011]."