Scotland: Do renovations now before Brexit price hikes kick in
With uncertainty increasing ahead of the UK’s imminent exit from the European Union, now is the time to invest in that new look you’ve been dreaming of, according to Stories Flooring.
Many of the materials used in the British flooring industry come from the continent – for example, the UK is one of the main markets for European carpet manufacturers – which means any changes to our borders or importation rules could have an impact on the ranges available.
It also means that, unless the UK ramps up its own production at an incredible rate to match that from overseas, we are unlikely to be able to compete on price – resulting in more expensive home improvements.
"No one yet knows exactly what Brexit will mean for the economy but we just want to make people aware that this is a really good time to modernise, before any potential increase in prices of the materials," says Will Woolley, the company's head of e-commerce.
Stories Flooring has been established for more than 25 years, supplying brands such as Amtico, Karndean, Quick-Step, Lifestyle and Kronospan flooring across the UK, as well as offering high-tech engineered and solid wood flooring in recent years.
“Our sourcing team have contacts around the world, which gives us the power to import products at the cheapest prices direct from the manufacturer, cutting out the wholesaler,” adds Will.
“We’re hopeful that this won’t be affected by Brexit – no matter what happens, we will carry on providing the very best price and service to the customer. Due to our large warehouse, we can buy in bulk and have all our prices beat any competitor: we have the ability to store thousands of square metres of Amtico, Karndean, Quick-Step, solid wood and all other ranges of flooring we supply.”
For those considering new floors for their home, Will says that for 2019 the focus is on natural flooring materials from reuseable natural sources like bamboo or cork, or reclaimed wood.
He adds: "Parquet floors are back with a bang because of their exquisite patterns and complete flexibility, and wood effect tiles are huge this year. Advanced technology means wood effect tiles look unbelievably like solid wood floors and the tiles are available in a variety of sizes, styles and shades to suit your living spaces."
Other key trends include the rustic look, with different finishes such as distressed, reclaimed, brushed and oiled, natural, and freshly sawed, and carpets are making a comeback, with advances in technology meaning they are easy to maintain.
For more information and to see the full range of flooring available, see Stories Flooring.