Renovate or relocate?

We talk to Dave Broxton , Managing Director at Bohle, about how companies can capitalise on the current trend for quality home renovations.

More homeowners are renovating their homes with a view to the future, with a recent study finding that 62% of homeowners who had undertaken renovations planned to stay in their property for 11 years or more (Houzz). And an estimated 1 in 10 potential sellers are choosing to invest in quality renovations as opposed to moving home, according to Your Mortgage Expert, citing the the current mortgage and housing market pressures as factors in their decision.

“I think what we’re seeing is a real opportunity for installers to capitalise on this burgeoning home improvement market”, Dave Broxton, Managing Director of Bohle, says.

“By offering high-quality and high-performance products that will stand the test of time, businesses can increase their margins and also reduce the likelihood of callbacks, which is a win-win scenario for both fitters and homeowners.”

Made to last

This long-term view for homeowners is especially crucial in more skilled renovations, where costs tend to be more of an investment, and products need to be installed to last.

“Home renovations can often be quite an easy process”, Dave says. “For instance, a bedroom can be transformed with a quick lick of paint, or a dining room given a new style by re-furnishing.

“However, due to the cost and household disruption involved in a bathroom renovation, once it has been installed to the homeowners’ choosing, the chances are that the bathroom will then be left alone for a considerable period of time.

“Because of this, we are seeing people gravitate towards higher value bathroom installations. This means there is no better time for installers to have the Juna Shower Door Hinge in their product portfolio.”

Aesthetics and ease

Developed and designed by Bohle, the new Juna hinge for glass shower doors boasts minimum gap dimensions, which give a clean high-quality appearance. Other modern aesthetic features include no visible screws, a practically continuous sealing strip, and the above-average return angle of 20°, which closes the glass door automatically.

Tested to 100,000 cycles, the Juna Shower Door Hinge is made from brass and stainless steel with a load capacity of 50kg per pair - a necessary requirement for ever larger shower doors. To reassure the installer and homeowner, Juna comes with a 5-year guarantee.

“If a glass company is installing a beautiful new glass shower screen into a premium bathroom, the last thing that both the homeowner and installer would want, is for the fixtures to negatively detract from the product itself”, Dave explains.

“Juna emphasises the style within the bathroom, rather than minimises it, and it is the perfect combination of aesthetics and performance for the homeowner.”

The Juna shower door hinge was also designed with the installer in mind. For example, the zero-position adjusting screw is easily accessible and enables convenient adjustment: the clamping screws and the zero-position fixing screw have uniform screw heads, which can all be tightened with just one tool, simplifying installation on site.

Furthermore, the centred mounting plate is designed to perfectly locate the cover cap, which guarantees a firm and precise fit.

“Supplying quality hardware in tandem with quality products is an ideal way for installers to create a truly premium package, offering the aspirational design that homeowners are looking for, while commanding a higher margin, and resulting in fewer call-backs, both of which improve the bottom line”, Dave explains.

Quality is king

Aside from the possible quality implications of a cheaper alternative, there is also a rising consumer sentiment against mass-manufactured, discount products, according to Dave. Perhaps a by-product of the global focus around sustainability and ethical production, 67% of consumers now regard the behaviour of a company as important as what it sells (Ernst & Young (EY)).

“While the German design and manufacturing is winning loyal customers, Bohle has seen homeowners and installers turn away from the Far East for their hardware,” Dave says. “The shift in consumer behaviour towards the quality end of the market is one reason for this, as is the increased pressure on secure supply and sustainable manufacture.

“The bulk of Bohle’s products are now manufactured in Europe and distributed locally through our subsidiary network. They are produced in an energy efficient manufacturing environment that will become even more sustainable this year, when our manufacturing site in Haan in Germany will generate the majority of its energy via solar power, thanks to a substantial photovoltaic installation.”

?For more about Bohle’s product and service offer, including the latest Home Improvements brochure, visit www.bohle.com? email [email protected] or call the customer services team free on 0800 616151 for more information.