Well-designed products which are fast and easy to install can save valuable time on site, reducing costs and keeping projects on schedule. When it comes to taps and showers, there are an increasing number of stylish options available which can improve time efficiency without breaking the bank. Chris Tranter, senior product manager at Bristan, discusses.

The latest figures show the overall number of UK homes being built continues to rise, with 195,290 new builds added in the last year, the highest number for a decade. With the publication of these statistics, the government says that it is on track to deliver its target of 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s.

However, the housebuilding industry currently faces a huge range of challenges as it strives to meet the housing needs of the country, including access to low skilled workers, planning restrictions and the availability of land. With such high targets to meet, trends such as off-site construction are also emerging to speed-up the process of developing new homes.

Essentially, the housing crisis is about production capacity, but opting for innovative new products can play a crucial role in helping to accelerate the housebuilding process. Time is a precious commodity for developers but adopting new technology can reduce time on site and save money in the process.

So, what are the latest products that the housebuilding industry needs to be aware of? Here are some innovative kitchen and bathroom options that should be top of the list.

Easy to fit

Following feedback from the industry, manufacturers are increasingly looking to create pioneering, new product designs that meet the need for quick and easy installation. The objective is to reduce the time it takes to install kitchens and bathrooms in new builds, and the number of hours installers need to be on-site.

Shower valves 

In the bathroom, dual control concealed shower valves have long been a consistent favourite amongst consumers. In fact, the market is currently around 98,000 units per year.

However, installation has always been an issue with these valves. Whereas the connection centres of an exposed bar shower valve are usually 150 +/- 1mm, the dimensions for a concealed valve generally have less commonality, and connection is more involved.

If a concealed shower valve is being fitted into a solid wall, the brickwork needs to be chased out to allow the valve to sit at the correct depth, receive the water supply pipes and allow connection to the water outlet – for example a shower arm and fixed shower head, or a wall outlet and flexible shower hose.

New solutions are now available that are specifically designed for UK housing, and will fit into all wall spaces. These innovative slimline valves can be fitted into cavities as small as 35mm and provide 17-30mm of inbuilt adjustability to provide further flexibility. To make life even easier, a wall outlet is included as standard.

Staying on top of the latest developments in product design is essential for housebuilders to improve the efficiency that is needed to boost productivity in order to meet ambitious new build targets. When it comes to kitchen and bathroom fixtures and fittings, well designed products that are easy to install will always be the preferred choice.