The London Builders’ Strike of 1860 was a major strike and resulting lockout of construction work throughout London. The Industrialist newspaper of that period was filled with stories of the misery of the London workers trying to construct jobs. The strike action did not cause any significant changes to working conditions, however, it did result in the formation of national, nationwide trade unions. These, however, did little to ameliorate the conditions of the London workers. This is because London was an agrarian city with poor housing standards and little industry.
London was built in an age of extreme laissez faire capitalism, when money was easy to come by. It was typical for affluent families to hire the services of London builders to construct their homes. Because of this, London became known as the city of the builders. It was not unusual for one of these builders to arrive in a back room to complete the construction of a mansion. The London property market also allowed developers to increase their profits by offering renovations at reduced prices and discounting the standard labour charges.
As these firms expanded, they hired more workers. This increased the demand for skilled labour in London and allowed London builders to hire people from the local Polish, Ukrainian or Lithuanian communities in order to complete their projects. The resulting influx of workers created a situation where there were a great many people from underclass backgrounds living in London. These workers were regarded as inferior to white British workers and were subject to all kinds of discrimination. This led to an influx of people looking for cheaper housing, lower house prices and a better quality of life.
As the population of London increased, the demand for housing also increased, leading to an increase in building. This resulted in the need for more London property developers to get involved in the process of refurbishing old buildings. In response, these builders London property refurbishment companies started offering lower prices to make the offers more competitive. The project managers thus found themselves in competition with each other. They needed to find a way to keep the price of their project under control.
The answer was for them to establish a co-operative venture – a London property refurbishment company. They would enter into an agreement with a designated London property developer who would pay them a fixed amount for the ongoing maintenance and renovation works. The company would then take a certain percentage of the overall profits from the sale of completed apartments and flats.
The creation of a London property refurbishment firm therefore, was an important step in improving London’s housing issues. The developers, faced with increasing demand for their products, were able to reduce costs on hiring outside manpower. The project manager also got himself into a better position to negotiate better London property rates. And the clients benefited from lower costs, because the entire building process became more efficient.
However, the benefits of working with a co-operative firm are not just limited to London property projects. Many real estate agents and private builders have successfully incorporated this concept in their own practices. This way, they are able to offer competitive rates for their services. A similar strategy can be used by real estate companies in order to secure better deals for themselves and for their clients.
Therefore, whether one wants to get renovation work done in an apartment, a flat, a luxury villa, a townhouse or a single-family home, they should always try to contact a reputable and experienced London property refurbishment building company. A good company will always put their clients first and provide them with the best possible deals. Once you have established a good working relationship with the company, you will surely get your money’s worth from the work that is done.