Barratt Homes is a leading housebuilder in the UK building market.
Starting from humble beginnings in the 1950s, Barratt Homes has grown into an internationally recognised company that is renowned for its quality build homes and its commitment to green causes.
So what sets a Barratt home apart from the rest? How did the company grow from a two-man operation into a globally recognised corporation? And what commitments have Barratt Homes made to bring about a greener and cleaner world?
We are going to explore all this and more as we jump into answering, what are Barratt Homes?
What are Barratt Homes?
Barratt Homes are one of the largest property development companies in the UK. Since being established in 1958, Barratt Homes have gone on to build over 500,000 houses across England, Wales, and Scotland, amassing back-to-back five-star customer satisfaction ratings along the way.
Barratt Homes are also notable for their continued commitment to green causes and socially progressive business models. They are committed to reaching their target of solely building zero-carbon homes by 2030.
So let’s now find out where it all began for Barratt Homes.
How did Barratt Homes get started?
In 1953, an accountant by the name of Lawrie Barratt realised that it would be cheaper for him to buy land and build his own house than it would for him to buy a pre-built property outright.
So, with this in mind, he bought five acres of land just outside of Newcastle upon Tyne and built his own home on the site.
Once the project was complete, Barratt decided to continue in his property development endeavours. And in 1958, he teamed up with Lewis Greensitt, a local builder, to form a house building business, initially known as Greensitt Brothers before later becoming Greensitt & Barratt, Barratt Homes, and then Barratt Developments.
Barratt Homes, then under the name of ‘Greensitt & Barratt’, was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1968. At this point, the company was building over 500 new homes every year in the North East of England.
Shortly after going public, in 1973, Lewis Greensitt parted ways with the company. Barratt Homes grew rapidly in the same decade and became a national house-building firm, building around 10,000 houses a year up and down the country.
By the late 1980s, Barratt Homes had become one of the best-known home builders in the country. And in 1990, Margaret Thatcher and her husband famously moved into a house built by Barratt Homes on an upmarket estate in Dulwich.
However, the company was hit hard by the economic recession in 1991. During this period, Lawrie Barratt even took the decision to return to his job on the directors’ board from retirement, before retiring for good in 1997. He remained life president of the company until his death in 2012.
What are the aims of Barratt Homes today?
In 2020, Barratt Homes made a commitment to build zero-carbon homes from 2030 and become a net-zero business by 2040.
Moreover, Barratt Homes builds their houses to reflect the values of the communities they foster. For example, over 93% of its builds are within 1 kilometre of public transport, meaning residents are both well connected and encouraged to live more sustainably.
Barratt Homes even partnered with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to make its housing developments more welcoming to surrounding fauna. For example, at its Kingsbrook estate, Barratt Homes installed 900 Swift Bricks into the houses, giving swifts a safe and comfortable place to build their nests.
As well their carbon commitments, Barratt Homes are also champions of biodiversity. Upon the completion of the construction of their 400,000th home, the organisation planted 400,000 trees and has continued to plant thousands of trees each year since.
Barratt Homes adopted nine of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since the adoption of these goals, their ethos is to strive to be leaders in each of them. This includes areas such as gender equality, responsible consumption, climate action, and working towards a world in which everyone has access to clean water and sanitation and the opportunity to live in good health.
Barratt Homes are also engaged in trying to bring about a circular economy. A circular economy is a model in which waste is reduced by the purchasing and consumption of recycled materials. Achieving this aim is a long-term project. But Barratt Homes already fits around 65% of their kitchens from a supplier that uses 50% recycled materials. And their window panes contain between 10-14% recycled materials, and their cavity closers that are 100% recycled.
All in all, the movement toward a brighter, more sustainable future is a long one, but Barratt Homes have proven that they are fully dedicated to playing their role in bringing about the kind of world we all want to see.
How has Barratt Homes’ work been recognised?
Barratt Homes’ hard work has not gone unnoticed and the company has won a fair few awards over the years.
In recent times, they are officially the only major national housebuilder in the UK to be awarded the 5 Star Housebuilder Award by the Homebuilders Federation every single year since 2010.
Furthermore, site managers for Barrat Homes have won more Pride in the Job Quality Awards since 2004 than any other national housebuilder.
So not only has the superior build quality of Barratt Homes been recognised and rewarded but the working environment has also been praised and commended by the industry.
How do Barratt Homes help buyers?
Barratt Homes works hard to help home buyers make their purchases. First-time buyers of Barratt homes can use the Help to Buy scheme, which allows buyers to secure a purchase with just a 5% deposit, with the government putting up 20%. This is half of the standard 10% rate for deposits.
Barratt Homes can also help to organise the sale of the buyer’s current home to ensure they are not kept in a chain of property buyers, which can take months and even years to break out of.
Summary
Since being established in 1958, Barratt Homes has grown to become one of the biggest housebuilders in the UK. Houses built by Barratt Homes are known for their superior build quality and, increasingly, their environmentally friendly designs and features.
Barratt Homes has a number of schemes in place to help buyers make their purchases and even sell the property they are leaving.
Recognised by numerous industry awards, Barratt Homes is as known for the quality of its homes as it is for excellent working conditions. So, when you next need to buy a home, consider buying from Barratt Homes.
