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The opening of the new Deans Community High School in Livingston has been delayed by up to a fortnight after the contractor “failed to meet the target date”.

A builder has been named, shamed and accused of going mad and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to a house after his work was criticised. Alan Beardsmore’s case was heard at the Crown Court and he has now been bailed for committal to the Higher Court in October.

With an expected increase in market activity just around the corner, renting is becoming more fashionable again as getting married later becomes more popular and a successful working culture continues. This all means that the demand for rental properties is going to be increasing and so landlords are seeking out new ways to keep costs down as they fight to stay on top of the market.

Popular dating website mysinglefriend.com have carried out a survey and found that women are ditching the pinstriped suit wearing, briefcase carrying men and swapping them for their local plumbers, Read more ...

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With the economic crisis still in full swing, more and more people are deciding to 'improve not move' and are looking to reputable builders to help update their living spaces. With this trend in mind, Government endorsed scheme TrustMark surveyed 1,000 homeowners about their home improvement experiences and the results were quite astonishing!

A report from Price Waterhouse Cooper has shown the construction industry to be worst affected by the economic downturn. Bankruptcies in the UK are up 57% on 12 months ago with 829 companies heading to the courts in the first quarter of 2009.

The construction industry topped the list of affected businesses, followed by manufacturing, retail, hospitality and real estate. A spokesperson for the FSB predicted that 36,000 business faced a similar fate before the end of the year.

Building society Nationwide is today reporting that the price of an average house surprisingly rose 0.9% in March compared with the previous month.

Prices went up for the first time since October 2007, reported the buidlng society, with an average home costing £150,946 compared to £147,746 in February.

The news comes just days after a reported 3% rise in the price of new homes.

There's been a surprise rise in the price of new homes  for the first time in nine months as fears grow about about decreasing stock levels and the rise in buyer interest.

The average price of a new home rose 2.8% in February 2009, up from £221,598 in January to £227,893 - the first monthly increase since May.

Figures to be released today are set to show that unemployment levels have reached 2 million, the first time since Labour came to power in 1997.