en.Wedoany.com Reported - The UK building materials market showed weakness in the first quarter of 2026. According to the BMBI report, sales value in the three months from February to April 2026 fell by 2.8% year-on-year, sales volume decreased by 7.1%, and prices rose by 4.7%.

By value, only three out of 12 categories recorded growth: Services (+7.0%), Timber & Joinery (+1.6%), and Miscellaneous (+0.2%). The largest declines were in Renewables & Water Saving (-6.6%), Workwear & Safety Equipment (-4.6%), and Heavy Building Materials (-1.9%).

Over a longer period, in the 12 months from May 2025 to April 2026, sales value fell by 0.7% compared to the previous 12 months (May 2024 to April 2025). With no difference in trading days, unadjusted sales volume decreased by 2.0%, while prices rose by 1.3%.

Mike Rigby, Managing Director of MRA Research, which compiles the BMBI report, stated that the start of 2026 brought a series of surprises, mostly unfavorable. As mid-year approaches, the market hopes for positive signs of sustained growth, but this may take time. On the negative side, new home registrations in the first quarter fell by 6%, with rising costs and declining demand putting developers under adverse market conditions, and eight out of 12 regions experiencing declines. The UK real estate market has been impacted, with the bankruptcy rate of real estate companies (including estate agents, landowners, and property management firms) reaching its fastest pace in the past decade. Since the beginning of the year, 762 UK real estate-related enterprises have become insolvent, an increase of over 60% compared to last year. The ongoing war in Iran continues to suppress consumer confidence and drive up construction costs.