Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to reopen sales offices and offer NHS workers discounts

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey on Wednesday said it will offer NHS workers a discount on purchases, as it outlined more detailed return-to-work plans.

The builder said it will be reopening its sales offices and show homes, that closed during the Covid-19 lockdown, from May 22, initially for pre-booked appointments and with strict social distancing measures in place.

Taylor Wimpey, which last month became one of the first of Britain’s listed housebuilders to announce a phased return to construction sites, added: “To play a small part in acknowledging the crucial role that NHS staff, care workers and the emergency services have played, we will be launching a new discount scheme for this group offering a 5% discount.”

This will apply to homes reserved in 2020, to complete in 2020 and 2021, subject to Help to Buy approval.

The plans were one of a number announced by the FTSE 100 company today. They came after the government last night said estate agents’ offices can open, viewings are permitted and show homes can open. Measures were also unveiled to help builders, such as letting them have more flexible construction site working hours with their local council to help with social distancing.

Prior to this update much of the housing market had effectively been put on hold during the lockdown.

Pete Redfern, chief executive of Taylor Wimpey, said: “The new guidelines from Government show a clear desire to restart important parts of the economy, including the housing market. We have seen growing levels of customer interest in recent weeks and believe that this announcement will help rebuild housing market momentum in London and beyond.”

He added: “We believe that it is our responsibility to apply these rules carefully, and protect the health of our customers and staff. Our people are looking forward to welcoming customers to their sales offices and show homes and energised by new skills in serving customers digitally over the last seven weeks.”

Taylor Wimpey said it plans to encourage customers to maintain contact with sales representatives digitally where possible. However, there are instances where customers are unable to do this and will want to visit in person or physically view a show home.

There will be a new layout of sales centres, with the installation of perspex screens and marker guides for social distancing. Show home viewings will be unaccompanied, and only one family at a time will be able to view each home.

The company expects to recall the majority of sales staff from furlough by May 18, and most other staff by the end of the month.

Taylor Wimpey added that it has seen signs of increased activity and customer interest over the last week.