Savills ProgrammE and Cost Sentiment Survey (S.P.E.C.S) tracks trends in construction costs and timescales across different UK property sectors. The Q3 2016 data shows that new build and refurbishment costs are generally rising, indicated by a S.P.E.C.S cost score of 13, while timescales are getting quicker, with a score of -7. Contractors have significant control over pricing and timelines due to high demand and limited supply in London, pushing up prices. Overall refurbishment and fit-out costs have risen across most sectors as development pipelines remain above historical averages.

1. savills.co.uk/research 01
GRAPH 1
S.P.E.C.S 2016
S.P.E.C.S
Savills ProgrammE and Cost
Sentiment Survey
July 2016
Savills World Research
UK Commercial
Introducing S.P.E.C.S
Welcome to the first edition of
S.P.E.C.S, a quarterly Savills Research
report aimed at tracking the cost and
time scale trends associated with new
development and fit-out across different
property sectors and regions.
The data in table one is collected
from Savills sector specialist project
managers who track if market sentiment
is causing project costs and time scales
to be either increasing, decreasing or
remaining static. Over time this data will
form a time series allowing for further
analysis.
Graph source: Savills Research
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016
S.P.E.C.SScore
Costs Time Overall S.P.E.C.S Score
“Our first edition of S.P.E.C.S highlights how current macro events are impacting the construction industry.
Cost increases are generally stabalising whereas timescales for larger projects are moving out faster in
comparison to smaller schemes. The impact of the result to leave the EU will take a number of months to
filter into our S.P.E.C.S scores, the direction of any change remains to be seen ” Simon Collett, Head of Division
Q3'16 S.P.E.C.S Score
The data in table one has been
given a numeric value and a net
score calculated for costs and time
scales. There are 24 indicators for
each, a S.P.E.C.S score above zero
demonstrates costs or time scales
generally rising and a score below
zero demonstrates a fall.
For the third quarter of 2016 we
have observed a cost score of 13
which shows that nearly all sectors
and geographies are seeing costs
for build and fit out rise. Timescales
however have a score of -7 which
shows that project delivery is getting
quicker.
New Build
Refurbishment Costs
New Build
Refurbishment
Timescales*
Occupier Fit-out
costs
Occupier Fit-out
Timescales*
Offices - Central London
Offices - Regional
Warehousing 100,000 sq ft
Warehousing 100,000 - 500,000 sq ft
Warehousing 500,000 sq ft +
Central London Prime Residential
Central London mid market Residential
Regional mid market Residential
Foodstores
High St Retail
Out of Town Retail
Shopping Centre
TABLE 1
Q3 2016
S.P.E.C.S Indicators
Table source: Savills Building and Project Consultancy
*Timescales definition: The time taken from project sign off to project commencement including the procurement and delivery of building components

2. S.P.E.C.S | UK Commercial
02
July 2016
Lack of contractors in
London push prices up
With take-up in the City of London
totalling 7.4m sq ft in 2015 and
surpassing the long term average
for the third consecutive year it is
no surprise that the development
and refurbishment pipeline of office
space is also increasing. With
vacancy rates in the City at 4.5%
against a long term average of 9.7%
more space is now set to come to
the market.
There is expected to be four
consecutive years of above average
completions expected to arrive within
the City, with the greatest amount
anticipated for 2016 at a total of 5m
sq ft of which 2.2m sq ft is already
pre-let. In fact, 27% of the future
development and refurbishment
pipeline is already pre-let, a trend
which we expect to continue as
larger occupiers are forced to
look into the future to guarantee
their property requirements are
successfully satisfied.
The result of this for the development
market is that contractor availability
has become a key issue. We remain
in a strong contractor market where
demand for their services is high but
supply is being constrained due to an
ongoing skills shortage. Contractors
are dictating the procurement routes
available to our clients with two stage
and negotiated procurement being
their preferred option. Contractors
currently have little appetite for single
stage design and build procurement
as risk profile is perceived to be
higher and their profit margins are
constrained. There is still a general
sentiment that sub contractors are in
a stronger position in dictating tender
pricing and can drive greater control
over project programme and cost
than the main contractors.
Using data from Gardiner Theobald
we therefore expect UK average
rates of tender price inflation to
remain at 4% for 2016 and 3.5% for
2017, with a levelling off predicted in
2018.
GRAPH 2
Development pipeline above average
Graph source: Savills Research
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2015
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msqft
Complete Pre-Let Speculative Average completions
Please contact us for further information
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Simon Collett
Head of Division
+44 (0)20 7409 5951
scollett@savills.com
Paul Davies
Offices - Central London
+44 (0)20 7409 8992
pdavies@savills.com
Jim Wickens
Residential
+44 (0)20 7409 8041
jwickens@savills.com
Stephen Morgan
Offices - Midlands
+44 (0)121 634 8454
swmorgan@savills.com
Claire Hood
Retail
+44 (0)20 7877 4572
chood@savills.com
James Kelway
Warehousing
+44 (0)20 7409 8977
jkelway@savills.com
Gary Bulloch
Offices - Regional
+44 (0)161 227 7247
gbulloch@savills.com
“With strong levels of occupier take-up and four consecutive
years of above average completions, refurbishment and fit-
out construction costs have all risen. In the coming months
we do not expect the result of the EU referendum to have any
immediate impact on the predicted tender price inflation, but
timescales and workloads could be impacted as occupiers and
developers react ” Paul Davies, Director City Office
John Gallagher
Offices - Scotland
+44 (0)141 222 5852
jgallagher@savills.com
Nick Ireland
Offices - South
+44 (0)23 8071 3918
nireland@savills.com
Kevin Mofid
Research
+44 (0)20 3618 3612
kmofid@savills.com