With over 40 years of industry experience, structural defects warranty specialist Advantage Home Construction Insurance (AHCI) has expanded into Northern Ireland
The move follows the opening of Advantage’s London office last year. The business, which has its headquarters in Warrington, also has offices in Birmingham and Huddersfield.
David Sumner, Advantage’s sales director, said that the structural defects warranty specialist’s strong growth and expansion into new territories was “a credit to our hardworking team” adding that opening new offices in strategic locations, and making new hires at their Warrington office, was part of the company’s long-term expansion plans.
With over 40 years of industry experience, Advantage specialises in providing structural defects warranty and commercial insurance to a value of up to £50m – as well as sewer and performance bonds to property developers, building contractors, housing associations and self-builders.
AHCI is a CTSI code sponsor
Underwritten by industry-leading rated insurers, Advantage is a CTSI code sponsor, having completed the rigorous CTSI Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS) process, offering a new level of customer protection and trade accreditation, giving added peace of mind to clients. The company has provided cover for a broad range of residential and commercial schemes – from individual houses to large-scale developments.
Renowned for their fast turnaround times and highly competitive quotes, AHCI offer each client a dedicated relationship manager, ensuring a tailored and efficient experience.
For our May issue, Advantage’s Northern Ireland regional manager, Alastair Clements, spoke to PBC Today about his background within the property sector and shared his predictions for the coming months.
Can you tell us about your career before joining Advantage?
I started working in the Northern Ireland property sector in 2003 as a residential estate agent. Then in 2010, I co-founded a residential estate agents in Belfast, where I was the managing partner. By 2014, I had acquired two other agencies and expanded to three new offices between Belfast and North Down. I sold my ownership of the agency in 2018 to specialise in structural warranties.
In 2021, I joined Advantage – a company that’s filling a gap in the Northern Ireland latent defects market with the range of products and finance options they can offer – some of these services were previously unavailable to the Northern Ireland construction industry.
Could you share one or two examples of interesting projects you’ve covered since working with Advantage?
I was delighted to provide the warranties for Radius Housing Association at the Gardenmore Road development in Belfast. The subtle complexities of this scheme were brilliantly managed the by the design team and it was a pleasure to work with all involved.
Also, bespoke self-builds are always interesting. Liaising directly with the homeowner throughout the build process is very rewarding – it’s a different dynamic dealing with someone who is building their own home for the first time.
What does a typical day involve for you?
Attention to detail is absolutely essential in this industry – so as the point of contact for my clients, I generally spend my days on the phone ensuring that the relevant parties have all the information they require to ultimately ensure a smooth process. I take great pride in simplifying the process for my clients.
Has the way you work changed significantly since covid?
Only in the sense that there aren’t enough hours in the day! Since July 2020, the demand on the property and construction industry in Northern Ireland has been incredibly exciting as well as challenging. In general, the residual sales values here have been increasing dramatically, which is very encouraging – but I have also seen periods of client hesitation in respect to how sustainable those residual values would be in comparison to the increasing cost of materials.
Do you have any predictions regarding the construction sector in Northern Ireland in the coming months?
Construction costs and lead times have been a concern for many in the industry here – but while purchasers are still able to secure mortgages, there is still a healthy demand for new homes. I think we can expect a little turbulence from the current rate of inflation – but from speaking with my clients, there is still a general feeling of confidence and sustainable levels of growth.
I have seen a growing number of my clients focus their attention towards renewables – and I predict that this will become a major focus for the local industry over the coming months.
For Northern Ireland enquiries, email: alastair@ahci.co.uk
Alastair Clements
Northern Ireland Regional Manager
Advantage Home Construction Insurance
Tel: 0845 900 3969
*Please note: This is a commercial profile
