We welcome 2012 and looking forward to a year of continued recovery for the construction industry in the UK.

We can report record sales throughout 2011 on our entire range of products; glass balustrading, Juliet balcony and curved patio doors – despite the tough economic times.

Sales volumes across our entire product range by almost 29.2% throughout last year compared to 2010 and reflected consistent growth throughout the 12 months of 2011. End of year sales were particularly strong with November 2011 orders more than double on the same month in 2010.

Since our move to larger premises at Lingfield, Surrey 15 months ago, our workforce has grown by 20% to cope with customer demand and the developing product range.

Managing Director Effi Wolff said the addition of the BalcoNano® unique self-cleaning glass coating option in mid-summer had attracted much interest and contributed to the uplift in business, especially towards the end of the year.

Similarly, the introduction of our Juliet balconies with promotional pricing from under £200, which provide a cost-effective and elegant, low-maintenance balustrading solution, had proved popular with buyers from all sectors. This helped to boost sales of Juliets by a spectacular 70% in 2011.

Effi explained: “Balcony continues to grow, showing consistent 15% year-on-year growth since 2008. We’ve had a tremendous year as more and more architects, builders and self-builders recognised the quality, versatility and affordability of Balcony’s products, as well as their ability to transform properties and add value.

“We are also starting to see the resurrection of larger projects, plus signs of confidence returning to the market; something we have not seen for three years,” he continued. “Business picked up considerably in the final quarter of 2011 and we worked right through the Christmas period in order to fulfil orders for our customers.”

As for 2012, We are predicting another buoyant year with our appearances at both Grand Design Live exhibitions (London & Birmingham) and an Ecobuild debut for our sister company, VBS, in March.

Effi added: “Alongside rising demand from builders and developers, trends show that people are still willing to invest in their homes with many choosing to improve, rather than move house. That’s why we’re experiencing a lot of interest in our products, for both newbuild projects and refurbishment schemes.”

We are now contacting customers that have ordered with us in the past to encourage them to take part in this year’s competition for the best photograph of juliet balconies, balustrades and curved doors.

The competition will run until 15th December 2011 at which time we will stop accepting new entries.

The judging process will begin and we will choose the winner in January.

Here you can read the competition’s terms and conditions.

The happy winner will win a brand new Apple iPad worth £499

To participate all you have to do is:

1. Send us a maximum of 8 high resolution photos to Information@balconette.co.uk
2. Take a moment and fill out a review form about the product you purchased at http://www.balconette.co.uk/Products/customer-review.aspx

Good luck and we look forward to seeing your beautiful pictures!

As demand for its stunning range of balustrades, balconies and curved patio doors continues to grow, Balcony required additional space for new staff, which includes Delivery Manager Malcolm Wheeler and Cathrine Miles in Technical, and a larger area for the existing sales team. The new premises also have more warehouse space to stock products and space for a showroom where Balcony’s complete range will be displayed for visitors.

Not only a reflection of growth

Managing Direct Effi Wolff says: “It’s an exciting time for us. Our products are a popular choice for new build and refurbishment projects, adding style, value and the ‘WOW’ factor to buildings. Moving to larger premises is not only a reflection of our growth, but also gives us scope for future expansion. And the new show area will mean we can invite customers to the office to view our stunning range at first hand.”

Balcony’s new address is: Unit 6 Systems House, Eastbourne Road, Blindley Heath, Lingfield RH7 6JP, the telephone number remains the same 01342-410411

When it came to choosing the balustrade he knew exactly what he wanted and chose leading supplier Balcony Systems Ltd. The clean lines and round handrail coupled with the uncluttered finish matched the modern exterior. Most importantly, with no clamps or ugly fittings to get in the way the balustrade didn’t interrupt the spectacular view of the coast from the glass-walled sitting room.

A complicated design

Twenty eight metres of balustrade was ordered for the project, Mike Murray explains: “Balcony’s products are very easy to assemble and install yourself but because our design was quite complicated, it may have been better with hindsight to use a professional installer!

“A challenging bit was the slope leading up to the house where the glass had to be cut at an angle to fit the slope,” continues Mike. “The installation was also on natural stone paving which is not a smooth surface. Accurate measuring and cutting was vital, but Balcony helped me at every stage. They even made a mock-up in MDF to be certain we had it right.”

Great results

The installation took four weeks to complete and Mr Murray was delighted with the end result. “It complements the look of the house and adds to the value. I’d happily recommend Balcony’s products and service.”

As per HMRC regulations Balcony Systems has updated the online prices of our balustrades, Curved sliding doors and Juliet Balconies to calculate 17.5% VAT on checkout and from 1st January 2010 all invoices will bear 17.5% value added tax.