If you can’t find fitters – buy a company (or two) that has

Residential repair and improvements business HomeServe announced on Friday that it has acquired shareholdings in Checkatrade in the UK and Habitissimo in Spain. The FTSE 250 firm said the two separate businesses provide access to high-quality tradespeople performing home repairs and improvements via online platforms. It confirmed it purchased a 40% interest in Checkatrade, and a 70% interest in Habitissimo, with the deals being worth a combined £37m.

Speaks to the shortage of tradespeople in the Home Improvement sector