most builders and developers have their budget for each developement worked out months in advance, most are vat registered so it will not affect them in any way ,the domestic market has slowed off a good bit since the high point pre credit crunch, there are loads of good deals on materials around and i think retailers will absorb the costs on stock items until easter, most jobbing tilers sail below the vat threshold so dont charge it on the labour so i dont think there will be as much as an effect as some people may think ,the biggest danger imo will be inflation