Highest new home registrations in 11 years, reports NHBC

UK builders registered more than 43,500 new homes during the third quarter of 2018, according to NHBC’s latest new home registration statistics – making it the highest quarter since 2007.

43,578 new homes were registered during the period July – September, an increase of 15 per cent on the 37,940 registered in the same period 12 months ago. The total makes it the highest quarter since the third quarter of 2007 when 49,520 new homes were registered.

In the private sector 33,520 new homes were registered (28,921 in Q3 2017; +16 per cent), with 10,058 registered in the affordable sector (9,019 in Q3 2017; +12 per cent).

London has seen a dramatic increase in registrations, up 141 per cent to 6,007, compared to the lower than usual figure of 2,492 in the same period last year. This is partly due to a number of large developments being registered by housing associations and by inwards investors focused on the private rental sector.

Other regions experiencing considerable growth compared to 2017 include Yorkshire & Humberside (+39 per cent), the South West (+34 per cent) and Scotland (+20 per cent).

As the leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes in the UK, NHBC’s registration statistics are a lead indicator of the UK’s new homes market.

NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood said: “The upturn in registrations over recent months is good news for the industry and shows that there remains a strong demand for high quality new homes in many parts of the UK.

“The increase in London is welcome, although it has been boosted by number of large scale developments and has to be set against unusually low figures this time last year.

“On a broader front, the industry remains cautious in the short-run until the economic impact of Brexit is clearer. Attaining the Government’s target of 300,000 new homes by the middle of the next decade will require a real focus on innovation, particularly the use of modern methods of construction, and on building skills and capacity in the workforce onsite, topics many builders are actively grappling with.”