30 January 2003

LATEST NORTHERN IRELAND HOUSING BULLETIN IS PUBLISHED

The Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin, reporting on sales of new houses and apartments during the period July to September 2002, was published by the Department for Social Development today.

Some of its key findings with year-on comparisons include:

1. The average selling price of NHBC-registered new houses sold during the quarter was £100,000, an increase of £8, 000 (8.7 pc) on the same quarter in 2001.
2. The average selling price of NHBC-registered new houses ranged from £64,300 in Strabane District Council to £156,600 in Castlereagh District Council according to provisional figures.
3. The average selling price of NHBC-registered flats and maisonettes was £99,000 - £13,000 (11.6pc) lower than the same quarter of 2001.
4. 402 actions for mortgage possession were recorded, an increase of 6.4pc on the same period in 2001.
5. Detached houses represented 37pc of all NHBC intended housing starts. The total number of NHBC starts recorded for this quarter (2,313) represented an increase of 12.6pc on the same quarter in 2001.
6. Of the new dwellings actually started, 97.0pc (3,014) were commissioned by the private sector. The total number of starts increased from 2,889 for the quarter ending September 2001, to 3,107 for the quarter ending September 2002.
7. Newry & Mourne was the district council with the greatest number of new housing starts, namely 326. This represents an increase of 162.9 pc on the same period last year.
8. A total of 4,394 households presented as homeless to the Housing Executive with ‘Sharing Breakdown or Family Dispute’ being the most common reason cited.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin is produced each quarter by the Statistics and Research Branch of the Department for Social Development. It contains information on new house sales and prices, mortgage advances, actions for mortgage possession and new housing starts. Provisional and revised figures are indicated by (P) and (R) respectively.

2. Data for new house sales and price are derived from transactions for new private sector and Housing Associations dwellings notified by solicitors to the National House Building Council (NHBC), Buildmark House, Chiltern Avenue, Amersham, Bucks, HP6 5AP,Tel: 0870 241 4302, www.nhbc.co.uk
3. Details of all new housing starts for the private sector are supplied by the Building Control Offices for each of the 26 district council areas. Data for the social rented sector are provided by NIHE and the Housing Associations Branch of the Department for Social Development.

4. For the purposes of this bulletin, the terms ‘house’ and ‘dwelling’ are interchangeable and can be defined as ‘a self-contained unit of accommodation, having all amenities available to each household (own kitchen, bathroom, toilet) regardless of shared entrance).’ A ‘house’ or ‘dwelling’ will, therefore, comprise ‘either one self-contained household space or a number of non self-contained household spaces’.

5. The bulletin is available on the Department for Social Development’s website at www.dsdni.gov.uk/statistics-research/introduction.asp. Hard copies are available from:

   Statistics & Research Branch,
   Department for Social Development,
   Room 3,
   Block 4,
   The Village,
   Stormont,
   BELFAST BT4 3SJ.

   Telephone 028 9052 2762.
   E-mail ann.trew@dsdni.gov.uk

6. Please Note: Statistics & Research Branch (DSD) aim to provide customers with the information they require and in a format that is most suitable to meet customers needs. If you have any comments in relation to the content of the bulletin or the format in which it is released please contact Statistics & Research Branch.
7. The next edition of the Bulletin will be published in March 2003.

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