News Release Page Title

5 July 2004

STATISTICAL PRESS RELEASE LATEST NORTHERN IRELAND HOUSING BULLETIN IS PUBLISHED

The Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin, including sales of new houses and apartments during the period January to March 2004, 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 £108,000, an increase of £10,000 (10.2%) on the same quarter in 2003.

  2. The average selling price of NHBC-registered new houses, ranged from £74,000 in Strabane District Council, to £163,100 in North Down District Council, according to provisional figures.

  3. The average intended selling price of NHBC-registered flats and maisonettes was £105,000, £11,000 (11.7%) higher than the quarter ending March 2003.

  4. 587 actions for mortgage possession were recorded, an increase of 21.8% on the same period in 2003.

  5. Detached houses represented 32% of all NHBC intended housing starts. The total number of NHBC starts, recorded for this quarter, (2,837), represented an increase of 11.9% on the same quarter in 2003.

  6. Of the new dwellings actually started, 79.7% (3,424) were commissioned by the private sector. Total number of starts increased from 3,646 for the quarter ending March 2003, to 4,294 for the quarter ending March 2004.

  7. Belfast was the district council with the greatest number of new housing starts, namely 642. This represents an increase of 38.7% on the same period last year.

  8. A total of 4,854 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, 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 housing starts for the private sector are supplied by Building Control Offices, district councils and for the social rented sector 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 http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/statistics-research/introduction.asp

Hard copies are available from the Statistics & Research Branch, Department for Social Development, The Village, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3SJ. Telephone 028 9052 2767; E-mail pauline.ryan@dsdni.gov.uk

Please Note:

Statistics & Research Branch (DSD) aims 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.

The next edition of the Bulletin will be published in October 2004.

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