Statistical Press Release: Latest Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin Is Published

26 January 2006
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 July to September 2005, was published by the Department for Social Development today.
Some of its key findings with year-on comparisons include:

The average selling price of NHBC-registered new houses sold during the quarter was Ł134,000, an increase of Ł18,000 (15.5%) on the same quarter in 2004.

The average selling price of NHBC-registered new houses ranged from Ł105,100 in Strabane District Council to Ł215,900 in North Down District Council according to provisional figures.

The average intended selling price of NHBC-registered flats and maisonettes was Ł118,000, Ł17,000 (16.8%) higher than the quarter ending September 2004.

Detached houses represented 29% of all NHBC intended housing starts. The total number of NHBC starts recorded for this quarter (2,322) represented a decrease of 11.4% on the same quarter in 2004.

Of the new dwellings actually started, 98.5% (3,592) were commissioned by the private sector. Total number of starts increased from 3,384 for the quarter ending September 2004, to 3,646 for the quarter ending September 2005.

Belfast was the district council with the greatest number of new housing starts, namely 535. This represents an increase of 17.8%, in the district council, on the same period last year.

A total of 4,993 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 (Core) 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/index/stats_and_research.htm. Hard copies are available from the
Statistics & Research Branch (Core)
Department for Social Development
Level Four, James House
2 Cromac Avenue
Gasworks Business Park
Ormeau Road
Belfast
BT7 2JA
Telephone - (028) 9053 7939;
E-mail pauline.ryan@dsdni.gov.uk
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 customer's 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 (Core).
The next edition of the Bulletin will be published in April 2006.
Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin is available to download

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