Latest Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin Is Published

13 April 2006
LATEST NORTHERN IRELAND HOUSING BULLETIN IS PUBLISHED
The Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin, including sales of new houses and apartments during the period October to December 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 Ł136,000, an increase of Ł15,000 (12.4%) on the same quarter in 2004.

The average selling price of NHBC-registered new houses ranged from Ł102,800 in Strabane District Council to Ł172,400 in Lisburn City Council according to provisional figures.

The average intended selling price of NHBC-registered flats and maisonettes was Ł125,000, Ł6,000 (5.0%) higher than the quarter ending December 2004.

Detached houses represented 26% of all NHBC intended housing starts. The total number of NHBC starts recorded for this quarter (2,646) represented an increase of 8.6% on the same quarter in 2004.

Of the new dwellings actually started, 93.1% (3,004) were commissioned by the private sector (provisional). Total number of starts increased from 3,135 for the quarter ending December 2004, to 3,225 for the quarter ending December 2005.

Belfast was the council area with the greatest number of new housing starts, namely 433. This represents an increase of 207.2%, in the city council, on the same period last year.

A total of 4,474 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 atwww.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
6. 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 (Core).
The next edition of the Bulletin will be published in July 2006.

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