News Release Page Title

30 January 2007

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 2006, was published by the Department for Social Development today.

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

  • The average selling price of National House Building Council (NHBC) registered new houses sold during the quarter was £157,000, an increase of £23,000 (17.2%) on the same quarter in 2005.

  • The average selling price of NHBC-registered new houses ranged from £118,600 in Cookstown District Council to £243,000 in North Down District Council according to provisional figures.

  • The average intended selling price of NHBC-registered flats and maisonettes was £142,000, £23,000 (19.3%) higher than the quarter ending September 2005.

  • Detached houses represented 35% of all NHBC intended housing starts. The total number of NHBC starts recorded for this quarter (1,711) represented a decrease of 26.3% on the same quarter in 2005.

  • Of the new dwellings actually started, 98.6% (3,554) were commissioned by the private sector (provisional). Total number of starts decreased from 3,646 for the quarter ending September 2005, to 3,606 for the quarter ending September 2006.

  • Belfast was the council area with the greatest number of new housing starts, namely 468 (provisional). This represents a decrease of 12.5%, in the city council, on the same period last year.

  • A total of 5,634 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 www.dsdni.gov.uk. 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) 9081 9953; E-mail SRB@dsdni.gov.uk

  6. Media enquiries only to DSD Information Office to 028 9082 9078.

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 (Core).

The next edition of the Bulletin will be published in April 2007.

    Click here to print this press release.