Building of detached homes at 20-year high

THE number of new detached homes being registered increased to the highest level in nearly 20 years in the first quarter of this year, according to an industry body.

Some 16,090 registrations for detached homes were recorded in the first quarter of 2022 as housebuilders continued to respond to buyers looking for extra space to suit working from home, the National

House Building Council (NHBC) said.

The figure is the highest since the second quarter of 2002 when 16,828 detached houses were registered.

Overall, the number of new homes being registered across the UK jumped by a quarter (25%) in the first three months of this year compared with a year earlier.

Homes are registered with the NHBC before being built so its figures are an indicator of the housing stock in the pipeline. The body has a 70% to 80% share of the UK warranty market.

Some 45,991 new homes were registered to be built in the first quarter of 2022, and private sector registrations were a key driver of growth, with gains also made in the number of properties being built for the rental sector.

“We have seen a strong start to the year,” said NHBC chief executive Steve Wood.