Detached homes 'making comeback'

More detached homes are being built now than at the height of the property boom in 2007, an industry body has reported.

The National House Building Council (NHBC), which released the figures, said detached homes are making a "comeback", with 38,113 new build properties of this type registered with it in 2014, which is the highest number recorded for any year since 2004.

Across all types of property, 145,174 new homes across the UK were registered with the NHBC last year, marking a 9% increase on 2013 and the highest annual total since 2007 as the economic recovery continues.

Yorkshire and the Humber, Wales, Northern Ireland, the West Midlands and the South East are all now outpacing London in terms of the year-on-year percentage growth in the number of new builds being registered.

Wales recorded the strongest percentage jump, with registrations up by one third (33%) on 2013.

The NHBC said London saw "exceptional" growth in the number of new builds being registered in 2013, and in 2014 growth in the capital was more in line with that seen in the UK generally.

With 28,733 new homes registered in London last year, the number of new builds recorded in the capital was still up by 10% on 2013.

Eastern England was the only UK region that recorded a year-on-year fall in new build registrations in 2014, with a 6% fall.

The NHBC's registration figures are taken from builders who are responsible for around 80% of homes constructed in the UK. Builders are required to register a house with the NHBC before starting work, which means its figures represent homes that are to be built in the months ahead.

The number of detached homes being registered represents a 24% increase on 2013.

Detached homes now make up more than one quarter (26%) of all homes being built, with flats and maisonettes still accounting for the biggest chunk of new builds, at one third (33%).

In 2008, almost half (49%) of new build homes being registered were flats, while just 15% were detached homes.

NHBC chief executive Mike Quinton said: "It looks like the detached home is making a comeback ... Following an oversupply of flats outside London over the last decade, the growth in detached homes is restoring balance to the country's housing stock."

Some 48,685 flats were registered with the NHBC last year - representing a 5% increase on 2013 but just over half of the 90,221 flats that were recorded during the boom in 2007.

The number of new build semi-detached homes also increased on 2013, rising by 12% to 31,650.

Meanwhile, the number of bungalows and terraced homes being registered fell year-on-year. Some 26,600 terraced homes were registered in 2014, representing a 2% annual fall, while 2,059 bungalows were registered, showing a 16% decrease.

Despite the boost in new build numbers, the NHBC said that 2014's total remains below the average of 153,000 registrations seen per year over the last four decades.

Mr Quinton continued: "We are still building below the levels seen before the economic downturn and below what this country needs.

"With the general election just three months away, it is therefore very encouraging that housing remains a top priority for all the main parties."

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: "Today's figures clearly show how our efforts have got the country building again ...

"We have turned around a broken housing market, including introducing schemes like Help to Buy to help home owners get on the housing ladder and investing billions in affordable housebuilding."

Here are the numbers of new-build properties that were registered across the UK with the NHBC last year, and the percentage change compared with 2013:

:: Scotland, 11,003, 9%

:: North East, 5,296, 2%

:: Yorkshire and the Humber, 8,625, 24%

:: East Midlands, 11,637, 8%

:: Eastern, 13,500, minus 6%

:: London, 28,733, 10%

:: South East, 21,172, 11%

:: South West, 14,281, 5%

:: West Midlands, 12,241, 16%

:: Wales, 4,740, 33%

:: Northern Ireland (figure also includes Isle of Man), 2,474, 17%

:: North West, 11,522, 3%

And here are the proportions of new build homes registered with the NHBC last year of each property type:

:: Detached houses, 26%

:: Bungalows, 1%

:: Semi-detached houses, 22%

:: Terraced houses, 18%

:: Flats and maisonettes, 33%

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