Newer forms of housing 'see building increase'

Posted: 18 May 2007 09:47:57 GMT

There has been an increase in the number of flats, terraced housing and maisonettes available to buyers in Britain as a result of the demand for more affordable property, data from the National House-Building Council (NHBC) has shown.

There has been an increase in the number of flats, terraced housing and maisonettes available to buyers in Britain as a result of the demand for more affordable property, data from the National House-Building Council (NHBC) has shown.

According to new figures, for the first quarter of 2007, 44 per cent of new homes in the UK were either flats or maisonettes, which was double the number built in 2000.

The number of terraced properties being built that - which could appeal to families - also saw an increase and overtook the number of semi-detached dwellings.

In the first quarter, 20 per cent of new constructions were in the terraced sector, five per cent higher than the number of semi-detached abodes.

Chief executive at NHBC Imtiaz Farookhi said that the increasing demand has seen a fall in the number of more traditional properties available.

"The drive for more affordable homes is being intensified by the number of first-time buyers and a rise in the number of people living alone. This has led to a shift away from traditional semi-detached and detached homes," the official stated.

Applications for new homes also saw an increase, compared to the corresponding quarter in 2006.

NHBC aims to improve new home building by offering widespread research on developments in the sector.

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