Housing statistics for Scotland quarterly update: June 2018

New Build Housing – Private-led – up to end December 2017

The private sector is the biggest contributor to overall house building, accounting for just under four-fifths (78%) of all homes completed in the 12 months to end December 2017.

Chart 5: Annual private sector led new build starts and completions, years to end December, 2007 to 2017

Chart 6: Quarterly new build starts and completions (private led), since 2007 up to end December 2017

Trends over the last ten years – private sector

In 2007 (year to end December) the number of private sector homes started was around 20,600, while completions were just under 21,700. Private sector led new build housing was hit particularly hard by the recession. The number of homes completed dropped steeply between 2007 and 2009 then continued to decrease more gradually to under 10,000 in 2012. Since then, the number of homes completed has increased each year, except in 2016, bringing completions in the latest year to just under 13,800 in the year to end December 2017.

In September 2013 the Scottish Government introduced the Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme which has aimed to support buyers purchasing a new build home and to stimulate the house building industry. Following this, the Help to Buy (Scotland) Affordable New Build and Help to Buy (Scotland) Smaller Developers schemes were launched on 21 January 2016. Further information on the schemes, along with monitoring information setting out numbers of sales, is available at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/BuyingSelling/help-to-buy.

Trends to end December 2017 – private sector

Between October and December 2017, 3,352 private sector led homes were completed; 10% (386 homes) fewer than the same quarter in 2016 (see Chart 6). This brings the total for the year to end December 2017 to 13,750, which is 5% (714 homes) more than the 13,036 completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile there were 3,247 private sector led starts between October and December 2017, up 1% (35 homes) on the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year ending December 2017 to 13,774, which is 4% (583 homes) more than the 13,191 starts in the previous year.

Sub-national figures for the year to end December 2017 – private sector

Map B shows the rates per 10,000 head of population (based on the latest mid-2017 population estimates) of private sector led new build completions in each local authority for the year to end December 2017.

The highest completion rates have been in East Lothian, Midlothian, Aberdeen City and Orkney. The lowest rates meanwhile, have been in West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, Argyll & Bute, and North Lanarkshire.

Map B: New build housing - private sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end December 2017