Housing statistics: quarterly update, December 2016

New Build Housing - Private-led Housing

The private sector is the biggest contributor to overall house building, accounting for more than three-quarters (76%) of all homes completed in the 12 months to end June 2016.

Chart 5: Annual private sector led new build starts and completions, years to end June, 2006 to 2016

Chart 6: Quarterly new build starts and completions (private-led), since 2005

Trends over the last ten years

Between 2006 and 2008 (years to end June) the number of private sector homes started were around 20,000 to 24,000 while completions were around 20,000 to 22,000. Private sector led new build housing was hit particularly hard by the recession. The number of homes completed dropped steeply throughout 2008 then continued to decrease more gradually to under 10,000 in 2013. Since then the number of homes completed has increased overall (with a slight dip in 2015), bringing completions through the year to almost 12,000 in the year ending June 2014 and just over 11,500 in 2015 and over 12,000 in 2016.

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 June 2016

Between April and June 2016, 3,078 private sector led homes were completed; down 7% on the same quarter in 2015 (see Chart 6). This brings the total for the year to end June 2016 to 12,145, which is 5% (537 homes) higher than the 11,608 completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile there were 3,348 private sector led starts between April and June 2016, 17% down on the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year ending June 2016 to 11,810, which is 11% (1,433 homes) less than the 13,243 starts in the previous year.

Sub-national figures for the year to end June 2016

Map B shows the rates per 10,000 head of population of private sector led new build completions in each local authority for the year to end June 2016.

The highest completion rates have been in Midlothian, Aberdeenshire, Perth & Kinross and East Renfrewshire. The lowest rates meanwhile, have been in Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Angus and East Ayrshire.

Map B: New build housing - private sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end June 2016