Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update (Published 15th March 2016)

New Build Housing - Private-led Housing

The private sector is the biggest contributor to overall house building, accounting for over three-quarters (76%) of all homes completed in the 12 months to end September 2015.

Chart 5: Annual private sector led new build starts and completions, years to end September 2006 to 2015

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 September) the number of private sector homes started were around 18,000 to 24,000 while completions were around 19,000 to 21,000. The private sector was hit particularly hard by the recession. The number of homes completed dropped steeply throughout 2009 then continued to decrease more gradually to under 10,000 in 2012. Since then the number of homes completed has increased, bringing completions through the year to over 12,000 in 2015.

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. Further information on the scheme, along with monitoring information setting out numbers of sales, is available at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/BuyingSelling/help-to-buy/MonthlyStats

Trends to end September 2015:

Between July and September 2015, 3,126 private sector led homes were completed; 20% up on the same quarter in 2014 (see Chart 6).

This brings the total for the year to end September 2015 to 12,125 - up by 2% (217 homes) on the 11,908 completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile there were 3,288 private sector led starts between July and September 2015, 14% up on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end September 2015 to 13,336, 10% (1,160 homes) higher than the 12,176 starts in the previous year.

Sub-national figures for the year to end September 2015:

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 September 2015.

The highest completion rates have been in Midlothian, Aberdeenshire and West Lothian. The lowest rates meanwhile have been in Dundee City, Argyll & Bute and South Ayrshire.

Map B: New build housing - private sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end September 2015