New home registrations up 25% in first quarter

New data released by NHBC shows that UK new home registrations increased by 25% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year. A total of 45,991 new homes were registered to be built in Q1 2022 compared to 36,665 in Q1 2021, demonstrating the house-building sector’s commitment to respond to demand.  

Private sector registrations were a key driver of growth with an increase of 31% to 35,134 (Q1 2021 26,773) as builders continue to respond to high consumer demand for new homes. There were also gains in the rental sector, up 10% from 9,892 in Q1 2021 to 10,857 in Q1 2022, driven in part by the growth in Build to Rent. 

London bounced back to growth with a 51% rise in new home registrations in the quarter, whilst the other regions experiencing significant growth included Wales (+84%), East Midlands (+65%) and West Midlands (+52%). There were small dips in registrations in Northern Ireland (-8%), Scotland (-6%) and the East (-16%).  

New home registrations rose for every house type with detached homes reaching a 20-year high of 16,090 registrations in Q1 2022, as housebuilders continue to respond to buyers looking for extra space as many continue to work from home.  

New home completions saw a slight decrease of 4% from 33,222 in Q1 2021 to 31,874 in Q1 2022, with some disruption caused by materials’ shortages and supply chain challenges.  

Commenting on the latest data, NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood said: “We have seen a strong start to the year with a 25% uplift in new home registrations in the quarter, reflecting a reasonably buoyant new build market and strong forward sales.  

“Material and labour supply shortages continue to be a challenge, but this is now being managed by housebuilders as ‘the new normal’. Inflationary pressures and the strain on household budgets may yet impact market activity, with this likely to be dampened by continued strong demand in both private sale and rental sectors.” 

Access the full data here. 

St. Modwen to deliver pioneering all-electric homes in landmark Midlands scheme

St. Modwen, a leading developer with a focus on new communities and high-quality homes, plans to deliver up to 350 new all-electric homes on the historic MG Rover site that was once home to the MINI in Birmingham.

Powered by a dedicated ‘smart grid’, electricity will be supplied and tracked across a network of homes to ensure this first phase of homes will be 100% gas-free. The innovation is believed to be the first to be used by a major developer as St. Modwen continues to pioneer sustainable new ways to build and power homes. The smart grid design is being developed alongside SNRG, specialists in next generation energy infrastructure.

This latest move follows the launch earlier in 2022 of St. Modwen’s first carbon-negative homes, a landmark trial that makes homes so airtight that they can return power to the UK grid. By using the latest construction techniques and embracing new renewable technologies such as solar panels and heat pumps, the carbon-negative homes are designed to produce more energy than they consume and could reduce a family’s total energy bills by 76% when compared with a standard new-build house. Aspects of this trial will be deployed in the new all-electric homes and in turn across all new developments by St. Modwen as carbon-reducing technology becomes standard.

Sarwjit Sambhi, CEO of St. Modwen said: “Every organisation needs to be taking steps to deliver more sustainable products and services, but at St. Modwen we have taken leaps, by introducing carbon-negative homes and smart-grid powered developments. We’re proving that greener homes can be delivered at commercial scale, something which is not just the right thing for the environment but also allows us to meet the demand of our customers.”

Outline planning was secured for the Longbridge site in 2021 for a total of 350 new homes. Detailed planning for the first phase is currently with the local authority, meaning new homes are expected to be built by St. Modwen Homes from Autumn 2022.

Guidance released on how to unlock the full potential of the Future Homes Standard

The NHBC Foundation has published a new report that gives advice and guidance to housebuilders on unlocking the full potential of the Future Homes Standard. The report considers the challenges that may arise from energy saving measures in new homes and how these could be overcome.

While construction principles and technology largely exist to enable new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency by 2025, work still needs to be done on bridging gaps in the house-building industry’s knowledge, skills and practices to deliver these homes reliably and at volume.

The report, titled Future Homes - Avoiding Unintended Consequences, has three key themes - heating, ventilation and design considerations - and covers issues that are fundamental to homeowners, including comfort, usability and resilience to climate change. This free report, in association with Studio Partington, is available in a new, interactive, digital format, on its own dedicated website. Designed to act as a resource for the industry, this website will also signpost users to other guides and learning.

Richard Smith, NHBC’s Head of Standards, Innovation and Research, said: “The Future Homes Standard will set the UK in the forefront of global ambitions to achieve net-zero homes. We want this ongoing project to become a forum for knowledge and a stimulus for thinking about the home in use, as well as its design for future homeowners. Our aim is for it to prompt discussion, identify the scale of the challenge and be a reminder of lessons from the recent past.

“Over the coming months, we will continue to identify the challenges and anticipate possible consequences, thinking particularly of homeowners’ needs and the things that should be in place to allow our homes to function efficiently.”

To access the full report, click here.