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The latest NHBC statistics show that the principal housing type being started in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are flats and maisonettes.
With the level of high rise buildings increasing in recent years, flats and maisonettes made up more than half of new homes started in England during quarter three this year - this is almost double the combined percentage of semi-detached and detached homes.
In Wales, the percentage of flats and maisonettes started in the third quarter of this year rose from 34 per cent in the second quarter to 46 per cent, more than double the percentage of detached homes started (21 per cent).
Northern Ireland is no different either as all three-quarters this year have experienced a significant rise in the number of flats and maisonettes when compared to 2006. Flats and maisonettes constituted 29 per cent of all new homes started in quarter three 2007 - five percentage points higher than detached homes started and nine percentage points higher than semi-detached homes started during the quarter.
Quarter three figures for Scotland show flats and maisonettes rivalling detached houses - 37 per cent compared with 39 per cent respectively.
"While flats and maisonettes have been the dominant housing type in England since 2003, this year for the first time, we are seeing flats and maisonettes exceed both the number of detached homes and semi-detached homes in Northern Ireland and Wales." explains NHBC's Chief Executive, Imtiaz Farookhi.
New build applications
There were 50,250 applications made in quarter three to build new homes in the UK, showing a 21 per cent increase on the same three month period in 2006 (41,399). 40,876 of these applications related to private sector activity, showing a 16 per cent increase on the same quarter of 2006 (35,105). The housing association starts totalled 9,374 - an increase of 49 per cent on quarter three of 2006 (6,294).
Based on the actual selling prices, during the third quarter of 2007 the proportion of new homes in Great Britain priced at over £150,000 went up to 77 per cent, an increase on the same period in 2006 (71 per cent).
Once again, first time buyers are out of luck as their ability to buy dropped again in the third quarter of this year. Their ability to buy index decreased by six points during the quarter to 35 (the figure for quarter two 2007 was 41). The index is based on a formula which takes into account the average cost of homes bought by first time buyers, average income and mortgage interest rates. The higher the index, the greater the ability to buy.
The average number of daily sales of new homes in the UK for quarter three 2007 was 525, a decrease of five per cent on the same period in 2006 (551).