The news will be greeted with great relief across the construction and building materials sector following the earlier publication of government figures which show housing starts fell 11% last year to 98,280.
The number of new homes registered in January totalled 10,112, compared to 7,831 in the same month last year.
The January NHBC stats were boosted by more than 800 new properties being registered during the first phase of the landmark Battersea Power Station redevelopment.
Figures for the rolling quarter November 2012 to January 2013 show an 18% growth compared to the same three-month period a year ago.
"We are heartened by the encouraging registration statistics for January which follow a strong end to last year," said NHBC commercial director Richard Tamayo.
