A slight drop in the number of new home registrations during August is not significant but reflects ongoing uncertainty in the industry, according to NHBC.
NHBC figures show that 9,554 homes were registered for the month, down from 10,638 in July.
Some 29,855 new homes were registered during the June-August quarter – a significant improvement on a year ago.
For the quarter, private sector registrations grew by 33% to 20,381, while public sector registrations were 6% higher at 9,474.
“It is difficult to predict how far spending cuts will impact housing, and broader factors like employment and consumer confidence, especially in the north of England, which appear to be holding back volumes,” said Imtiaz Farookhi, NHBC chief executive.
“Availability of funding, both to developers for the construction of homes, and in terms of mortgage finance on acceptable terms, is continuing to take its toll. Our figures suggest that the industry is essentially treading water at a level of activity which is still very low by historic standards.”
