In Northern Ireland the average anticipated selling price of new homes (registered with NHBC) during the first quarter of 2006 was £154,000, an 18 per cent increase on the first quarter of 2005 (£130,000). Based on actual selling prices, the proportion of new homes priced at over £150,000 went up to 28 per cent, an increase on the same period in 2005 (22 per cent).

Tom Kirk, NHBC Director for Northern Ireland, says: "As well as an increase in the number of applications to start new homes in Northern Ireland, there was a surge in the average anticipated selling price of a new home during the first quarter. Furthermore, the percentage of new homes sold for between 100 and 150 thousand pounds in Northern Ireland increased to 56 per cent, compared to 39 per cent of homes in this price bracket a year ago."

NHBC's first time buyers' ability to buy index increased by one point during the quarter to 64 (the figure for quarter four 2005 was 63). 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 (from the Nationwide Building Society). The higher the index, the greater the ability to buy.

UK-wide figures (including the Isle of Man) show a total of 52,140 applications to start new homes during the first quarter of 2006, showing a 13 per cent increase on the same period in 2005 (46,308). Of that total, 45,823 relate to private sector activity (i.e. excluding housing associations), showing a 17 per cent increase on the same quarter of 2005 (39,200). Housing association starts totalled 6,317, a decrease of 11 per cent on quarter one of 2005 (7,108).

NHBC UK figures (including the Isle of Man) show there were 40,268 new build completions during the first quarter of 2006, showing a 17 per cent increase on the same quarter last year (34,415).

The average number of daily sales of new homes in the UK for quarter one 2006 was 571, an increase of 11 per cent on the same period in 2005 (515).