In Northern Ireland the average anticipated selling price of new homes (registered with NHBC) during the second quarter of 2006 was £158,000, a 15 per cent increase on the second quarter of 2005 (£137,000). Based on actual selling prices, the proportion of new homes priced at over £150,000 went up to 35 per cent, an increase on the same period in 2005 (24 per cent).

Tom Kirk, NHBC Director for Northern Ireland, says: "Despite a decrease in the number of applications to build new homes during the second quarter, the number of new homes that were completed increased. Our figures show that 2.819 new homes were completed in the quarter, showing a four per cent increase on the same period last year when 2,700 new homes were completed."

NHBC's first time buyers' ability to buy index increased by four points during the quarter to 69 (the figure for quarter one 2006 was 65). 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 49,482 applications to start new homes during the second quarter of 2006, showing a four per cent increase on the same period in 2005 (47,369). Of that total, 42,535 relate to private sector activity (i.e. excluding housing associations), showing an eight per cent increase on the same quarter of 2005 (39,447). Housing association starts totalled 6,947, a decrease of 12 per cent on quarter two of 2005 (7,922).

NHBC UK figures (including the Isle of Man) show there were 49,329 new build completions during the second quarter of 2006, showing a three per cent increase on the same quarter last year (48,004).

The average number of daily sales of new homes in the UK for quarter two 2006 was 668, an increase of 23 per cent on the same period in 2005 (544).