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The NHMB Fact Bank

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There are a lot of myths about the home building industry and misunderstandings amongst the general public and within the media, but are you sure you actually know the facts?

The industry has achieved significant improvements in many areas over recent years and although there is still work to do, the industry is commited to driving up standards. Below are some of the myths you may hear about home building, together with a few facts that you may not have known......
 
Quality of build, increased customer satisfaction and caring for the environment all go hand-in-hand with working closely with Government to try and build enough homes to meet the demand over the next ten years and beyond.
Did you know
UK population is set to grow to 71 million by 2031 (NHPAU, 2007)
Last year 160,000 new homes were built in England (CLG, 2007)
Whilst housing output has increased in recent years it is still lower than previous decades e.g, in 1927, 80 years ago, 255,000 homes were built in Great Britain (CLG).
Projected household growth in England is 223,000 (CLG, 2007)
This leaves a current annual shortfall of around 60,000 homes
The cumulative shortfall is estimated to be at least 450,000 in England alone (Kate Barker, 2004)
It takes on average 15 months for home builders to receive full planning permission on sites they wish to use (HBF, 2006). This compares with around 3 months in the mid-1970’s.
Green Belt land comprises 13% of total land in England (CLG, 2007)
Only 8% of land in the UK is classed as urban, half the figure in Holland and lower than Belgium, Denmark and Germany (Policy Exchange, 2005)
Between 1997 and 2003, the amount of land being brought forward for development annually fell by 7% (CLG, 2007)
74% of all new homes are today built on previously developed ‘brownfield land’ ahead of the Government target of 60%. This compares to 53% in 1997 (CLG, 2007)
120,000 homes being built per year in the South East – four times the current rate – would only use an additional 0.75% of the total land area of the South East over the next ten years (Kate Barker, March 2004)
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The Myths and Facts  

 
Myths Real Facts
All home builders care about is getting the money in and then they abandon their customers Real FactsEnsuring that customers are happy with their new home is of crucial importance to home builders. New home builders are working hard at increasing the satisfaction of their customers, both in... more
Building more and more homes just adds to climate change and is environmentally unsound New homes are far more environmentally friendly and sustainable than older houses, up to six times more efficient in terms of energy use than a home built in 1900.Building standards introduced in 2006... more
Home builders don’t care about the community, all they’re interested in is building homes for maximum profit. In fact, Britain’s home builders invest enormous amounts of money and effort in building new communities.Private developers provide 55% of all subsidized/’affordable’ homes through their planning contributions. 12NHMB... more
Home builders keep the number of homes they build down to control supply and demand Government has raised home building targets because there is unmet need. Britain’s home builders are working hard to meet these housing needs.The Government has set a new housing target of 240,000 homes... more
Home builders never keep to the agreed dates of completion, but if the purchaser defaults they lose their money and their new home. Real FactsBritain's home builders are often at the mercy of inclement weather – for example, the summer of 2007 was the wettest on record and this prevented many building schedules being met.The UK's (rightly)... more
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*All images are courtesy of Princes Foundation for the Built Environment Recognition SCheme defelopments 2007/Building For Life Award Winners (2007)

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