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A record number of new homes were consented for the year ended May 2021.
Stats NZ released latest building consent figures on Thursday, revealing that the actual number of new dwellings consented stood at 43,466 for the year ended May 2021, the highest annual number on record and up by 17% on pcp.
The number, floor area, and value of new residences, non-residential structures, and modifications permitted for construction are all included in the building consent data.
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The national total figure of 43,466 included a 28% increase in Auckland, which approved 18,565 additional houses in the year ending May 2021.The COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown period in late March and April 2020, which delayed consent issuing across several councils, was included in the year ended May 2020.
Townhouse consents reached a new high in May
In May, 4,180 new dwellings were given consent. They comprised 2,421 stand-alone houses, 1,380 townhouses, flats, and units, 241 apartments and 138 retirement village units.
The 1,380 new townhouses, flats, and units that were consented to in May was the highest monthly figure since records started to be maintained in 1990.
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Over the last few years, approvals for multi-unit dwellings, such as townhouses, apartments, and flats, have gradually grown. However, new single-family homes continue to account for more than 50% of all new dwellings approved nationwide, as per building statistics manager Michael Heslop.
He stated that a 17% increase in the number of new dwellings consent for the year ended May 2021 was bolstered by a 49% increase in townhouses, flats, and units. Since mid-2011, annual new house consents have been steadily growing for over a decade, Mr Heslop added.
Number of new homes consented per 1,000 residents rose
For the year ended May 2021, the number of new houses permitted per 1,000 people was 8.5, the highest level in recent years and up from 7.3 in May 2020. The number of new houses permitted per 1,000 people set a new high of 13.4 in the year ended December 1973.
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As per Mr Heslop, the number of new houses authorised for every 1,000 people living in New Zealand has grown YOY since the low point in the early 2010s following the global financial crisis (GFC).
He added that an average home had changed though the number of new homes consented per 1,000 residents were still substantially lesser than the figures witnessed in the 1970s.
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A typical dwelling was about 107 square metres at its lowest point in 1975. Since then, homes have grown in size on average, resulting in an increase in total floor space added per 1,000 people while the number of new dwellings has remained relatively stable.
