More dwellings completed, fewer residential building permits issued

• Over 28,000 dwellings completed in the first six months
• Most dwellings built in province of South Holland
• Fewer building permits issued

In the first half of 2008, more than 28 thousand dwellings were completed, 13 percent more than in the same period of 2007. According to Statistics Netherlands, more than 35 thousand residential building permits were issued, 5 percent down on the first half of last year.

In the first six months, 3,200 more houses were completed than in the same period in 2007. The increase comes after the record number of residential building permits issued in 2006. Application for a building permit in 2006 in most cases resulted in completion of the dwelling in 2008. The amount of houses completed is the first six months is the largest of the past decade; 73 percent were owner-occupied. By the end of June 2008, the stock of unfinished dwellings was over 183 thousand.

One in every four dwellings completed in the Netherlands is located in South Holland. With more than 6,800 dwellings completed, this province tops the list. Proportionally, most rented houses were built in the province of Friesland, most owner-occupied dwellings were built in the province of Zeeland. In the provinces of North Holland and Gelderland over 2,800 more houses were completed than in the first half of last year. These two provinces account for the largest part of the nationwide increase.

In the first half of 2008, more than 35 thousand residential building permits were issued, well over 1,800 fewer than in the same period last year. The province of Groningen shows the sharpest decline in dwellings for which building permits were granted. The increase is most noticeable in the province of Utrecht.