More dwellings completed in first half of 2011

11/10/2011 15:00

Number of dwellings completed remains low
9 percent more dwellings completed in first six months of 2011
Notable increase in number of tenant-occupied dwellings completed in first half of 2011
6 percent increase in building permits granted

More than 19.5 thousand dwellings were completed in the first six months of 2011, i.e. an increase by nearly 9 percent from the same period last year, but – according to the latest figures released by Statistics Netherlands – the number is still far below the peak level recorded three years ago.

The number of houses completed for occupation by tenants has grown notably by 16 percent in the first six months of 2011 relative to the same period last year. The number of tenant-occupied dwellings finished in the first half of this year is on par with the level prior to the economic recession. This does not apply to owner-occupied dwellings, which were more than 40 percent down on the first six months of 2008.

The amount of building permits granted in the first half of 2011 increased to nearly 27 thousand, 6 percent more than in the same period in 2010.

Despite the increase, the number of building permits is still below the level recorded in the period prior to the economic recession. This is mainly due to the market sector. In the first six months of 2011, just over 19 thousand building permits were granted to private builders versus nearly 26 thousand in the first half of 2008.