Housing starts are likely to remain between 10 and 15% below 2019 levels this year, despite builders’ strong recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the NHBC.

Steve Wood, chief executive of the housing sector’s biggest warranty provider, said “registrations” of new homes to the NHBC – which indicate an imminent start on site – were likely to remain 10-15% below the level seen in 2019 because of continued market uncertainty. He predicted that they would not fully recover until 2023.

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