New-build demand remains subdued as fewer than one in five homes find buyers in Q1 2026

The latest New-Build Stock and Demand Index from Property Inspect has found that demand for new-build homes remained subdued in the first quarter of 2026, with fewer than one in five new properties securing a buyer. New-build stock levels also dipped slightly, accounting for just 6.3% of the market.

Property Inspect analysed current market listings across 20 major British cities to assess stock levels of new-build homes and the proportion that secured a buyer (sold subject to contract) in Q1 2026.

Stock is measured by taking new-builds as a proportion of all properties on the market. Demand is calculated as the proportion of all available new-build homes that found a buyer (sold subject to contract) against the total new-build stock on the market in the period.  For example, if there were 100 new-builds on the market, and 50 ended up SSTC, demand is measured as 50%.

New-build stock in Q1 2026

The research shows that across Great Britain, new-build homes accounted for an average of 6.3% of all properties listed on the market through Q1 2026. This marks a quarterly decline of -0.4%, and an annual decline of -0.2%.

The biggest quarterly increase was recorded in Newcastle (+1.0%), followed by Cardiff (+0.4%), Bournemouth (+0.4%), and Liverpool (+0.4%).

The biggest quarterly declines were recorded in Edinburgh (-1.6%), Newport (-1.0%), and Aberdeen (-1.0%).

On an annual basis, Portsmouth (+1.5%), Leicester (+1.5%), and Liverpool (+1.2%) saw the largest increases in new-build stock, while the largest declines were in Aberdeen (-3.4%), Nottingham (-3.2%), and Glasgow (-1.8%).

This all leaves Liverpool with the nation’s highest new-build stock, accounting for 10.5% of the city’s listings in Q1 2026.  This is followed by Aberdeen (9.2%), Edinburgh (7.6%), Manchester (6.9%), and London (5.9%).

New-build demand in Q1 2026

Across Great Britain , demand for new-build homes stood at 16.4% in Q1 2026. This marks a quarterly dip of -0.4%, and an annual drop of -2.0%.

However, the likes of Portsmouth (+13.6%), Sheffield (+8.6%), and Edinburgh (+7.2%) saw strong quarterly demand growth, while Plymouth (+5.0%), Newcastle (+2.9%), Bristol (+2.8%), Swansea (+2.0%), and Aberdeen (+0.2%) also saw positive growth.

On the other hand, Southampton (-8.3%), Glasgow (-6.7%), and Newport (-5.3%) saw the largest declines in demand over the quarter.

Annually, Portsmouth experienced the largest increase in buyer demand for new-builds, up 26.5% compared to Q1 2025. This is followed by Sheffield (+11.7%), Nottingham (+7.9%), and Plymouth (+7.2%), while the biggest annual drops were seen in Newport (-19.9%), Aberdeen (-12.5%), and Leicester (-7.0%).

As such, the city with the strongest new-build demand level in Q1 2026 was Portsmouth (38.3%), followed by Sheffield (34.1%), Southampton (31.4%), Nottingham (24.6%), and Bournemouth (22.7%).

Meanwhile, buyer appetite for new-builds was at its weakest in Newport (1.3%), Aberdeen (1.8%), and Liverpool (2.8%).

Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, Operations Director at Property Inspect, said: “There’s still demand in the market, but buyers are being far more measured than they were before. For many, a new-build purchase now comes with a greater level of scrutiny around value, quality, and peace of mind. That means developers need to work harder to build confidence early, because where buyers feel reassured, sales still happen.

What stands out in this quarter’s figures is just how varied the picture is from one city to the next. That tells us demand hasn’t gone away, but it has become much more selective. Buyers are still willing to move when pricing feels realistic and the product meets expectations, but they are much less willing to take a leap of faith than they were in a more buoyant market.”