Nearly half of all new homes built are now apartments and that's official.

That's in line with Government planning policy to build as many new homes as possible into existing urban areas, according to new figures from The National Housebuilding Council (NHBC).

Its first quarter survey for 2006 shows that 47 per cent of all new homes started are now flats and apartments with detached houses accounting for 20 per cent of starts, detached bungalows one per cent, semi-detached houses 14 per cent and terraced houses 17 per cent. Attached bungalows account for the other one per cent.

Although builders significantly stepped up the number of new homes under construction in the first quarter of 2006, their current efforts could produce more homes for sale while the supply of "affordable" homes for sale and rental from housing associations falls.

The NHBC says builders applied to put up just over 52,100 new homes in the first quarter of this year a rise of 13 per cent on the same period in 2005.

Of applications made this year, more than 45,800 relate to private sector sales a rise of 17 per cent on 2005.

But housing association starts at 6,317 are 11 per cent down on the figure achieved in 2005.

The NHBC's Ability to Buy index showed that first-time buyers found it slightly easier in the first quarter of 2006, compared with the final quarter of 2005, which might be why builders are keen to get more properties on sale.

The average number of new homes sold each day in the first quarter of 2006 was 571 up 11 per cent on the same period in 2005.

The average anticipated selling price of new homes in Great British started by NHBC-registered builders in the first quarter of 2006 was £186,000, against £181,000 a year ago.

Based on actual selling price, the proportion of new homes costing £150,000-plus rose to 70 per cent compared with 67 per cent in 2005.

The figure shows why hard-pressed first-time buyers can only afford second-hand in many parts of the country.