SmartNewHomes reports that the number of buyers looking for apartments has decreased, whereas detached and semi-detached houses are growing in popularity. So much for the urban loft lifestyle

Methodology

The New Homes Demand Index is based on enquiries recorded on the SmartNewHomes.com website and records the price people are willing to pay for new homes, by region and type of property. If willingness to pay is increasing, then clearly demand for new homes is improving and this is likely to lead to higher realised prices and better deals for housebuilders. The Demand Index also tracks migration between regions. By subtracting the number of users based in a region from the number of searches in that region, one gets a net balance that reflects an overall propensity to move out of or into a region.