Reservations for new housing continue to decline in the 3rd quarter and fall by 40% year-on-year

The number of reservations, which stood at 16.201, has been falling continuously for six quarters, in an economic context that is very unfavorable for new construction.

The number of new homes put up for sale by developers follows the same trend, with an annual fall of 34,9%, to 19.371.

Developers are caught between rising construction costs, caused by the price of materials and more demanding environmental standards, on the one hand; on the other hand the erosion of the purchasing power of buyers, with more difficult access to real estate loans.

The outstanding number of homes for sale, that is to say the entire supply that has not yet found a buyer, has reached new heights, with 131.414 homes available.

Cancellations of reservations represent the equivalent of 24,5% of reservations for the quarter, "a particularly high weight compared to previous years", notes the ministry.

“Block” sales of all or part of programs to major players (social landlords, institutional investors) jumped 20% in one quarter (13.723), the State having requested from the Caisse des Dépôts et consignations (CDC) and Action Logement to buy back programs from developers to support them.

Reservations fell by 32% over one year in the most tense areas (urban area of ​​Paris, cities of Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, part of the Mediterranean coast and French Geneva).

But their decline is particularly pronounced in zones B1, notably made up of the centers of large cities and overseas departments (-46%), and B2, corresponding to small towns and the outskirts of the largest (-39%).

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.