Residential construction starts fall 8% in three months to April, 33% below year ago: Glenigan

Glenigan's index for the three months to end April 2026 shows residential project starts down 8% on the prior period and 33% below the same period in 2025, alongside the steepest decline in UK construction output since November according to S&P's Construction PMI. Weak buyer confidence, mortgage affordability strain, rising input costs and supply-chain disruption tied to the Iran conflict are pushing housebuilders to delay starts and reassess pipelines. For buyers, this gradually thins the medium-term new-build pipeline — fewer completions in late 2026 and 2027 means narrower choice for anyone holding out for a new home; for sellers, weaker new-build supply slowly firms up second-hand pricing in areas where new-build had been pulling demand. Starts are not completions, so homes already in build will still flow through over the next 12 to 18 months — the supply effect arrives slowly rather than abruptly.