Orkney Islands · report

New homes in Orkney Islands

38.8% fewer homes were started in the last 12 months than in an average year of the past decade.

Started, 12 months: 49
Per 1,000 residents: 2.2

Homes started in Orkney Islands

Homes started over the previous 12 months, at each quarter.

Orkney Islands
Ten-year average

Show the numbers

Period	Orkney Islands
Jun 2026	49
Mar 2026	52
Dec 2025	23
Sep 2025	22
Jun 2025	22
Mar 2025	18
Dec 2024	20
Sep 2024	29
Jun 2024	33
Mar 2024	43
Dec 2023	47
Sep 2023	56
Jun 2023	70
Mar 2023	77
Dec 2022	76
Sep 2022	61
Jun 2022	52
Mar 2022	102
Dec 2021	103
Sep 2021	130
Jun 2021	158
Mar 2021	106
Dec 2020	107
Sep 2020	90
Jun 2020	122
Mar 2020	129
Dec 2019	135
Sep 2019	127
Jun 2019	68
Mar 2019	65
Dec 2018	69
Sep 2018	70
Jun 2018	81
Mar 2018	94
Dec 2017	107
Sep 2017	128
Jun 2017	131
Mar 2017	127
Dec 2016	98
Sep 2016	107
Jun 2016	118
Mar 2016	124
Dec 2015	190
Sep 2015	169
Jun 2015	156
Mar 2015	134
Dec 2014	78
Sep 2014	80
Jun 2014	76
Mar 2014	79
Dec 2013	77
Sep 2013	87
Jun 2013	82
Mar 2013	103
Dec 2012	128
Sep 2012	132
Jun 2012	147
Mar 2012	145
Dec 2011	196
Sep 2011	176
Jun 2011	167
Mar 2011	164
Dec 2010	113
Sep 2010	139
Jun 2010	140
Mar 2010	162
Dec 2009	152
Sep 2009	151
Jun 2009	191
Mar 2009	180
Dec 2008	202
Sep 2008	222
Jun 2008	227
Mar 2008	248
Dec 2007	287
Sep 2007	267
Jun 2007	253
Mar 2007	222
Dec 2006	150
Sep 2006	149
Jun 2006	125
Mar 2006	122
Dec 2005	109
Sep 2005	97
Jun 2005	89
Mar 2005	91
Dec 2004	144
Sep 2004	131
Jun 2004	114
Mar 2004	115
Dec 2003	76
Sep 2003	66
Jun 2003	88
Mar 2003	67
Dec 2002	95
Sep 2002	105
Jun 2002	88
Mar 2002	86
Dec 2001	67
Sep 2001	92
Jun 2001	100
Mar 2001	108
Dec 2000	91
Sep 2000	79
Jun 2000	77
Mar 2000	86
Dec 1999	80
Sep 1999	57
Jun 1999	52
Mar 1999	43
Dec 1998	41
Sep 1998	64
Jun 1998	75
Mar 1998	73
Dec 1997	96
Sep 1997	71
Jun 1997	48
Mar 1997	36

A start is the first count of a new home in the UK: no nation counts homes granted planning permission. Most starts are finished one to two years later. England's and Wales's counts come from building control, which misses some homes; Scotland counts housing association approvals as starts; Northern Ireland's begin in 2015.

Other reports for Orkney Islands

Next 12 months

Sale prices have an 80% chance of landing between £171,605 and £249,475 by August 2027.

Expected, August 2027: £210,540
Chance of a rise: 42%

Affordability

At the average sale price, a home costs £216,479. With 10% down and a 30-year mortgage, the payment is £999 a month. The UK sets no cap on the payment; no more than 15% of new mortgages may lend over 4.5 times income.

Payment, two incomes: 14%
Payment, one income: 28%

Buy or rent

Figures for Scotland: Orkney Islands has no reliable figures of its own.

Owning the average home costs less each month than renting it. Owning counts interest, running costs and the return the deposit could earn, at the average sale price; rent is the average of all private tenancies. Repaying the loan is saving, so it is left out.

Rent per month: £1,011
Owning per month: £934

Foreign buyers

Figures for United Kingdom: Orkney Islands has no reliable figures of its own.

Buyers living abroad bought 1.8% of the homes sold here in the four quarters to Q1 2025.

Bought by buyers abroad, 12 months: 1.8%

Past cycles

Sale prices have fallen by 3% or more 21 times since 2004. The deepest began in November 2019.

Deepest fall: −27.7%
Recovery from the low: 7 months

People and new homes

In 2025 the population fell by 79 while 73 homes were finished.

Homes finished, 2025: 73
Population change, 2025: −79

Renovation

In 2026, 10% of the homes added came from existing buildings rather than new ones.

Homes from existing buildings, 2026: 10%