New home sales rose to highest level in a year in April, new data shows
Expectations of further cuts on the horizon point towards increases in new home sales in the months ahead, housing industry economist says.
DATA from the Housing Industry Association suggests home building may be past its trough, according to HIA economist Maurice Tapang.
While the February rate cut was the main driver behind the16.5 per cent leap, other weather events dragged sales back from the March slump.
The monthly survey of the largest volume home builders in the five largest states is seen as an indicator of future detached home construction.
“This rise arose likely as a result of the rate cut in February 2025, the first one in over four years,” Mr Tapang said.
“New home sales have improved on the previous month’s decline, due to the effects of inclement weather and Cyclone Alfred which adversely impacted home buying activity in some regions.
“Other factors supporting new home buying activity include low levels of unemployment, recovering real wages and elevated housing demand from ongoing population growth.
“New home sales data have signalled that home building may be past its trough, confirming our expectations of a pick-up in activity in 2025.
“This increase will be modest nationally and inconsistent across the regions, with states such as Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia being key growth drivers.
“Sales have also improved in New South Wales at the start of this year, although this is coming off anaemically low levels in the last two years.
“Victoria had a poor start to 2025, recording consecutive months of declining sales. This left sales in the last three months to April 2025 down by 17.7 per cent compared to the same time in the previous year.
“With another rate cut having been delivered in May and expectations of further cuts on the horizon, it would not be surprising to see increases in new home sales in the months ahead.”
New home sales in the three months to April 2025 rose by 23.7 per cent in Western Australia compared to the previous quarterly period. This was followed by Queensland (+8.2 per cent) and New South Wales (+2.2 per cent). Over that same period, South Australia recorded a 13.0 per cent decline in sales, followed by Victoria, down by 1.2 per cent.
