Latest statistics from the National House Building Council show the number registrations to build new homes in the UK rising in the three months to November.
The NHBC says it received 27,124 applications for new homes, a jump of 45% on 18,675 for the same period last year.
The figures also show applications continuing to grow, with 9,766 received in November compared with 9,163 in October.
The private house building sector is leading the way in what looks like a housing recovery, with applications up 74% over the year, as against just 7% in the public sector.
“Our figures continue to show a steady rise in applications and it is good to be entering 2010 on a positive note,” said NHBC chief executive Imtiaz Farookhi.
He warned, however, that the first quarter of 2010 would still be a “key time” to ensure that a recovery in the housing market is sustained.
“ It is vital that house building is high on the agendas of all parties in the run-up to and post the election,” he said. “This is the only way to ensure the complex challenges of supply , sustainability, quality and consumer interest can be met in the years to come.”
