<p>New home registrations in the UK in the third quarter of 2013 were 19% higher than the same period last year, says NHBC.</p> <p>In total 33,573 new homes were registered between July and September compared to 28,151 in the same months in 2012. Within this, private sector registrations led the way, rising 23% in the period to 24,984 while the public sector experienced a 10% rise.</p> <p>NHBC also revealed that&nbsp;its latest statistics show that the proportion of young people buying new homes has fallen over the past five years from 8% to 6%, while the over 55s are taking a bigger share - 23% compared to 17% five years ago.</p> <p>These age related figures are based on surveys of customers who have moved in to their new homes, so&nbsp;may not yet show the effect of Help to Buy which the government hopes will help younger first time buyers onto the housing ladder.</p> <p>Commenting on the age profile, NHBC commercial director Richard Tamayo said: "New homes are a particularly attractive option for the older generation as they are cheaper to run, easier to maintain, safer and provide protection through an NHBC warranty."</p>