Shetland Islands · report

New homes in Shetland Islands

75.7% fewer homes were started in the last 12 months than in an average year of the past decade.

Started, 12 months: 18
Per 1,000 residents: 0.8

Homes started in Shetland Islands

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

Shetland Islands
Ten-year average

Show the numbers

Period	Shetland Islands
Jun 2026	18
Mar 2026	20
Dec 2025	25
Sep 2025	28
Jun 2025	26
Mar 2025	25
Dec 2024	18
Sep 2024	23
Jun 2024	31
Mar 2024	37
Dec 2023	53
Sep 2023	68
Jun 2023	68
Mar 2023	69
Dec 2022	59
Sep 2022	37
Jun 2022	35
Mar 2022	81
Dec 2021	135
Sep 2021	150
Jun 2021	172
Mar 2021	118
Dec 2020	88
Sep 2020	83
Jun 2020	67
Mar 2020	70
Dec 2019	44
Sep 2019	38
Jun 2019	47
Mar 2019	88
Dec 2018	165
Sep 2018	168
Jun 2018	153
Mar 2018	139
Dec 2017	82
Sep 2017	101
Jun 2017	104
Mar 2017	87
Dec 2016	69
Sep 2016	74
Jun 2016	70
Mar 2016	89
Dec 2015	121
Sep 2015	97
Jun 2015	102
Mar 2015	77
Dec 2014	41
Sep 2014	70
Jun 2014	93
Mar 2014	92
Dec 2013	120
Sep 2013	104
Jun 2013	125
Mar 2013	158
Dec 2012	204
Sep 2012	228
Jun 2012	200
Mar 2012	183
Dec 2011	120
Sep 2011	95
Jun 2011	87
Mar 2011	79
Dec 2010	101
Sep 2010	90
Jun 2010	83
Mar 2010	82
Dec 2009	92
Sep 2009	116
Jun 2009	125
Mar 2009	154
Dec 2008	168
Sep 2008	153
Jun 2008	147
Mar 2008	140
Dec 2007	170
Sep 2007	198
Jun 2007	258
Mar 2007	241
Dec 2006	167
Sep 2006	145
Jun 2006	84
Mar 2006	80
Dec 2005	81
Sep 2005	99
Jun 2005	106
Mar 2005	98
Dec 2004	133
Sep 2004	105
Jun 2004	103
Mar 2004	101
Dec 2003	86
Sep 2003	106
Jun 2003	139
Mar 2003	174
Dec 2002	161
Sep 2002	141
Jun 2002	111
Mar 2002	97
Dec 2001	75
Sep 2001	72
Jun 2001	50
Mar 2001	29
Dec 2000	70
Sep 2000	81
Jun 2000	99
Mar 2000	102
Dec 1999	80
Sep 1999	57
Jun 1999	55
Mar 1999	44
Dec 1998	31
Sep 1998	87
Jun 1998	102
Mar 1998	131
Dec 1997	149
Sep 1997	98
Jun 1997	87
Mar 1997	56

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 Shetland Islands

Next 12 months

Sale prices have an 80% chance of landing between £141,890 and £227,964 by August 2027.

Expected, August 2027: £184,927
Chance of a rise: 55%

Affordability

At the average sale price, a home costs £180,869. With 10% down and a 30-year mortgage, the payment is £834 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: 11%
Payment, one income: 22%

Buy or rent

Figures for Scotland: Shetland 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: Shetland 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 May 2018.

Deepest fall: −36.1%
Recovery from the low: 11 months

People and new homes

In 2025 the population fell by 92 while 36 homes were finished.

Homes finished, 2025: 36
Population change, 2025: −92

Renovation

In 2026, 3% of the homes added came from existing buildings rather than new ones.

Homes from existing buildings, 2026: 3%