ARCHIVED - 15 per cent fewer residential building projects in Murcia during 2020

The effects of the pandemic hit the construction sector despite a rise in the number of homes completed

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic on economic activity in Spain have been far-reaching in almost every sector imaginable, but data made available by the national government and presented by the regional construction sector business federation Frecom suggest that the number of new homes being built in the Region of Murcia was not affected as drastically as might have been feared.

It is reported that 2,628 new residential building projects were registered in 2020, representing a decrease of 15 per cent in comparison with the year before, a significant drop but not as severe as it could have been. 1,598 of the licences granted in Murcia related to new builds (a decrease of 20 per cent in respect of 2019) and the remaining 1,030 to extensions or refurbishments, reflecting a 5 per cent drop.

On the other hand, though, 2020 ended with a total of 1,780 new homes having been signed off as completed, an increase of 84 per cent over the figure for the year before.

Frecom believe that the short-term future of residential construction in Murcia will depend not only on the pandemic, but also on the impact of the new rules which are currently being finalized governing energy efficiency in residential property, and on the provision of subsidies or other facilities to make it easier to comply with these rules.