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National Housing Surveys
The purpose of these surveys and their Accredited Official Statistics has been to monitor housing supply, conditions, energy performance and fuel poverty, and to direct policies towards continued improvement of the housing stock. Key policies developed and monitored using national housing data include:
Our team has a proud and long-standing history in the development and undertaking of national housing surveys for the UK governments of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We have been involved in the English House Condition Survey/English Housing Survey (EHS) since 1975 and over the years we have taken a lead on the development of the physical survey methodology as well as being integral to developing various sections of the interview survey.
Many members of our team are recognised experts in their field of expertise. Collectively the team have over 100 years of national survey delivery experience.
Development and design of the physical survey form and surveyor training
We have a world-leading capability in the design and delivery of building condition and energy surveys. Our skills and expertise include:
- Provision and development of physical survey methodology, with bespoke dimensions, quantities, repair cost and energy information for each dwelling.
- Electronic data collection through the digital pen system / tablet PC plus supporting web site, validation and survey management system.
- Development of professionally researched and illustrated surveyor training. We develop manuals, face-to-face training, DVDs and web-based e-learning.
Quality assured data analysis
- Data cleaning and validation to examine consistency, completeness and plausibility of the data.
- Database management and associated documentation.
- Complex models for comparing future policy scenarios (e.g. housing quality metrics, energy performance, household socio-economic classification descriptors) against the current benchmark.
- Models for extrapolating EHS data down to various levels of disaggregation, from regional, local authority down to census enumeration area.
- Statistical analysis, reporting and data visualisation
Targeted policies can have a major effect on housing conditions and performance.
Housing improvements are generally one-way gains and will accrue benefits long into the future.
Housing repair and maintenance has to be sustained.
Tackling poor housing conditions does not have to be expensive and has multiple benefits to society as a whole (link to our Cost of poor housing research which is already on bre website).
It makes economic sense to invest in improving housing rather than pay for the consequences of poor housing through the NHS and other agencies.
If you provide sufficient good quality housing, everything else will follow, with proven gains in asset value, health, wellbeing, life chances and economic performance.
Build sub-standard housing and you are stuck with it and it will be very difficult to repair, improve or replace.
Investments in national housing surveys will pay for themselves time again in well-informed, funded and targeted housing policies that will ultimately deliver social and economic benefits. All the better if these surveys have comparable methodologies and timeframes.
English Housing Survey
The English Housing Survey (EHS) is an annual national survey that provides detailed, reliable evidence on housing conditions and households in England. Commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), it plays a vital role in informing housing policy, monitoring standards, and understanding how people live in their homes. The survey covers both the physical condition of the housing stock and the circumstances of the households that occupy it, creating a comprehensive picture of housing across England.
BRE plays a central role in the English Housing Survey, leading and supporting its development from end to end by:
- Shaping survey content to reflect emerging policy priorities;
- Developing and integrating new data collection technologies;
- Delivering comprehensive surveyor training;
- Managing and cleaning complex datasets;
- Undertaking advanced modelling and reporting to produce high-quality, trusted outputs on energy efficiency, repair costs, housing quality, household composition, income, affordability, housing costs and more.
Scottish Household Survey
The Scottish Household Survey (SHS) is an annual survey and the Scottish Government’s primary source of information on housing conditions and households across Scotland. It provides robust, nationally representative data on the quality, energy efficiency and accessibility of homes, alongside information about the people who live in them. The survey plays a critical role in shaping housing, fuel poverty and net zero policy, and in monitoring standards such as the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.
BRE supports the delivery of the SHS by providing specialist technical expertise across key stages of the survey, ensuring the data collected is accurate, consistent and policy-ready.
Our role includes:
- Year-round technical support for surveyors, including maintaining and updating tablet-based survey tools used during in-home inspections
- Data cleaning and validation, applying quality assurance checks to ensure housing condition and energy data are reliable and consistent
- Energy modelling and analysis, using SAP to assess the energy performance of homes and support fuel poverty and net zero indicators
See the latest findings here.
Northern Ireland House Condition Survey
The Northern Ireland House Condition Survey (NIHCS) is the principal source of evidence on the condition, energy efficiency and safety of the housing stock in Northern Ireland. It provides comprehensive data on the physical characteristics of homes, hazards, disrepair and energy performance, supporting housing policy development, regulatory oversight and long-term investment planning.
BRE provides end-to-end technical support to the NIHCS, drawing on our experience delivering major national housing surveys across the UK. Our contribution spans survey design, fieldwork support, data processing and analysis, ensuring outputs are robust, consistent and policy-ready.
Our role includes:
- Training surveyors, equipping them with the skills and guidance needed to carry out consistent, high-quality housing inspections
- Survey and form design, ensuring data capture supports current and emerging policy requirements
- Data cleaning and quality assurance, applying rigorous checks to improve accuracy and comparability
- Data analysis and modelling, including SAP energy modelling, HHSRS assessments, Decent Homes and wider housing condition indicators
- Reporting and insights, translating complex technical data into clear findings
Welsh Housing Conditions Survey
The Welsh Housing Conditions Survey provides a comprehensive national assessment of housing condition and energy performance across Wales. The most recent survey was carried out between August 2017 and April 2018 and covered all housing types and tenures, excluding vacant homes. Based on detailed inspections of 2,549 properties, the data continues to underpin national estimates of housing quality, energy efficiency, and fuel poverty.
Survey outcome:
- Fieldwork conducted by qualified surveyors trained by BRE experts
- Visual assessment of the internal and external dwelling condition as well as the surrounding plot and local neighbourhood
- Application of a well-established housing conditions methodology
- Alignment with approaches used in other UK housing surveys
- Assessment of energy efficiency and repair costs
- Evaluation of compliance with the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS)
- Analysis of fuel poverty and housing-related health and safety risks (HHSRS)
- Exploration of emerging risks, including climate change adaptability