Persimmon sees big rise in house sales

PERSIMMON today said it has £650m in forward sales reserved beyond 2013, a 41% increase from last year.

The York housebuilding group today announced its third quarter interim management statement from July 1 2013 to November 5 2013 and said that in the same period last year, forward sales were at £462m.

The Yorkshire group also said the improvement in sales activity reported at the time of its half year results in August has continued.

Persimmon said visitor levels to sites have been around 20% ahead of the prior year and cancellation rates continue to run at historically low levels at about 16%. Persimmon said operating profits delivered by the group continue to improve with “tight control” exercised over build costs and overheads. 

According to the business, the introduction of the Government sponsored Help to Buy equity loan scheme in April 2013, which is only available to buyers of newly built homes, has proved “particularly attractive” and it has sold over 3,000 homes under the scheme.