Devon housebuilding firm welcomes strong start to 2013
The managing director for Devon’s leading housebuilder has reported a strong start to 2013, as increased demand for new homes and improved mortgage availability combine to deliver a more positive outlook for the housing market in the region.
As the company released its results for the first half of 2013, Simon Perks, managing director for Persimmon Homes South West, says the company has made an excellent start to the year.
“Underlying pre-tax profits for the group are up 40% on last year at £135.3m (2012: £96.9m) and legal completions in the UK are up 7% to 5,022 (2012: 4,712) compared to the same period in 2012.
“Nationally we have seen a 15% increase in visitors to our developments, with weekly private sales reservations 12% ahead of the same period in 2012, rising to 30% stronger following the introduction of the Government’s ‘Help to Buy’ measures in April,” said Simon.
“We are working hard to deliver new homes to people across the region, whether this is private housing through our brands Persimmon Homes and Charles Church or affordable homes through Westbury Partnerships. In the first half of this year we successfully opened 90 new sites – including developments in Cranbrook, Exeter, Okehampton, Truro, Taunton, Sidmouth and Wellington – and expect to open a further 85 before the end of the year, with new developments due in Liskeard, Plymouth, Crediton, Sherborne, Ilminster, Falmouth and South Petherton.
“To meet the ever-increasing demand for quality new homes, the company continues to make significant investments in strategic land. During the first six months of the year the business acquired 7,538 new plots of land and added a further 800 acres of strategic land to underpin our ability to deliver new homes in the future.
“We remain committed to working closely with local communities to deliver excellent new sites in desirable locations, starting construction at these sites as soon as they achieve an implementable detailed planning consent.”
In addition to its investment in land, the company is looking to create more jobs across its 24 businesses. Persimmon has recently announced a national recruitment drive to encourage more than 100 trade apprentices to join the business and there is also a corresponding programme of new hires in technical, managerial and sales functions across the company.
Simon added: “As a region, we are delighted with the group’s performance and I would like to thank my own team for their hard work in helping to deliver these results.
“Our attention now turns to the second half of this year as we continue to focus on the basics of good housebuilding to deliver further improvement in the performance of the business.”
To find out more log on to www.persimmonhomes.com
