Strong year-end for Persimmon

UK housebuilder Persimmon has revealed a strong finish to the 2013 financial year in an interim statement, ahead of its final results due out next month.

The group said it had “responded swiftly to the significant increase in weekly sales rates by substantially increasing construction activity across the country”.

Persimmon saidthat it had delivered 11,528 houses for the year, up 16% on 2012. Second half completions were up 30% to 6,508 homes, while sales volumes for the period jumped 25%.

Average house selling price also increased, up 4% to £180,900 (€220,000) compared to £173,823 (€210,000) in 2012. The group said full year revenues of £2.1 billion (€2.5 billion) were up 21% on the previous year.

Persimmon acquired 17,600 plots of new land during 2013, representing a replacement rate of 153% of current consumption. The firm entered the New Year with 390 active sites across the UK.