Housebuilder says underlying demand for new homes is “high” despite the impending election

Planning Houses

The uncertainty surrounding the general election outcome “has not impacted customer confidence” in the housing market, Taylor Wimpey has said in a trading statement.

The housebuilder said during the first four months of 2015 it had seen the UK housing market “continue to grow” and underlying demand for new homes remained “high” despite the impending election.

The firm’s order book increased in value to £1.9bn, up from £1.7bn at the end of 2014, with the average selling price of homes in the private order book up to £282,900, up from £249,100, although the number of homes in the order book overall decreased marginally to 8,200 homes, down from 8,231 homes.

Pete Redfern, chief executive of Taylor Wimpey, said: “During the first four months of 2015 we have seen the UK housing market continue to grow, with increasingly competitive mortgages and secure employment prospects underpinning homebuyers’ confidence.

We remain focused on progressing our sites through the planning system to enable us to start on site as soon as possible and remain on track to deliver good progress towards all of our medium term targets in 2015.”

The firm is holding its annual general meeting today.