YORK-headquartered house building giant Persimmon has broken the 8,000 mark for the number of homes sold in six months as revenues edge closer to £2 billion.

In a stock market trade update, ahead of releasing its half year results to June 30 next month, the Fulford-based firm revealed total revenues for the period were £1.84 billion, up five per cent from the first half of 2017.

Housing revenues for the first six months of the year were also up five per cent to £1.74 billion, with new housing legal completion volumes increasing by 278 homes, or 3.6 per cent, to 8,072 homes.

The Group’s new housing average selling price increased by 1.2 per cent to £215,800, up from £213,262.

In its report, Persimmon said it is now focussing on “increasing its output of family housing at affordable prices in locations where people want to live and work”.

The firm said this strategy has continued to support healthy trading with total enquiry levels running six per cent ahead of the prior year, adding: “Consumer confidence remains resilient in our markets and attractive mortgage products provide compelling support to purchasers of new homes.”

The value of the Group’s total forward sales of new housing at June 30 was £1.68 billion, five per cent higher than last year, in addition to an increase of five per cent in housing revenues legally completed in the first half.

Persimmon said it has a “strong platform” to achieve further growth in the second half of 2018, supported by the current sales network of 370 sites together with the planned opening of a further 100 new sales outlets during the period.

During the first half of the year, the Group brought 45 new land parcels for the delivery of 11,000 new homes into the business in a land market “that has continued to provide good quality opportunities”.

The firm’s total land spend in the period was £343 million, down from £369 million last year, and over the period it converted 3,000 plots from the Group’s strategic land portfolio, which represents 37 per cent of the Group’s first half land consumption.

At June 30, Persimmon held £1,154 million of cash. The company said: “The successful execution of Persimmon’s strategy launched in 2012 has delivered the Group’s strong financial position together with a high-quality asset platform designed to place the business in a robust position as we continue to make progress into the future. The Group will continue to focus on building the new homes needed by communities right across the UK. We remain confident in the Group’s future.”