<p><span>Countryside Properties has performed well in its first quarter, it said today, (January 24) as the business places more emphasis on private rented sector and affordable properties.</span><br/></p><p></p> <p><span>Issuing an update on the period from October 1 to December 31 2018, the housebuilder and urban regeneration partner said that its total </span><span>group</span><span> completions climbed 28% to 1,094 homes against the equivalent period the previous year.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>This “strong” completions growth was driven by sizeable increases in both private rented sector homes, up 66% to 341 homes, and affordable homes, increasing 52% to 413 homes, Countryside said.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>Group</span><span> private for sale completions were lower in the quarter at 340 homes (2018: 376 homes) due to the phasing of completions in Countryside’s Partnerships division in both the current and prior year.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>At the same time, its overall net private reservation rate slowed in December. For the quarter this was 0.63 against the previous year’s 0.70.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>Group private average selling prices were similar to the previous year at £395,000 (2018: £394,000).</span></p><p></p> <p><span>In Countryside’s Housebuilding division, private completions rose 30% to 164 homes. The division’s total forward order book grew 27% to £286 million.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>Its Partnerships completions rose 35% to 850 homes, governed by an additional …