<p><span class="jp"><span>Persimmon saw “notably weaker customer demand” in the second half of its year, with the effects of the economy and higher cost of living reducing its year-on-year forward sales position and causing it to pause sites.</span></span></p> <p><span class="jp"><span>In a trading update for the year ending December 31 2022, the volume housebuilder said that the changed market conditions “gathered pace” in the final months of the period, resulting in private net sales in quarter four falling to 0.30 per outlet per week, compared to Q4 2021’s 0.77. </span></span></p> <p><span class="jp"><span>The rate weakened further in the last seven weeks of the year to 0.19 per outlet per week (2021: 0.61). </span></span></p> <p><span class="jp"><span>Persimmon’s southern regions saw the greatest impact in sales falls. “We saw a particularly sharp fall in demand on those sites where Help to Buy was more widely used once the scheme in England closed for new applications from 31 October,” the company’s statement also read.</span></span></p> <p><span class="jp"><span>Persimmon’s end-of-year forward sales position has now lowered to £1 billion against 2021’s £1.6 billion. The reduction in Q4 sales would have an “adverse impact” on 2023’s outlook, it stated. The business has "taken action" to either renegotiate or put on hold …