Persimmon sees good start to year

Persimmon has said it has seen a good start to the year, with a slight increase in its private sales rate and further growth in its outlets.

In a trading update, the volume housebuilder said the positive conditions it experienced in the first nine weeks of the year had continued.

Its net private sales per outlet per week – excluding bulk sales – were up 3% to 0.65 during the period from January 1 to April 27 2025. Including bulk sales, they improved 1% to 0.74.

During the period, the value of Persimmon’s private forward sales rose 17% to £1.68 billion. They carried a private average selling price of £293,300, up 4% on the equivalent period last year.

Since the start of 2025, the company has opened 27 new outlets and is currently operating from 275, a 5% increase on 2024. It is on track to open around 100 gross outlets during 2025 as part of its target to operate from at least 300 outlets.

Persimmon said consumer interest had remained “strong”. In March, it launched its “New Build Boost” scheme, offering 15% interest-free equity loans for new home purchases.

Persimmon also noted its continued planning success; …