<p>Taylor Wimpey has seen a “record” first half performance with a robust operating profit margin. It expects full year completions to be towards the “upper end” of guidance of 13,200 to 14,000 homes.</p> <p>During the half year to July 4 2021, the volume housebuilder completed <span>7,303 homes against the 2,771 of H1 2020 which covered the Covid-induced market shutdown. The company said the marked increase was partly due to completions that had been delayed in Q4 2020.</span></p> <p><span>It achieved an operating profit margin of 19.3% </span>(H1 2020<span>: </span>(2.1)%; <span>H1 2019: 18%). This was a reflection of “tight cost discipline” and a higher level of completions.</span></p> <p><span>Taylor Wimpey’s net private sales rate for its first half was </span>0.97 homes per outlet per week against 2020’s 0.70, driven by strong customer demand. The business reported “healthy levels of customer interest in reservations extending well beyond the end of the stamp duty land tax holiday”. </p> <p><span>Private average selling prices during the half year rose 6.5% to £327,000. Revenue rose from H1 2020’s £</span><span>754.6 million to £2,196.3 million. Pre-tax profit was at £287.5 million after last year’s £39.8 million loss.</span></p> <p>It worked from an average of <span>228 outlets compared to H1 2020’s 237, …