National housebuilder Persimmon sold 4,006 homes worth £625m in the six months ended June 30, the company said in a positive trading update.
Forward sales for the rest of the year stand at £700m – ahead of the £650m recorded a year ago.
Persimmon, the UK’s largest housebuilder by volume, also said its borrowings were lower than anticipated for the first six months at £495m (2008: £906m).
“We expect this improving trend to continue against the weak conditions experienced throughout the second half of 2008,” said group chief executive Mike Farley.
