HOME buyers with more confidence and cash have helped a housebuilder lift sales, bosses have claimed.

Persimmon says demand for its properties has remained strong over the last six months, helped by rising employment levels, a competitive mortgage market and increased disposable incomes.

The firm, which has offices in Bowburn, near Durham City, Newcastle and York, revealed total revenues increased 12 per cent to £1.34bn, with new home sales up seven per cent to 6,855.

The company added forward sales in the private sale market were also 12 per cent ahead of last year at 4,606, with an improved average selling price of £213,000.

Total forward sales at June 30 stood at £1.36bn, 15 per cent up on last year’s £1.18bn.

The firm added its group average selling price was up four per cent to £195,000, as it opened 122 new sites in the first half.

Reacting to the results, a spokesman said it was committed to capitalising on its successes, with plans in place to open 125 more sites this year.

He added: “The opportunity to buy a newly built home remains compelling.

“We have traded well through the first half, customer sentiment remained resilient through the period running up to the General Election and confidence has improved subsequently.

“The land market continues to provide attractive opportunities for investment to support the future growth of the business.

“We continue to actively develop all sites where we have planning consent and plan to open a further 125 new sites during the second half of the year.

“We have acquired about 11,500 new plots of land during the first half and our consented land bank at 30 June totalled about 92,400 plots.”

Last year, The Northern Echo revealed Persimmon was launching a scheme to deliver hundreds of jobs for ex-forces staff.

The company is re-training former military personnel to work on its sites, and hopes to create up to 500 posts a year.

Known as the Combat to Construction programme, the venture is supported by Darlington training provider Nordic Focus Training Group.

It has already seen scores of people sign up for courses to take on roles such as bricklayers and joiners, with some now working on sites and new recruits joining the programme every four weeks.

The firm hopes to expand the programme across the country, with aims to open training centres in London and the Midlands.