Indicating strong results and revealing some of its future investments, Persimmon has released its third quarter Trading Statement, covering the period from 1 July 2018 to 6 November 2018.

The company has revealed it is now “fully sold up” for the current year, with around £987m of forward sales reserved beyond 2018, an increase of 9 per cent on the same point last year (2017: £909m). Sales prices have also reportedly remained firm for the builder across regional markets.

According to the statement, customer activity at the start of autumn has strengthened in line with traditional seasonality. Private sales in the period since the half year results were 3 per cent ahead of the previous year’s comparatives. The group’s outlet network has been around 5 per cent stronger through this period, and Persimmon is currently delivering new homes in around 370 communities nationwide.

Consumer confidence and continued mortgage lender support were listed as providing the positive market conditions the company has enjoyed, with mortgage approvals for the third quarter increasing from levels seen in the first two quarters of the year.

Plans for a new regional operating business in South Yorkshire in January 2019 were also released in the firm’s statement, to be located at its off-site manufacturing hub at Harworth, bringing the number of house- building businesses in the group to 31.

Other investments noted were in its new brick manufacturing plant, which is now operating at capacity, and in its new roof tile manufacturing facility, which is now under construction.

As to the coming years, the statement reads:

“Persimmon is in a very strong position for the future and while we are mindful that there is uncertainty associated with the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, the company’s investment over recent years in a high quality landbank provides a sustainable long-term platform for each of our 31 regional businesses and enables the group to be very selective with future investments.

“By adopting this position, the group has acquired over 4,750 new plots of land, and spent over £180m, including payment of deferred land creditors, during the period. Of the replacement land acquired so far this year, 23 per cent has been converted from the Group’s strategic land holdings.”