Bellway PLC (LON:BWY) reported record revenues for the six months to end-January driven by increased house sales and higher prices.
Interim revenues rose by 11.6% to £1.72bn as completions or sales rose by 6.3% to 5,656 homes, a record, while average prices improved 5.8% to £303,200.
Sales slowed in November but have since recovered to normal levels, Bellway said, aided by a new Help-to-Buy scheme, with weekly reservations 3.3% higher over the period.
Price rises were strongest in the north-west of England and the Midlands where demand was particularly strong, said the housebuilder.
Interim profits fell by 4% to £280.2mln as Bellway took a further £20.3 provision for fire safety remediation work in the wake of the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster.
The FTSE 250 housebuilder has now set aside £131.6mln since 2017 for fire safety of which £91.6mln related to 24 developments has yet to be utilised.
Jason Honeyman, chief executive, said trading since 1 February has remained resilient though reservation rates had slipped a little.
The forward order book remains substantial at £1.64bn or 6,000 homes, he added, and for the full year to end July 2021 it expects to build and sell 10,000 houses.
The interim dividend has also been restored with a payment of 35p, while the group ended the half with a net cash balance of £346mln compared to £5mln a year ago.