In its half-year results, the housebuilder saw a 4% year-on-year increase in new home completions, totalling 4,605, driven by a 7% uplift in private completions.
The average sale price for a new Persimmon home was £284,047, 8% higher than the same period last year.
It closed the period with a flat profit before tax of £146.7m.
Dean Finch, group chief executive of Persimmon, said: “I am pleased that we have continued to grow in the first half of the year despite challenging market conditions and with affordability still an important constraint.
“Our average sales price, sales, completions, planning approvals, active sites and forward order book are all up, many against industry trends, showing that our strategy including a focus on self-help has continued to deliver.”
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Persimmon said its performance was “particularly pleasing” considering the “challenging market”.
It added: “There have been some positive developments in the first half of the year, with targeted relaxation of some lending rules and real-term pay rises helping to improve affordability for some. Nonetheless, this has been balanced with the impact of council tax, National Insurance, stamp duty and energy bill increases in April, alongside macroeconomic uncertainty weighing on consumer sentiment. While interest and mortgage rates have reduced, they are at levels that still present a barrier to many potential customers.
“Our homes are well-placed in the market, with prices significantly below our largest competitors, and we have sought to make them more accessible to more customers by improving the range of affordable routes to homeownership.”
Persimmon said it was aiming to address affordability challenges through its New Build Boost product, launched in partnership with Gen H as an alternative to Help to Buy.
The housebuilder also said it was making “good progress” regarding building safety, as all buildings had been assessed and works had started or completed on more than 80%.
