Taylor Wimpey completed more than 7,300 houses in the first six months of 2021

Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has rejected suggestions that the UK housing market is in a bubble after it announced bumper half-year profits.

Table of Contents

Chief executive Pete Redfern told the BBC that market conditions were completely different from the time of the last house price crash in 2007.

Taylor Wimpey completed more than 7,300 houses in the first six months of 2021, a record performance.

It made operating profits of £424m, as against a £16m loss a year earlier.

The firm said it had raised its full-year profit expectations to £820m and expected to complete up to 14,000 new homes over the full 12 months.

It had previously said it expected profits for the year to come in at about £779m.

Housing boom

Mr Redfern told the Today programme that in 2007, mortgage lending had been “significantly laxer” than now, while house price growth had been “well above” inflation levels.

At the same time, there had been a high number of investors buying homes.

“None of those things is true today,” he said, adding that the UK currently had an “entirely healthy and stable housing market”.

Taylor Wimpey said it had seen “strong demand” for homes in the UK during the first half of this year, underpinned by low interest rates, good mortgage availability and government support for customers in the form of the Help to Buy scheme.

It added that there had been healthy levels of customer interest in reservations, extending well beyond the end of the stamp duty holiday.

It also reiterated that it had brought in a new cladding fire safety provision of £125m to make apartment buildings safe and mortgageable.

Emerging from the Covid pandemic

As the country emerges from the Covid pandemic, the housing market has been showing signs of a boom.

Last week, property website Zoopla said surging demand for houses would last well into 2022 as buyers continued to look for more room after being cooped up during the pandemic.

A search for space had pushed up the average price of a house by 7.3% over the past year, reaching a new high of £230,700, it said.

Related Articles you may like

How does airtightness testing help in achieving building certifications?
How does airtightness testing help in achieving building certifications?

Airtightness testing is essential in the pursuit of various building certifications by ensuring that structures meet designated standards for energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and overall performance. This testing, typically conducted using methods such as blower door tests (e.g., ASTM E779, ASTM E1827), helps identify air leaks that could account for up to 30% of a building’s energy usage, thereby supporting compliance with standards like the National Building Code of Canada. Certifications such as LEED, WELL, and Passive House all incorporate airtightness as a crucial criterion in their frameworks, emphasising both the reduction of energy consumption and the enhancement of indoor air quality. Professionals are trained through specialised programmes to ensure accurate testing, aligning with industry standards like ISO 9972, which further reinforces the reliability and consistency needed to maintain these building certifications.

Read More »
Building Regulations Consultant
Trusted Building Regulations Consultant Helping Your Project

We know starting a building project in the UK can feel like stepping into a maze of rules, but that’s where we help. At Ratio Seven, we make building regulations simple to understand and easier to follow, whether you’re planning a new build, a loft conversion or a shop refit. We work with you from the early design stage to the final checks, making sure everything is safe, legal, and built to the right standard. When you’ve got us on your side, you can focus on the build, knowing we’re here to help things run more smoothly from start to finish.

Read More »