Contractor and housebuilder says performance underpinned by β€œstrong” housing sales

Housebuilder and contractor Galliford Try has said it will meet market expectations of recording profits of around Β£74m when it reports full year profits in September.

In a trading update for the full year to 30 June, the firm said performance in its housebuilding business, Linden Homes, had been β€œstrong”, with a record year-end forward sales position of Β£313m, up 15% on 2012.

It said average price achieved rose by 5% on the sale of 2,932 homes, down 3% on 2012. It has a β€œrecord” landbank of 11,300 plots, up 8% on the previous year.

It’s construction business performed β€œsolidly” it claimed, with a stable order book of Β£1.6bn, the same level as at this point last year. It said the business remained β€œchallenging”, but that all construction business units had experienced an increase in the number of opportunities.

Greg Fitzgerald, chief executive, said: β€œWith modest net debt, a record landbank and year end carry forward position in housebuilding and a stable order book with good visibility of work in construction, we start the year in an encouraging position.”