Builder and home truths

Persimmon says the number of would-be buyers has surged by a fifth since the Brexit vote.

The country’s biggest house builder said visitor numbers to its sites had jumped 20% since July 1, with reservations up 17%.

Boss Jeff Fairburn said: “Customer interest has been robust.”

It came as Persimmon announced that profits rose 29% to £352million in the first six months of the year.

The firm, the UK’s top builder by stock market value, has pledged to hand back £2.76billion to shareholders by 2021.

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have been hit by a slump in small-deposit mortgages.

The number of deals where buyers can borrow 95% of the property’s value has dropped by 16% since February, from 270 to 225 according to the website Moneyfacts.co.uk.

It comes amid evidence that lenders are becoming more cautious. Charlotte Nelson, of Moneyfacts, said: “It is particularly bruising when many hope that the predictions of cheaper houses would help them realise their dream sooner than expected.”