According to the latest trading report from Persimmon, one of Britain’s largest construction companies, it has experienced a strengthening of first-time buyer interest, which it attributed to the renewal of the Government-sponsored FirstBuy scheme in September.

Persimmon group finance director Mike Killoran said:

“Government sponsorship of FirstBuy and NewBuy is very helpful – it is very reassuring to customers because they would like to think they are well thought through.

“We are seeing first-time buyers in increasing numbers in our sites.”

The average selling price of new Persimmon homes rose 6% to an average of £173,400 in 2012 compared to the previous year, driven by the expansion of its higher-end Charles Church business.

The company, which saw revenues for the period rise by 12%, relaunched its FirstBuy marketing programme in late 2012 and secured an additional allocation of around 3,000 new homes as a result.