Demand for new homes has soared since the Brexit vote, says major housebuilder as Britons shrug off concerns about leaving the EU
• The numbers reserving homes has jumped up by a fifth since June 23
• The surge defies gloomy predictions of George Osborne and ‘Remainers’
• ‘The longer-term effects of Brexit are still unknown’ says Davy Research
Demand for new homes has soared since Britain voted to leave the EU, one of the country’s biggest builders said yesterday.
Persimmon, which specialises in family homes, said the number visiting its sites and reserving a home has jumped by a fifth since the referendum.
The surge defies gloomy predictions by George Osborne and pro-EU economists that the housing market would be hit hard by a vote to leave. Experts said families have ‘shrugged off’ concerns about Brexit while estate agents predicted the coming weeks will be busier than expected.
The comments undermine doom-laden warnings from Remain campaigners that a Leave vote would send the housing market and wider economy into a tailspin.
Persimmon chief executive Jeff Fairburn said the scare stories – stirred up by David Cameron and former Chancellor Mr Osborne – were overplayed. ‘I don’t really understand where that fear came from,’ he said. ‘Clearly Brexit created economic uncertainty but we didn’t see any discernible change in customer behaviour.’
Former Conservative Cabinet minister John Redwood welcomed the news as further evidence the economy has not been knocked off course by Brexit. ‘Yet another gloomy lie put forward by the Remain campaign has been put to bed,’ he said.