Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey hit by sales fall amid budget uncertainty

Taylor Wimpey’s order book is down at 7,253 homes as of 9 November, compared with 7,771 at the same point last year, with a value of £2.1bn. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

The British housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has reported a drop in sales in the key autumn period, blaming uncertainty in the run-up to this month’s budget for potential buyers holding back purchases.

The company, the latest home construction business to report softer sales growth, reported that its weekly average for the number of private sales per site fell 11% to 0.63 between 30 June and 9 November compared with 0.71 in the same period last year.