Barratt’s forward order book is the strongest for years with private forward sales up by 47% on the prior year to £1.13bn, according to the latest trading update.

This is equivalent to 4,514 plots, which will mostly be completed in 2014.

Net private reservations per active site per week jumped 31% to 0.71 through July to November.

Joint venture private sales, which mainly involved its developing London business, jumped to £195m, equating to 333 plots, compared to 120 last year.

Barratt is now expected to start work on its massive Aldgate Place mixed-use scheme in London in the New Year with joint venture partner British Land.

This City Fringe development will deliver more than 460 flats across three towers of 22, 25 and 26 storeys.

Mark Clare, group chief Executive said: “The market remains strong, driven by better lending conditions and improving customer confidence; we are increasing production and investment for the future.

“Our disciplined approach to land buying over the last four years is bringing forward high return sites into production and we continue to secure excellent land opportunities.

“With better market conditions and the benefits of high return land, we are confident that we will deliver substantial improvements in our performance for the full year.”

Clare added: “We are continuing our disciplined approach to land buying and are securing prime land opportunities that meet both our minimum hurdle rates of a 20% gross margin and a 25% return on capital employed based on current market prices.

“In London and the South East where the land market is more competitive, we are targeting more complex, larger sites which play to our competitive strengths, and also public sector land where we have a strong track record of success.”