Britain's biggest housebuilder Barratt Redrow sees home completions fall 12% and private reservations soften amid affordability pressures

From the Newshound archive · first published 4 November 2026.

Barratt Redrow's underlying private reservation rate dropped to 0.53 for the 17 weeks to October 25, down from 0.57 a year earlier, as stretched affordability continues to squeeze would-be buyers out of the market. Boss Dean Banks acknowledged "continued pressure on affordability" but insisted trading had been "resilient" overall.

Barratt Redrow's order book grew to £3.32 billion, up from £3.28 billion, with stronger demand from the private rental sector partly offsetting weak owner-occupier sales.

The figures land just after Labour's autumn Budget introduced a new First Time Buyer ISA and 'Your First Home' scheme, which Banks said could "over time, support increased housing delivery."