Housebuilder Miller Homes has reported a sharp rise in off-plan sales during the second quarter of 2011, particularly in East Midlands and the North West of England.

The positive report came just days after the National House Building Council (NHBC) said that there had been a significant increase in new homes completions for May – up 29% since April.

Miller Homes said its off-plan reservations were at their highest level since 2008 – suggesting consumer sentiment is improving as far as the new homes market is concerned.

Purchasing residential properties during the off-plan stage of construction was a particularly popular strategy during the last property boom which peaked in 2008, when many investors and homeowners saw the value of their property acquisition rise during each phase of the building process.

The house builder has recorded 53 off-plan reservations in the space of just four months at Infusion, a refurbishment scheme in Moss Side, where it is marketing and selling new homes for Manchester City Council as part of a wider regeneration project.

Chris Endsor, Operations Director for Miller Homes, said: “Obviously, off-plan sales are something usually associated with a property boom when competition is such that buyers can’t wait for a property to be built if they want to get the best plots.

“We are not suggesting that we are seeing a return to those days – but this would seem to suggest that buyers have a greater degree of confidence in the new homes market now than they have had for some three years or more.

“It will be interesting to see whether this is an emerging trend – or an unusual bubble.  Naturally, we hope it is the former.”

Ant Lyons (Editor) Your Property Network Magazine.