Strong demand helps builder Barratt to lift completion rate

Barratt, which has previously said it would build around 15,700 in the year to end of June 2015, said on Wednesday that it now expected around 16,100 completions over the same period.

House prices have risen over the last two years with the government helping to maintain strong sales in recent months by lowering the amount of stamp duty property tax paid on the vast majority of sales. (Reporting By Costas Pitas; editing by Kate Holton)