Taylor Wimpey says strong sales continue in first quarter

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LONDON, April 17 (Reuters) - British housebuilder Taylor Wimpey said it had enjoyed strong sales in the first quarter as government help continued to stoke buyer demand, as it reported a 22 percent uplift in the average selling price of its homes.

The company said on Thursday that it expects average sales rates for the year to be slightly ahead of 2013, after it achieved an average private net reservation rate of 0.75 sales per outlet per week, up from 0.66 at the same time last year.

The average selling price for its homes surged to 248,900 pounds from 204,800 pounds, while its total order book value hit 1.6 billion pounds, 33 percent higher than last year.

"The UK housing market remains buoyant and our customers continue to benefit from a more accessible and affordable mortgage market," Chief Executive Pete Redfern said.

The British house building sector is benefiting from a wider rebound in buyer demand after the launch of government schemes to help buyers attain mortgages.

Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW.L - news) said the better market had resulted in ongoing pressure on build costs and labour, but that this was still at manageable levels.

(Reporting by Brenda Goh, Editing by Paul Sandle)