Taylor Wimpey bounces back as recovery gains momentum

Taylor Wimpey was dicing with death three years ago, but its recovery looked on track yesterday after an "encouraging" start to 2012.

The builder, which was created through an ill-timed merger on the cusp of the housing collapse in 2007, said the property market last year "surpassed expectations" with momentum continuing early in 2012.

The firm, which sold 10,180 houses in 2011, has seen a 17 per cent jump in visitors in the first two weeks, its chief executive Pete Redfern said.