It posted pre-tax profit of £295m, up from £210.2m the previous year.
Chief executive David Thomas said a 9% increase in completions had been done without compromising on quality.
He also said the housing market remained strong thanks to improved mortgage availability and government support for first time buyers.
In early morning trading on the London stock market, shares in Barratt were up by 1.16% at 569.50 pence.
The firm completed 7,626 homes in the six months to the end of December 2015, compared with 6,971 a year earlier.
They were sold at an average price of £254,000, an increase of 11% on the £229,200 average price in the first half of the previous financial year.
"In line with our strategy, we have stepped up the number of completions in the first half and we did this in a disciplined way, both financially and operationally, without compromising on the quality of the homes we're building," said Mr Thomas.
Barratt also said that sales performance across the group in the second half of the financial year to date had been strong.
The company said it was pleased to see an extension of the UK government's Help to Buy programme until 2021.
It also welcomed the introduction of the government's separate equity loan scheme for London, introduced on 1 February, which helps those buying a new build property in the capital.
"Both changes will be important for our customers, particularly in helping buyers into the market," Barratt said in a statement.
"We remain supportive of the government's Starter Homes Scheme, which is aimed at providing 200,000 homes for first time buyers by 2020."
Housebuilder Barratt Developments has reported a 40% surge in six-month pre-tax profits, helped by selling more homes at a higher price.