Government Aims to Increase Number of Self-Builds

With house prices continuing to rise and fewer properties coming on to the market, it can be difficult to find exactly the right property that you’re looking for. One way around this problem is to build your own home. This week the government announced their plans to increase demand for self-build plots and encouraged local authorities to play their part.

Right to Build

The Planning Minister, Nick Boles, used the Grand Designs Live exhibition to make his announcement about the Right to Build initiative. The aim of this is to make it easier for people to build their own property and deal with some of the problems they face when searching for plots.

The scheme will have £150 million set aside to enable councils to make up to 10,000 building plots ready and available for sale to self-builders. The government is so keen that this initiative should work that they will even force councils to comply if there is sufficient demand from local residents. The plan is that anyone who wants to build their own home should be given the necessary help to do so. Currently, 60 councils have been working to make 5,000 such plots available, and the launch of the scheme will see more authorities doing the same.

The European Way

Self-building is becoming a more popular option in this country, but it is still not on the same scale as other European countries. Research by Ipsos Mori shows that more than six million people are actively considering a self-build property in the next year. In some parts of the continent, such as Germany, Holland and France, around 60% to 80% of homeowners are involved in the design and build of their property. They have seen the benefits of building a home to their own specifications, meaning that the final property works better for them and their family.

By designing the exact property that you want to live in, you can make the rooms fit with your needs and lifestyle. This can include the size and number of bedrooms, the amount of natural light available through windows or a wrought iron Juliet balcony, the layout of the kitchen or the type of outdoor space and whether you require a decking area or a landscaped garden.

This won’t make a huge difference overnight and it could take many years for any substantial changes to occur. However, it will make the self-build dream open to more people and help them achieve the perfect home.