Self-build and Custom-build
Self-build housing allows people to design and construct their own bespoke home.
Self-builders work with an architect, designer or specialist self-build company to help them to produce a house design that's tailored to their needs, lifestyle and budget. Whilst some self-builders choose to carry out construction work themselves, many will appoint a contractor or package building company. Custom housebuilding is a more hands-off approach and allows individuals or groups to work with a developer or package building company to design and build a home to their design, often to a 'turnkey' finish where it is built ready for occupation.
Self-build and custom-built homes can include:
- Detached, semi-detached, terraced homes and apartments
- Owner-occupied homes, affordable home ownership and affordable rent
- Single plots, small and large developments.
(Image credit: Simon Maxwell)
Government Policy
Growth of self-build and custom house building in the UK has been a government objective since 2011. The Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 and The Self-build and Custom Housebuilding (Register) Regulations 2016 were introduced to support this. Under the 2016 Regulations local planning authorities are required to keep a register of individuals and associations of individuals who are seeking to acquire serviced plots of land in their area to build their own home. Meanwhile, the Act places a statutory duty on local planning authorities to grant planning permissions for sufficient serviced plots of land to meet the demand for custom and self-build housing in their area. In June 2022 the government launched the Help to Build scheme, an equity loan aimed at helping with the costs of building your own home.
Growing the Custom and Self-build housing sector will help deliver a more diverse and higher quality housing mix, allowing people to build their own bespoke home while achieving high levels of energy efficiency, moving away from the set house types produced by mass house builders and providing alternative achievable routes to home ownership. At Lansdown, our ambition is to raise the standard of what should be expected for self-build and custom homes and makes them available to a range of budgets.
(Image credit: c/o Oakwrights)
Cross Lane Fields, Harpenden
We have now submitted an outline planning application for land on the south side of Cross Lane in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, for up to 31 homes including 19 serviced self-build and custom-build plots. The proposals are pioneering in their approach to placemaking and achieving high quality, cohesive design across a multiple plot self-build development.
Find out more about Cross Lane Fields here.
(Image credit: Carlos Penalver)
More information on self-build homes and custom-build homes
We are proud members of the National Custom & Self Build Association (NaCSBA), the voice of the Custom, Self-build and community-led housing sector who lobby for policy change in Governments and official bodies in the UK.
More information can be found on the following websites:
https://selfbuildportal.org.uk/
https://www.ownyourhome.gov.uk/scheme/help-to-build/
Anyone wishing to sign their local authority's self-build Register can find theirs, together with FAQs about charging, etc at NaCSBA's Self Build Portal at www.selfbuildportal.org.uk
Interested in building your own home? Please do get in touch: info@lansdownland.co.uk
