Building a custom green oak-framed home is a desire of many wannabe self-builders – and understandably so. Not only can you design it exactly as you’ve always wanted – lofty ceiling; open-plan kitchen; gorgeous exposed beams – but most self-build homes cost between 10 and 30 per cent less than the market rate, and may also go towards saving you money on energy bills in the future.
So why aren’t more people realising their dreams? Well, it all comes down to space. According to a recent survey by the National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA), more than 90 per cent of people who would like to build their own home are put off because of the difficulties in finding available plots of land in the right place for the right price. According to an article in The Telegraph, around half of current self-build projects end up being replacements of existing homes, which not only makes it an expensive pursuit, but means the net gain to the UK housing stock is zero.
However, the governement have realised the importance of supporting self-build projects, and from April 1st things will be changing. Anyone interested in building their own home can register with their local authority, and then councils will use this information when creating and considering housing plans. In this way, suitable plots of land can be made available to these hopeful home builders.
“Self-build offers opportunities for local communities to come together to bring forward housing for local people which meets with a warm welcome rather than the mass imposition of new houses, which so often provokes protest,” says Richard Bacon, MP for South Norfolk, who champions self-build in Parliament.
And Michael Holmes, chairman of NaCSBA, says that: “This so-called ‘Right to Build’ is likely to transform the situation for self-builders in the UK.”
So if you’ve been hoping to create your dream English Oak framed house, but couldn’t find the right plot of land, then watch this space – because space is exactly what you might get.
Information from telegraph.co.uk