The Self Build Blog

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Home Builder

Me and my wife made the decision to build our own house several years ago after we became disillusioned by inflated house prices and lack of availability

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Happy New Year Self Builders. All the best for 2012!

Thank you for visiting The Self Build Guide in 2011 and I hope you will continue to find the site useful in the coming year whether you are planning your build, shivering in a caravan or nearly ready to move in!

2011 proved to be a significant year for self build with the Government realising the wider benefits and committing to promoting self build as an accessible, mainstream housing option.

I was pleased to be involved with The Government / Industry Self Build Working Group which identified the main hurdles preventing more people from building their own homes and subsequently produced a series of recommendations.

The wheels quickly began to turn as the Government met with mortgage lenders, encouraging them to embrace self build borrowing, they promised the release of public land, committed to a reduction in red tape and challenged the self build sector to produce a centralised information portal, akin to the planning portal, on which work is already underway.

A significant step was the inclusion of a provision in the draft National Planning Policy Framework which could take account of self build in planning policy for the first time ever!

In the private sector, new and improved products, techniques and services have come to market making homes and their construction more efficient and sustainable.

Ingenious models have emerged as a way of delivering low cost and community self build schemes such as the Low Impact Living Affordable Community in Leeds, which is scheduled for completion in 2012.

As our homes continue to evolve to meet our needs in the 21st century and the momentum of the 'self build revolution' grows in 2012, we hope more people have the opportunity to build better, greener homes and realise the financial, practical and personal benefits self build can offer.

Whichever type of self build you are undertaking, The Self Build Guide wishes you all the best for your project in 2012 as well as the very best in health and happiness.

Many thanks and kind regards,

James

Self Build Fund

Included in The Government's new housing strategy published on Monday was an allocation of a £30 million self build fund

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Low Impact Living Affordable Community

The Low Impact Living Affordable Community project in Leeds combines cohousing principles with ecological sustainability and affordability.

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St Minver Community Land Trust

St Minver Community Land Trust (CLT) was formed in 2008 to help residents of Rock to buy a home in their village.

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Ashley Vale Action Group

The Ashley Vale Action Group is an excellent example of a community self build scheme.

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Grand Designs on 4oD

All previous series/episodes of Grand Designs are available to watch on 4oD so there's no need to buy the DVDs.

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Barn Style Home

John and Penny Platts did not set out to self build their 4 bed barn style home, but when they stumbled upon the perfect plot, building their own home was the only option.

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