Self and Custom Build Housing

There are a number of ways in which self-builders can procure and construct their own home. Firstly, there are different approaches to the process – some self-builders take forward projects alone, others work in groups. Secondly, the level of self- build varies – ranging from self-builders carrying out the whole of the construction to custom builders who hire a contractor to carry out the construction through to completion. Some of the typical approaches are described briefly below.

This is the most common form of self-build. Here the home owner manages the design process including finding the land, hiring an appropriate consultant, and securing planning permission and building regulations approval. About half of all owners then hire a main contractor to do all the construction work; the other half project-manage the construction phase and hire various sub-contractors to do the work. The owner might also do some of the simpler tasks such as decorating. Approximately two thirds of self builds are currently carried out this way.

Here the owner follows a similar route to the method outlined above except that they then do virtually all of the construction work themselves. This is popular with people who want to take ‘a hands on’ approach and who may already have experience of self-build.

The owner finds the plot of land and then works with a kit home company to finalise the plans. The kit company then supply and erect the house. Sometimes the self-builder just has a watertight shell built, and then does the fitting out work themselves.

Here the owner finds a developer with a site and a design that meets their requirements, and the developer then builds it out for them.

This is where a group of people come together to share their skills and build a number of houses collectively. The group will normally all work on everyone’s house until completion. Often these schemes include training to boost the participants’ knowledge of building. Some community groups form themselves and some are co-ordinated by housing associations or other agencies.

Here a group is formed to acquire a larger site which is split into individual plots. They then organise the design and construction of their own home, sometimes collaborating with others to, for example, order materials in bulk. This is a common approach in Continental Europe, but is currently relatively rare in the UK. However, it is expected to grow in popularity.

A developer/contractor finds a suitable site then seeks a number of self-build clients and builds the homes to their specification under contract. Often the developer provides an option to just build a watertight shell, so the owner can ‘self-finish’. An alternative arrangement is for the developer to offer serviced plots which are sold ‘off plan’ with a design and build contract. This is a new approach to the UK, however it is common in other countries and is expected to grow in popularity here.

More information about self and custom build housing can be found on the government-endorsed web site www.selfbuildportal.org.uk.

Please contact the Planning Policy team to be added to the Self-Build Register. You can email them at planning.policy@dudley.gov.uk. 

The Council is creating a register of people interested in Self and Custom Build. This will enable the Council to find out more about the demand for self and custom build housing in Dudley Borough so that we can develop local policies aimed at making land available. It will also be a useful source of local information for companies or private landowners contemplating launching a group scheme.

Homes England is reminding small and medium sized housebuilders that the Levelling Up Home Building Fund is designed for housebuilders based in England that are struggling to access finance from traditional lenders. Loans can be tailored to individual circumstances and can be used to meet the development costs of building homes for sale or rent.

Financing is also available to support community-led housing projects, serviced plots for custom and self-builders, off-site manufacturing, new entrants to the market and groups of small firms working in consortia to deliver larger sites.

More information about the fund can be found on GOV.​UK or by arranging a call with one of Homes England’s regional specialists by: