Council Offering Self-Build Scheme

Lewisham Council is offering residents a rare opportunity to build their own home.  The Council is re-introducing its self-build scheme as a further step towards meeting the growing demand for social housing in the borough and to provide new skills for unemployed local people.  The initiative will be supported by the National Self Build Association and run in partnership with an experienced house builder.  The scheme has been designed for people on Lewisham’s housing waiting list who want to develop their skills in house building trades such as electrical, carpentry, plumbing and bricklaying – and who also want to build their own home.  In addition to gaining a new home, residents will acquire new skills to help them access future employment opportunities. Read more on the Lewisham Council website.

Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the average £150,000 cost of a self-build home by (a) land and (b) building cost.

Grant Shapps: According to the National Self Build Association the majority of self-builders spend between £100,000 and £150,000 building their own home. For example, Fairgrove Homes are currently selling plots in Nottinghamshire to self builders for £40,000 and will build a good sized three bed home for a further £90,000. At Ashley Vale in Bristol the community built their homes for less than £150,000 each, including land and all building costs.  It is not however possible to provide a breakdown of the average cost of a self-build home, including land, given the wide variation in cost across the country and the range of build routes which a self builder can follow to build their home. Further details of indicative building costs across the country, with and without land costs, are set out on the self build portal  www.selfbuildportal.org.uk which is run by the self-build industry and offers a range of advice to aspiring self-builders.

Shapps' Self-Build Cash to Part Fund Land and Development Costs

Grant Shapps has announced a new £30 million fund for self build groups that will enable them to bid for cash to part-fund land and development costs.  He's also announced that architect Kevin McCloud has been appointed by the National Self Build Association as an industry champion.  Mr Shapps said he will shortly be launching the fund to provide short-term finance for projects.  Self-build groups will soon be able to bid for a slice of the cash to part fund land acquisition and early development costs with money being repaid on completion of the project.  Mr Shapps is also writing to lenders highlighting the strong business case for lending to self-builders.  Read more on the CLG website.