New figures have shown that the number of self and custom build homes being built in the UK is on the rise.
According to new research, 2016 saw the third consecutive annual increase in the UK’s self and custom build housing market.
This particular market is growing at 6.25 percent a year. This, if it continues at this pace, will lead to 16,500 homes being built in this way by 2020!
And experts don’t seem to think this trend will be slowing down anytime soon. The three-year forecast indicates an industry growth of 41 per cent, valuing the sector at £6 billion.
So why the recent shift, and why now?
There are many potential reasons behind this increase, with the most prominent being the shortage of good quality housing leading to people taking matters into their own hands in order to own their perfect home.
Here at Fibre Architects, we have seen first hand an increase in the number of self-build projects we that are approached to design. Our clients have often opted for a self or custom build because finding the right house in the right location at the right price is notoriously hard.
More and more people are realising that if the perfect home isn’t available in your chosen area, finding the right plot of land to build on and creating your own home from scratch can harbour amazing results. At Fibre, we offer free evaluations of potential plots for building on, to advise on the initial viability of gaining planning permission for the projects you may have in mind.
That being said, the increase in the number of these types of projects may not purely be down to changes in personal preference. There may also be politics at play here, as it has been said that self and custom builds play a strategic role in contributing to government house building targets. The government recently implemented measures in order to make it easier for aspiring self-builders.
Whatever the reasons behind the increase, we’re very excited about this from a design perspective. Self and custom builds allow the client’s imagination to run wild and build an amazing new home from scratch. At Fibre, these are often our favourite types of projects as we can get our creative juices flowing and really bring each client’s dream home ideas to life!
We’re looking forward to seeing even more self and custom build homes being built in the future, and also to seeing what exciting and varied design opportunities will come with a continued shift towards this way of housebuilding.
