22 July 2013
The biggest challenge faced by would-be self builders is finding a suitable plot of land. This ‘hurdle’ is four times higher than the next two ‘hurdles’ – securing planning permission and getting finance for a self build project. This is the key finding of an analysis of almost 2,000 users of The Self Build Portal.
For many years arguments have raged over the biggest challenges faced by self builders – some have claimed that securing finance is a major stumbling block; others have highlighted planning red tape.
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However, this comprehensive survey, undertaken by the National Self Build Association (NaSBA), reveals that finding an affordable plot of land is by far and away the biggest problem self builders have to overcome (Fig.1). 41% of respondents felt this was their biggest challenge, 12% suggested planning. Securing finance was third with 10%.
The survey also suggests that the average budget for the delivery of a self build home is around £250,000 – covering land and building costs (Fig.2).
A high proportion of people (40%) are keen to build their new homes in the South East and South West. Scotland, East Anglia, London and the North West also seem to be particularly hot spots for would-be self builders.
Most (56%) are looking to deliver a self build project within one to two years. Two-thirds are looking to achieve it within three years. Many are a little younger than the normal ‘spectrum’ of ages associated with self build – almost a third are under 40, bucking claims that the majority of self builders are retirees.
“Until now no one has quantified the scale of the various challenges that face self builders. Now we know that finding a suitable a building plot is definitely the biggest one. This should help us when lobbying Government or local authorities as it really underscores that public organisations need to really focus on making more land or serviced building plots available for self builders,” said Ted Stevens, Chair of NaSBA.
