Kit home: there is an abundance of kit suppliers operating in the UK and across Europe, including Carpenter Oak (http://carpenteroak.com); Potton Self Build Homes (www.potton.co.uk); Huf-Haus UK (www.huf-haus.com/uk/the-huf-house).
Independent community collaboration: the most accomplished recent example is at Ashley Vale, Bristol (www.selfbuildportal.org.uk/ashley-vale).
Supported community self-build group: the CSBA’s recent projects, including those with ex-service personnel (www.communityselfbuildagency.org.uk/); St Minver Community Land Trust in Cornwall (www.the-self-build-guide.co.uk/st-minver-community-land-trust.html).
Developer-built ‘one-off home’: see the database that is continually being updated by NaCSBA (https://selfbuildportal.org.uk/); Graven Hill, Bicester.
Developer-led group project: K1 Cambridge Cohousing (www.cambridge-k1.co.uk); Urban Splash (www.urbansplash.co.uk/residential/new-islington).
Policy implications for self-build/custom-build projects
•Most self-build and custom-build projects in the UK are currently undertaken by households that already have access to some financial resources (which may principally be in the equity of the home they already inhabit). It would be a huge advance for households currently faced with rising housing costs fast outstripping their incomes (many currently forced to use the private rental sector) if they could be assisted to redirect the use of their incomes into affordable self-build initiatives.
•The number of ‘group’ schemes taking place is still less than projects for one-off buildings. There remains a crucial need to develop the skills of those wishing to build or organise collaboratively, along with the skills of any ‘enabling’ supporters to help schemes steer their own course. Self-build or custom-build construction may, of course, be a design and construction route adopted by other kinds of group projects, like a cohousing or community land trust scheme.
•The portrayal of the ‘custom-build’ concept as essentially a relationship with a housing or property ‘developer’ (evident in the terminology of the 2017 Housing White Paper) may reinforce an assumption that a ‘developer’ must be engaged in such activity. (For example, a household could engage a contractor (i.e. not a ‘developer’) to undertake some first stages of construction that the household will complete.) It is possible that the mainstream ‘development sector’ could use the political interest in ‘custom-build’ possibilities as another opportunity to massage the public perception of its business models. If the end purchasers in custom-build schemes are not able to benefit from some of the savings regularly achieved by other self-build projects, then this may prove a lost opportunity to build new property at reduced costs.
Key organisations and information (self-build and custom-build)
•The National Custom & Self Build Association (NaCSBA; www.nacsba.org.uk) is the ‘voice of the custom and self-build sector’ set up to raise the awareness of the self-build and custom-build sector; to collate and communicate best practice of the sector; and to lobby government, landowners and finance providers to help increase annual contributions by the self-build and custom-build sector to the number of homes built.
•The NaCSBA has established the Right to Build Toolkit (http://righttobuildtoolkit.org.uk) as a website providing practical guidance and information for councils, housing associations, community organisations and builders/developers that want to facilitate custom and self-build projects across the UK. It explains some of the build models supported and enabled by local councils and the private sector – those aimed towards individuals and those geared towards group projects – and provides other guidance in the form of Briefing Notes.
•The Self Build Portal (www.selfbuildportal.org.uk) is an information portal established by NaCSBA, and endorsed by government departments, to provide advice and details on all matters pertaining to custom-build and self-build development. It carries information on plots, suppliers, events, case studies and other news on national and local policy developments.
•The Right to Build Task Force (https://righttobuildtoolkit.org.uk/right-to-build-task-force/#) - is an independent expert task force launched, with endorsement from the government to facilitate delivery of affordable custom-build and self-build schemes. It plans to work with at least 80 local authorities, community bodies and partners, and the idea is that others can benefit through regional events and case studies on the Right to Build Portal.
•The National Self Build & Renovation Centre in Swindon (www.nsbrc.co.uk) is the UK’s main permanent venue designed to meet the needs of anyone looking to undertake a self-build, renovation or home improvement project. It has full-size exhibition houses to visit, as well as educational areas featuring an array of displays covering everything from groundworks and foundations, to building systems and roof types, and provides advice for visitors, as well as offering services and products to aid each step of a building project.
•The Community Self Build Agency (CSBA; www.communityselfbuildagency.org.uk) is a charity whose aim is to help people in housing need to build their own homes. It facilitates projects for men and women from all backgrounds to benefit individually and collectively from being a member of a self-build housing group, and thereby to acquire a range of skills and experience. The Agency is particularly keen for those with limited incomes or who are unemployed to participate in building schemes. Key support has been provided in recent years to a number of schemes where the training and construction work has been targeted towards assisting people leaving the armed forces.
•The Walter Segal Trust (www.segalselfbuild.co.uk/home.html) was originally set up to promote the Segal technique of simplified timber-frame housebuilding, and its applicability for households with limited or zero previous building experience, working with a variety of group and individual self-build projects to promote timber-frame techniques and build ecologically sound dwellings. Nowadays the trust is almost solely a repository of details about those first Segal buildings that still attract visitors from far afield. There is an email address for enquiries.
•The Planning Portal (www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/49/self_build_homes) is a national website for planning and building regulations information, with step-by-step information on the self-build process.
•The Self Build Guide (www.the-self-build-guide.co.uk) is a website with information and hands-on experience from other self-builders, plus pointers towards products, services and suppliers.
The growth of services geared towards households creating their own self-build or custom-build home remains evident in the prevalence of the ‘Self Build’ and ‘Grand Design’