Minister wants more self-built homes

London: People inspired by property development television shows to build their own homes will soon be offered exclusive access to publicly owned land.

In a speech at the Grand Designs Live 2011 show tomorrow, Housing Minister Grant Shapps is expected to say that he wants self-building, where amateurs oversee the construction and in some cases actually build their homes, to become a mainstream housing option.

Although self-builders already account for one in every five homes built in Britain each year, collectively making them the biggest house builder in the country, the UK continues to have one of the lowest proportions of homes made by self-builders in Europe.

Build now, pay later

The credit crisis and recession has also deterred self-builders, with the number of completed self-built units dropping from about 20,000 in 2006 to just 14,000 last year.

Shapps intends to announce the first public sector sites available only to self-builders under the government's Build Now, Pay Later scheme. Launched last month, it will enable cash-strapped builders to pay for land after they have started work on new homes.

For those prepared to run the gauntlet of local planners and mortgage lenders, the rewards are high. "The building materials are VAT-free, you only pay stamp duty on the land, the property appreciates by up to 30 per cent on completion, and you have a home that's uniquely designed for you," said Jaclyn Thorburn, spokeswoman for Buildstore, a company that sources plots, materials and mortgages for self-builders.

— Guardian News & Media Ltd