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New research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found that self build homes are making a significant impact on the property market.
However, these properties are increasingly the choice of more affluent households wanting a distinctive 'designer' home rather than DIY builders. The number of self-build homes completed each year has risen from around 2,000 in 1978 to 15,000 in 1999 with a marked increase in the mid-1990s.
These properties include homes where the owners were involved in the actual building and design work and those where construction was handed over to professionals. The research identifies a marked shift from self-builders who cannot afford mainstream owner-occupation to those who want an individual design or location.
The sector now accounts for around 8% of new houses built in England and Wales and up to 25% in Northern Ireland. Most of these properties are detached with four bedrooms and located in rural or suburban areas. The average cost is £150,000 including land. Growth in the sector has been partly stimulated by the greater willingness of mortgage lenders to finance such projects in recent years.
The Foundation estimates that the sector will stabilise at around 18,000 homes annually but could grow to provide 10 per cent of all completions.
Further Information
Copies of 'Homes to DIY for: the UK's self-build housing market in the twenty-first century' are available price £12.95 plus £2 p&p from: The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 64 Hallfield Road, Layerthorpe, York YO31 7ZQ
First posted: 13 December 2001. Last modified: 20 December 2001.
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