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NaCSBA survey reveals that self building is the best route to a home

The National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA) has launched its new annual Custom and Self Build Market Report. The 2022 survey is the largest ever online study of people who have taken on a self build project, providing a unique insight into the motivations, challenges and practical decisions self builders make on their journey to creating an individual home.

96% of self builders who have completed a home in the last five years are either happy or delighted with their home. Only 0.2% expressed any dissatisfaction with their finished house, and 90.6% would recommend self building to others.

Being able to commission a house to their specification was the top reason for self building, with getting better value-formoney, a higher-quality home and ecofriendly finishes factoring hugely as well.

The average house size was 268m 2, budget £312,000 and plot cost £253,000. Roughly 85% of self builders finished on or only slightly over budget – and most who went over did so because they decided to go for a higher spec than originally planned. So these were voluntary, affordable choices made with the goal of maximising quality and value for money.

While 35% of self builders stuck to brick and block homes, over half chose an MMC (modern method of construction) , showing a trend towards systems that can deliver as-designed performance. Timber systems made up 44% of the market share, while around 7% of self builders opted for ICF (insulated concrete formwork). Turn to page 88 to learn about the main build systems.

Many self builders felt comfortable taking the lead on structural materials, and 64% of respondents making all decisions about bulk building materials, with a further 20% offering their input. 82.7% chose all the finishing and visible materials, with just over 1% staying completely hands-off.

Render was the most popular external finish material (31%), closely followed by brick (27%), timber cladding (18%) and stonework (13%). Slate ruled the roost for roofing (31%), beating clay tiles (19%), concrete tiles (18%) and flat roofing materials (11%). Interestingly, timberalternative windows are extremely popular among self builders – 36% of respondents chose these, ahead of 26% aluminium, 20% timber and 17% alu-clad timber.

Some of these decisions will have been impacted by planning restrictions – which was interestingly only the second mostcommon obstacle to self building. The most difficult challenge for respondents was finding good trades and suppliers.Unsurprisingly, finding a suitable building plot, sticking to a budget and financing the project were other common hurdles.

Log on to www.self-build.co.uk/nacsba-survey for a more detailed look at the responses from self builders.

How far has self build come?

CEO of NaCSBA, Andrew Baddeley-Chappell shares his aspirations for the custom and self build market

It’s always good for the self and custom build (CSB) sector to be talked about by the prime minister. So, it was most encouraging when the PM stated in his Housing Speech on 9th June: “We are supporting self build and custom build homes.” Unfortunately, we didn’t get the announcement we’ve all been waiting for, ie the launch of Help to Build, but it was a welcome confirmation that this route to a new home is officially on the PM’s radar. It shows the progress that we have made.

Addressing our ongoing housing crisis is a major long-term challenge for our politicians. This government has lost about half its tenure to managing a pandemic, addressing the cost-of-living crisis and responding to the war in Ukraine. This has left it short of time to dedicate to our complex housing problem.

As well as central government support, consumer interest in CSB is also up, with 31% more people joining local councils’ Right to Build registers this year. The Right To Build Task Force has also been doing excellent work in getting councils to support individual self and custom builders, and there has been an increase in awareness, interest and activity.

We already know that self and custom build activity leads to more and better homes that people aspire to live in, and that communities are happier to see built. Our big breakthrough last year was the Bacon Review, spearheaded by longterm CSB ally, Richard Bacon MP and commissioned by the PM. Richard’s recommendations were reasonable and deliverable, so we hope to see the government’s full response shortly, following its initial warm welcome.

Progress is being made; we have had the announcement of a custom and self build action plan, including funding for the Help to Build scheme. But with so many other issues coming to the top of the agenda, it’s important that we maintain momentum at this crucial juncture.

The good news is that we have moved past the point of having to explain exactly what self and custom build is and all the benefits that this route brings. The discussion now is all about how we can create a market where more, better, individual homes can be built.