Welcome

A s of March 2025, it’s been 10

MEET THE TEAM

SANDER TEL is Build It’s digital features editor.

Impressive Dutch barn conversion

inspiration

Hoj House

This rear extension to a Victorian terraced house

Rise in demand for eco upgrades

A new survey by Electrify Britain has found

35,451

is the deficit between plots on which councils

Increase in planning application fees

As of the 1st April, planning application fees

M UST-ATTEND EVENT!

BUILD IT LIVE BICESTER

need to know

The importance of soil surveys

spendvsave

From £30,000 Crafted from European oak with

product news

Great shopping ideas for your custom home project

3 of the best INDOOR/OUTDOOR TILES

1 Muniellos honey oak wood effect tiles,

interiors notebook

Bring the summer sunshine into your home’s interior design with rich, butter yellow hues

Ask the EXPERTS

Essential advice on your problems with building, budgeting, DIY & planning from the most experienced names in the self build industry

Self build & custom build mortgage table

Looking to fund your bespoke home project? Each month we round up the best deals from leading lenders and update you on what you need to know to secure the right finance

FIND YOUR DREAM BUILDING PLOT

PlotBrowser.comis a 100% free-to-use plot and property finder, packed with 1,000s of home building opportunities. Here’s a taster of the fantastic self build plots, renovation properties and conversions currently for sale near you

next month...

July issue on sale 28th May

Designing your broken-plan layout

Nimi Attanayake , director at Nimtim Architects, reveals how to create beautiful, effective sub-divided spaces for versatile modern living

Get Free Advice & Ideas for Your Project at Build It Live

7th & 8th June: Maximise your chances of successfully realising your self build, renovation or extension with a visit to our next Build It Live show, in Oxfordshire

FANTASTIC BUNGALOW RENOVATIONS

Sander Tel speaks to the experts about how to develop a successful scheme and uncovers a collection of inspiring projects, showcasing the versatility and design potential of single-storey homes

Readers’ homes

SELF BUILD + RENOVATION + EXTENSION + CONVERSION + IMPROVEMENT

OUT WITH THE OLD

Vincent Denecker’s old brick house proved difficult and expensive to heat, so after years of contemplating a project, he replaced it with a contemporary, energy-efficient timber home

Designed to impress

Mike and Karuna Wood were guided by the vision of their architect to remodel their London home into something a cut above standard

HOME STRETCH

Experienced self builder Christine Stewart and her husband Robert have renovated an outdated church hall, self-managing the works to make savings along the way

PACKAGE HOMES

Whether you want to be hands-on or leave the work to the professionals, we follow the full process for this design and build route – from your first decisions through to move-in day – and explore the key choices you’ll make along the way

WHEN ARE BIFOLDS BEST?

Scarlett Deamer takes a look at this eyecatching glazing style to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your project

CLADDING OPTIONS FOR TIMBER HOMES

Timber construction lends itself to a range of exterior finishes to achieve the look and performance you’re after. Erika Chaffey shares eight inspiring builds and expert insight for project success

Rooflights & lanterns for extensions

Overhead glazing is fantastic for creating an impressive design feature and flooding your new addition with natural light. Get your ideal specification with Erika Chaffey’s guide

ECO UPGRADES FOR LISTED HOUSES

Period property expert, Alan Tierney , takes a look at how you can improve a protected house’s energy efficiency

Air-to-air heat pumps

Heat pumps get a lot of publicity, but usually for those types that output to a water-based central heating system. Build It Live’s eco heating expert David Hilton looks at whether air conditioning versions are worth considering for your project

Creating an eco-friendly kitchen

Want to make the hub of your home more sustainable? Nigel Griffiths looks at how to plan and realise a greener kitchen

CONTROLLING NOISE IN A NEW BUILD HOME

Unwanted sound transfer can blight an otherwise enjoyable home. Architect Opinder Liddar sets out the measures you can take to reduce and control noise, to achieve a peaceful and comfortable new house

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO BUILD A HOUSE?

Calculating how much it’ll cost to take your dream home from concept to completion is arguably the most important aspect of a successful project. Mark Stevenson takes a look at what will impact your budget to ensure a smooth build from start to finish

HOW DOES THE UK PLANNING SYSTEM WORK?

Planning expert Martin Gaine sets out what you need to know about the process to ensure a successful application from the outset

ENGLAND

CAMBRIDGESHIRE ELY Chapel Lane Plot of land

DERBYSHIRE

KNIVETON Standlow Lane A 3.75-acre plot with consent

TYPES OF BUILDING PLOT

New homes can be built on a range

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

DYMOCK Leominster A steel-framed barn set in 0.75

WHAT MAKES A GOOD PLOT?

The perfect piece of land would be in

KENT

MAIDSTONE Tonbridge Road A single plot with planning

LUXURY SELF BUILD OPPORTUNITY

1 Each scheme features high-quality German kitchens

SCOTLAND

ABERDEENSHIRE PETERHEAD Longside Plot with planning consent

SOMERSET

CANNINGTON Denmans Lane Two plots of land with

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

BURTON JOYCE Bridle Road A single plot of

WORCESTERSHIRE

ACTON BEAUCHAMP Acton Green A plot of just

WALES

CARMARTHENSHIRE PENDINE Danybryn Plot with planning consent

ASK AN EXPERT AT BUILD IT LIVE

Want more plot finding advice? Join us

Build with timber for quality & efficiency

This issue, we put the spotlight on the benefits of working with an STA member to deliver the weathertight shell of your home build – and the valuable services they can offer on your project