Gorgeous plots do exist - but if you have grand designs on that dream rural setting, bear in mind that it’s incredibly rare to get planning consent for a completely new house in the countryside. Demolish and rebuild may be a better route
CLOSER LOOK: PLOTS WITH POTENTIAL
NEED TO KNOW PLOT BUYER’S CHECKLIST
Tracking down the right plot for your project is a little more complex than purchasing an existing house. The good news is 13,000 people successfully build their own home each year - but if you want the best possible chance of identifying a viable site, it’s worth getting to grips with the process first. Here’s what you need to know.
These sites are a small selection of those that have been recently assessed by Build It magazine’s land and planning expert, Mike Dade. Check out www.self-build.co.uk/mike-dade for more of his recent plot investigations.
Think you might have indentified a viable site for your self build project? Our quick-fire plot buyer’s checklist will help you decide:
LAND FINDING ROUTES
This fenced-off former garden is level, clear and would provide good privacy for new housing. It currently benefits from two planning consents: one for a chalet bungalow; the other for a pair of semidetached homes. The former only has a few months left to run, so if the purchaser wanted to go for a single dwelling, they may need to get works underway (eg by digging a foundation trench) to keep the permission alive, and then apply to amend the design.
Am I ready to act quickly? It’s important to have your funds and/or borrowing lined up and legal representation ready to go so that your offer looks enticing to the vendor (if you’re buying at auction, this is essential).