Whilst finding existing homes on the property market is easy – simply look in the window of any estate agent or on Right Move, finding plots of land on which to build a new home is not and you’ll have to do a decent amount of research to find the right plot for you. That being said, however, roughly 13,000 people build new homes every year, proving it is a realistic dream.
The ability to be flexible and focused will help you enormously in finding a plot of land for your building project. It can take years to find the right plot of land, especially if you’re looking for particular features or don’t want to compromise on various aspects of your plot. It may be that you have to revisit your specifications in order to build your own home.
Starting out
Before you do anything else, you need to find a specific geographic location where you want to construct your home. If the area or areas you’re looking at are too wide, you can easily become overwhelmed and find yourself with nothing.
Another great place to regularly look at is the Local Authority’s planning applications websites, as a number of landowners will be looking to sell their land rather than build on it themselves. If you see a plot you like, get into contact with the owner and see if they’re interested in selling to you – you have nothing to lose at this point and they may want to discuss the matter with you in more detail.
Obstacles you’ll have to overcome
The UK has one of the highest amounts of protected land in Europe, with about 90% of land currently unable to be built on. Groups such as the National Custom & Self Build Association work hard to secure more plots for building on, but plots are still relatively scarce.
The majority of planning policies are designed to focus on developing existing properties, and whilst the government has released the Localism Bill in order to relax this, you will still find it extremely difficult to build a new dwelling on greenfield plots.
Mass developers have already bought plots in highly desirable areas, so you will probably have to look at purchasing a brownfield plot – land that has previously been developed. However, this also means you’ll have more opportunities to make your dream home a reality.
What is your budget?
You will most likely have the perfect plot of land in your head, along with a vision of your dream project, but being realistic about your budget will save you masses of time and disappointment. The perfect plot of land is going to be extremely expensive and rare, so you’ll need to compromise somewhere.
The plot will be the most expensive single purchase of your entire building project. If you’re set of finding a plot in an area where available land is rare, you can expect the plot to cost roughly 50% of the final amount you spend.
When you go to look at a plot of land, you can get a far better deal if you learn how to look past its current state. Whilst the plot may be covered in rubbish, shrubs and general undergrowth, it won’t look like that once it’s been cleared up and has a JCB preparing it. If you’re able to change the things you don’t like about a plot of land, you should go ahead but if you can’t, don’t waste time: simply go to look at the next one.
Brightman Architects are on hand to help you design your dream house once you have your plot of land. Simply call 0114 418 2480 or contact us online today.