The Right to Build

I’m not a real self builder. I never watched Grand Designs, had no pretensions to a dream home and never believed I had either the taste or capability – I do have an architect but never thought to commission him.

The day our landlord wanted our house back seemed a dark day. The house was two doors from my parents, we were well established in the neighbourhood, close to the primary school, friends, our church, the boys attached to the local rugby and football club, I was engaged in the community. We wanted to stay in the area but could not afford the prices to buy and renting now with six boys was proving somewhat challenging. It was then that my husband suggested we explore self building. The idea was not an appealing one. He seemed to be suggesting the impossible – where on earth would we find land? How do you fund such a project?

It was at this point that a builder friend sent me an article on the ‘Right to Build’ legislation. This pioneering piece of legislation gave us the impetus to start and a direction to follow…

“We are also facing, as a nation, a serious housing problem that is going nowhere. Self build is not about a handful of people fulfilling their Grand Designs fantasies – government needs to make it a normal, mainstream choice, empowering people to build, including those who have been socially marginalised.”

Richard Bacon MP Ambassador for Right to Build