The National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA) welcomes the latest stage phase of Help to Build – the publication of the Help to Build prospectus and the launch of the register to receive further operational updates.
Help to Build is the government’s pivotal finance programme – an equity loan scheme designed to open up the custom and self build market to people with smaller deposits.
The scheme is based on the widely used Help to Buy scheme. It is designed specifically to address the differences in approach when self-commissioning a home. In doing so it addresses the unfairness from the unintended exclusion of the sector from the current Help to Buy Scheme.
To date the government has committed over £150m to the Help to Build Scheme. This is just a small percentage of the £20.1 billion value of Help to Buy Equity loans in the eight years to 31 March 2021. This funding will form part of an additional £750m of funding to the sector.
Photo: Potton/Kingspan
NaCSBA hopes that the success of the scheme will help drive a step change in the sector encouraging more permissioned land to come forward and more businesses delivering the sites and homes that customers desire. In doing so it hopes to create a virtuous cycle of activity as it aims towards the 30,000 to 40,000 homes a year that the government would like to see the sector provide.
For this to happen it is important that as many people as possible are aware of the scheme and the opportunities that it will bring. NaCSBA is therefore urging all its members to register their interest. NaCSBA is also encouraging a range of those who may benefit from the scheme now or in the future to register as well. This would include all planners, architects, builders, building suppliers, mortgage advisers and lenders, valuers and local authority planners to find out more.
Help to Build is a key part of the self and custom build action plan launched in April 2021. The plan includes the Independent Review to Develop a Plan for a Major Scaling up of Self Commissioned New Homes – The Bacon Review. This was commissioned by the Prime Minister and was published in August 2021. The subtitle of that report is, How putting customers in charge can change everything.
Andrew Baddeley-Chappell, NaCSBA CEO said: “There has been a long-recognised need for greater diversity in our new homes market. The launch of the Help to Build prospectus is another important milestone for custom and self-build homes. It sends a strong message to both customers and to enablers.
“It will mean that more people can have the new home they actually want including those with smaller deposits, sound plans and big hopes. The greater choice enabled by this scheme will lead to more affordable and better homes that are more wanted and more sustainable.
“This scheme addresses a key constraint for many custom and self-builders and should in turn empower landowners, enablers and local authorities to ensure that sufficient permissioned land is made available to meet the demand and to build back better.”
“Contrary to common perception, in most cases custom and self build is not about people undertaking the build themselves. Rather, it is about the homeowner having control over the design and specification of their project – enabling them to create the home they want, rather than the one someone else believes they would like. It means that new homes will now be part of the solution for the large numbers of people whose cultural, ecological, physical or emotional needs are not currently met by the new-build market.
“In addition, there are many areas where speculative builders are choosing not to build at the speed and scale that is needed, that will benefit from the new housing that Help to Build will facilitate. Custom and self build is common everywhere else in the world.”
