Author Archives: Jennifer Grimble

Right to Build Registers Data

Posted on by Jennifer Grimble
15 Sep

The government last week issued the latest Right to Build registers monitoring data covering the year to October 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-build-and-custom-housebuilding-data

The results are disappointing. Although the number of people registered rose again to a record level, the number is plateauing as the number of new registrants is balanced by those coming off the Registers.

This is perhaps not surprising with the increasing use by local authorities of obstacles to registration:

  • The number who have imposed a charge for registration has risen to cover 23% of councils – that is double the figure from 2018;
  • Similarly the number who impose a financial viability test continues to rise – up from 8% to 13%.

There has been pleasing continued growth in the number of local authorities adopting “percentage policies” (where they mandate a percentage of plots on large sites for custom and self build). By October 2024 39% had adopted such policies – up from 34% in the previous year and from just26% back in 2018.

However, on other measures of support for custom and self build there is evidence of retreat or at best lack of progress. For example, when councils were asked “Are you communicating self-build and custom housebuilding opportunities to the people on your register?”, only 123 answered positively – barely moved from the 166 saying yes in 2018.

NaCSBA does not understand this blinkered approach by many local authorities. There is clear evidence that custom and self build development produces substantially greater local economic benefits that large scale development by the major housebuilders. And we know that custom and self build homes are built to significantly higher and more sustainable standards.

We implore more local authorities to embrace custom and self build to help the country build more and better houses.

NU Living’s custom build configurator commended at First Time Buyer Reader’s awards

Posted on by Jennifer Grimble
Beechwood
16 Oct

Developer NU living has been working on the innovative custom build site, Beechwood, part of a large scale regeneration development in Basildon, Essex, for which it has been highly commended for its configurator tool.

With over 250 homes, Beechwood is an important milestone for the wider custom build sector, as it sets out a vision for how large scale custom build can be delivered using Modern Methods of Construction. The first phase of Beechwood is now sold out, a testament to the application of the configurator.

The configurator is an innovative online design tool that allows buyers to customise their homes prior to purchasing, relating design choices and the options to extend their homes with price implications. As part of Swan Group – a NaCSBA member, all the profits from NU living’s sites go into funding further development in the companies activity areas of East London and Essex.

The configurator was Highly Commended at the First Time Buyer Reader’s awards after being shortlisted in the category ‘Best Use of Interactive Tools’. This is a genuine achievement for a tool specifically designed to give consumers more choice in commissioning a home that reflects their needs.

The First Time Buyer Reader’s awards were held in London in September, bringing together UK housing providers and developers to celebrate innovative features and top-quality design.

What is the configurator?

Beechwood configurator

NU living’s ‘configurator’ allows personalisation of a new modular home, so that buyers can get involved from the earliest design process by creating flexible floor plans for a perfect dream home, before they are built to spec in Swan’s own modular factory and finally assembled on site.

Currently available to future home-owners of NU living’s Beechwood Development in Basildon, Essex, buyers have the ability to design their own homes, creating spaces that suit their lifestyles, needs and personal preferences.

Once customers select their preferred house type, they can choose external finishes such as roof tiling, doors and windows and set out the internal layout, before adding finishes such as sockets and taps. Creating somewhere that they can truly feel at home, all at the click of a button.

Linda Faucher, Sales & Marketing Director at NU Living said: “I am delighted that NU living won this prestigious highly commended award for our online configurator at the First Time Buyer Readers’ awards.

“Organised by the first publication dedicated to the world of affordable homes and tips on buying a property, we knew that competition would be exceptional. I am delighted for the NU living team who are dedicated to creating communities where people want to live and this award demonstrates our continued commitment to excellence within the property sector, delivering homes with innovative features and top-quality design.”