Building your own house

What is self-build and custom-build

Self-build housing usually means that you are directly involved in organising the design and construction of your new home. 

Custom-build usually means working with a specialist developer to help you construct your home.

There may be some overlap between the two. For example, some custom-build developers offer the option of a serviced plot where you can design and build your own home as part of a larger scheme.

The self-build and custom-build register

The government wants more people to be able to build or commission their own homes. To help achieve this, the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015, together with associated regulations, requires authorities to keep a register of individuals and associations of individuals who are looking to buy serviced plots of land in an authority's area.

The Bracknell Forest register will be used to:

  • help assess the demand for self or custom build in the borough
  • develop policies to help support this initiative

Eligibility to register

The regulations state that you can apply to be added to the register as an individual or an association (a group of people wanting to build homes together) if you:

  • are aged 18 or over
  • are a British citizen, a national of an EEA State other than the United Kingdom, or a national of Switzerland
  • are looking (either alone or with others) to buy a serviced plot of land in the borough to build a house to occupy as your sole or main residence

Register an interest

Before you register, check that you meet the eligibility criteria.

Individuals

If you would like to register an interest in self-build or custom housebuilding, fill in our online form.

Registration form for individuals

Housing associations

If you would like to register an interest in self-build or custom housebuilding, download and fill in the document below. Once completed, send a copy to self.build@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

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Information held on the register

The information you provide will help us decide if there is a demand locally. This will help us to develop specific planning policies for the provision of self-build or custom housebuilding plots.

If you register, you are making no commitment at this stage. 

In preparing this register, we are making no commitment to provide plots for self-build or custom housebuilding. 

The register will not be a public document but we must summarise data from it annually, without identifying any individuals or releasing any personal information.