Why You Should Seriously Consider Building Your Dream Home – A Guide to Self-Building and Self Build Mortgages

small house bird box

Why Build It Yourself?

Building your own home is becoming an increasingly popular and viable option for people as the housing market remains saturated and house prices continue to soar. TV shows like Grand Designs and The Restoration Man are proving that ordinary people are able to create their own dream home, and that ideas that were once mere pipe-dreams can be realised.

In 2014, UK Planning Minister Nick Boles said ‘Building your own house is a more affordable way to provide a family home.’ He went on to recommend self-builds as a ‘very good’ option for people wanting to get on the property ladder. With a chronic lack of housing in the UK, the UK government is taking steps to encourage people to build their own home by reducing barriers and creating financial incentives.

If a self-build is managed well, the completed property should be valued to yield a substantial profit on building costs. This ‘sweat equity’, combined with vastly lowered costs on the installation of many features creates an attractive prospect for those considering building their own home.

Building your own property offers you complete freedom to design the home that you want – the way you want it. From the floor-plan to the lighting – you are at liberty to create the house of your dreams without restrictions.

But What About the Stress?

The process of building your own property will never be problem-free, and things can easily go wrong. However, tailored mortgages for self-builders like those from Saffron Building Society can ease the financial pressure, and allow people to concentrate on successful, sensibly-budgeted project management.

So How Do Self Build Mortgages Work?

An Interest Only Self Build Mortgage offers self-builders the opportunity to gain finance for their project without the immediate worry of expensive monthly repayments. Instead, people who take out such a mortgage need only pay back the value of the monthly interest, with a lump sum being paid back at the end of the mortgage term.

However, Self-Build Mortgages also differ from conventional mortgages in that funds are released at each key milestone in the building process – for example, when foundations are laid and when the roof is watertight. This encourages careful budgeting and ensures finances are in line with the end goal.

Before applying for a Self-Build Mortgage you will need to have a few things in place first, including planning permission, architectural drawings and a full breakdown of the work that will be undertaken. With these details, well-informed advice and guidance can be given by your mortgage provider.

Overall, Interest Only Self Build Mortgages offer a financially viable option for aspiring self-builders. There may never have been a better time to think about making your dream home a reality.

Have you considered building your own home? What would your Grand Design look like?

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

5 trends driving London’s landscaped gardens

London gardens can add more than £205,000 in value as Chelsea tops table for prime buyers seeking outdoor space Ahead of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, research by Enness Global has revealed that a garden can add more than £205,000 to the value of a London home, whilst Chelsea fittingly boasts the highest degree of…
Read More
how to present your property for sale
Breaking News

Six in 10 tenants say Renters’ Rights Act improves their housing protections and conditions

Awareness of the Renter’s Rights Act 2025 has increased amongst tenants from 19 per cent in October after the bill passed, to 60 per cent when it came into effect 19 per cent of renters are now more likely to remain in their current property but 45 per cent are concerned about the legislation’s long-term…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

West Oxfordshire tops list of first-time hotspots defying national trend

New analysis by the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals the first-time buyer hotspots where buyer demand is increasing, bucking the national trend over the last month West Oxfordshire leads the way, with demand for typical first-time buyer properties up by 45% year-on-year: A 37% increase in available first-time buyer type homes for sale and…
Read More
Breaking News

ONS Private Rent and House Prices Index- May 2026

The latest ONS house price figures show that the sales market that is broadly flat. Average UK house prices were unchanged year-on-year at £268,000 in March 2026, with annual house price inflation slowing from 1.7% in February to 0.0% in March. Main points Average UK monthly private rents increased by 3.5%, to £1,381, in the…
Read More
Overseas Property

Cyprus in demand as international property inquiries spike

Interest in Cyprus has more than tripled since the start of March, while sales to non-EU buyers have spiked by more than a fifth Cyprus is the best option for residency by investment in a major EU Mediterranean country, after Spain closed its Golden Visa in April 2025 and Portugal closed the property route in…
Read More
Breaking News

Inflation falls to 2.8%

Industry response to the latest inflation figures and their impact on the housing market.   Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark “It is very welcome news to see inflation dip this month; however, today’s figures still sit some distance away from the Bank of England’s target rate of 2%. It remains important to consider continued overall…
Read More