#self-build

#self-build

Perched among the towering oaks of Switzerland's Onsernone Valley, the Casetta Tessino emerges as an unconventional solution to a common problem. When a Swiss artist and climate activist sought additional living space on their property, local building regulations stood firmly in the way. Traditional extensions were off the table. Foundation work was forbidden. What remained was the possibility of building upward, anchored not to earth but to the forest itself.

A tiny stone home built by hand on a remote Scottish island has just been named Grand Designs House of the Year for 2025 and it's turned ideas about ambition and architecture on their head. Instead of glass palaces or dramatic loft conversions, this year's winner is modest, elemental and deeply shaped by its place, putting it firmly amongst Grand Design's best houses that we've ever seen.

The vast majority of plots in rural areas are not authorised for construction, with the majority of plots outside the built up part of a village likely zoned as agricultural or natural. Whilst these parcelles of land have an attractive price tag it is, more often than not, very difficult to build on them as they have very strict planning policies attached. You might not even be able to install a cabin or use it for a caravan or motorhome.

Yet, recent changes to national planning policy could unlock new potential avenues for tracking down land; specifically, alterations made to the policy around brownfield sites. In 2024, the government pledged its support for the development of brownfield land - that is, land that's previously been developed for another, usually industrial, purpose. It also released £68 million's worth of funding to select local authorities to help clear empty buildings, former carparks and industrial land for house building, including self and custom build.

(Image credit: Getty Images) When television presenter and former footballer Mark Wright began work on his £3.5 million Essex self-build with wife Michelle Keegan, he had one room in mind as a personal priority: a private gym. Several years later, that space is complete - and it's a transformation that blends high-end design with practical training needs. The gym started as an unfinished shell, with wires hanging loosely from the ceiling and walls left bare.

The property that homeowners Heather and Chris discovered was a mid-century detached house, on a steep slope overlooking the beach, damp and barely habitable.

The government has committed to supporting self-build and custom housebuilding through a new £16 billion National Housing Bank, helping individuals and small builders get projects off the ground.