When embarking upon a self build project, people usually worry about the build process, schedules, quality of materials and their budget. Actually, the most difficult challenge when building a house is finding somewhere to do it.
Britain is the second most populous major country in Europe and it's about the seventh in the world. So, we are a quite tightly packed island. And what makes finding a perfect plot trickier is that for the last sixty years the UK has had a planning policy that has almost entirely prevented construction in the green belt and in open countryside.
Finding a plot site isn't easy because there is so much competition. You need to be prepared for that - one tip is to have a slush fund at the ready.
Never rule out the possibility of buying a dated house or bungalow and demolishing it, but don't assume you'll automatically be granted planning permission as each case is decided on merit.
If you're really confident that what you're building is exceptional then you can apply for Planning Policy Supplement 7 (PPS7), which will allow for the construction of buildings of superb architectural and carbon-efficient merit in open countryside.
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