Custom build housing is housing built by individuals or groups for their own use, either by building the home on their own or by working with builders.
Custom build homes are often cheaper, greener, more affordable and more innovatively designed than standard market housing and they offer a real alternative to buying 'off the peg' houses that may not meet your household's needs.
Vanguard Council
As a Vanguard Council, we have started to find out how we can make it easier for people who want to build their own homes in Oldham. This involves a number of approaches to achieve this, including:
- Assessing the demand for custom build in the city by creating and publicising a register of interested individuals and groups
- Providing guidance and information to support interested parties in progressing their aspiration to deliver their custom build development
- Identifying sites we own suited to custom build and preparing them for ease of development
- Seeking Developer-led custom build homes on sites we own and are already marketing for new homes – such as the Lancaster Club site in Failsworth.
- Working with Custom Build Werneth Ltd to develop 37 bespoke homes on land which the Council has sold to the group at open market value.
Custom Build Register
If you are interested in building your own home and would like to be kept up to date with the latest news - sign up to our custom build register
By signing up, you will help us find out more about the number and location of sites which are required in Oldham, and the types of houses that people would like to build. This will help us to work with partners to develop the custom build projects which people want in Oldham.
You will also be registering your interest in purchasing, at market value, a site within the Oldham Borough boundary, and we will contact you with further details if a site meeting your requirements becomes available.
By signing up to the register, we do not guarantee that we will be able to provide a plot that meets your specifications.
Types of Custom and Self Build housing
Self-build
Individuals purchase land and build their own house on a single plot.
They may build the house themselves or employ a builder, architect and, in some cases, a project manager to oversee the build.
Collective custom build
Groups constitute themselves as a body to design and develop a custom build housing development which they then live in.
They may build this themselves or with help from a developer to manage the project.
Developer-led custom build
A developer divides a larger site into individual plots and provides a design and build service to purchasers.
This gives people a chance to customise existing house designs to suit their needs.
Co-housing
A constituted group of people choose to live in a development where each has their own house, but there is also a communal house and shared facilities. A community ethos is at the heart of this type of housing.
Next steps
We will identify a number of our sites which are suitable for custom build housing, and publish details as the project progresses.
Advice and support
- The Self Build Portal - Understand what type of self-build is best for you and your budget - use the Self Build Portal interactive guide The Self Build Portal
- HCA Custom Build Loans for multi-unit schemes - If you are a group, read the HCA Custom Build prospectus for loan finance opportunities
- Which self build guide - step by step guide that illustrates the self build process
- National Custom and Self Build Association - The national association promoting self-build and custom build in the UK provides a range of useful information