Find out more on Self Build Wales scheme

Find out all applicant information on the Self Build Wales scheme.

Building your own home in Wales just became easier.

£210m

targeted investment from the scheme.

Welsh Government scheme to support self/custom builds
Find plots with planning permission in place
Avoid paying third party developer profits on a new build
Self build loans provided only repayable upon completion
Approved property design book to choose from

Overview

Established by the Welsh Government and delivered by the Self Build Wales team, the scheme aims to remove the barriers and uncertainty that prevent people in Wales from building their own homes. In doing so, underdeveloped or underused land will be transformed into suitable plots for new self-build and custom-build homes.

How the scheme works

With Self Build Wales:

You can search, find and apply online for suitable plots for self-builds and custom-builds in Wales.
You will be awarded a single plot if your application is successful following a review from the plot provider (local authority/housing association).
You will confirm the final design, costs, builders with the Self Build Wales team.
You will provide a 25% deposit on the cost of the plot. The Development Bank of Wales will provide (subject to qualifying criteria) a self-build development loan to cover the balance of the plot (75%) and the full cost of building the property.
You will oversee the building of your house and repay the property loan upon its completion through a repayment mortgage or other means available.

For further detail on the process see How it works.

Getting finance

Financing a build works in the following way:

Self-build development loans will be provided (subject to qualifying criteria) to successful applications through the Self Build Wales scheme.
You will only need to provide a deposit of 25% of the cost of the plot. A self-build development loan will be provided to cover the balance of the plot ( up to 75%) and the full cost of building the property (including professional fees if applicable).
Loans will be payable to the appointed builder in pre-agreed stages following an ongoing evaluation of the progress of the build.
Loans are repaid through the sale of your current property or by obtaining a mortgage.
Interest and fees on the loans will only be charged on the loan payments made at each stage.
The maximum term of the loan is 2 years.
You won’t have to make any repayments on the loan until the property is completed and mortgaged.
Individual finance packages will not be available for the development of privately owned land through Self Build Wales.
Once a plot has been awarded, finance applications must be submitted to the Self Build Wales team via a mortgage advisor.

Finding a builder

In order to participate in the scheme all builders must be TrustMark registered.

You can search on the TrustMark website for a local registered builder, or you can invite a known builder to join Trustmark online.

Click here to search for a TrustMark registered builder.

Click here to register as a builder for the TrustMark scheme.

Key criteria

The following criteria apply to applicants:

You will not be able to rent or sell the self-build home for a minimum of 5 years from the completion date.
The completed self-build or custom-build must also be your only property.
You will be able to apply for up to 5 plots, but will only be offered one plot.
You can only use a builder who is accredited on the TrustMark Scheme.
If a plot is successfully obtained through the scheme, you are not able to apply for another plot in the future.
You will not be allowed to occupy the property until the self-build development loan has been repaid.

Plot priorities

Site plots will be available to anyone to apply. The Self Build Wales scheme is designed to suit as many needs as possible. Where there are multiple applications for plots, each application will be assessed and scored based on specific priorities set by local authorities/housing association. These can be viewed on the individual plot passport pages. Energy efficiency will be a key priority for every plot.

Please note you can still apply for a plot even if you do not meet all the priorities set for a plot.

How to apply

To apply online for the scheme you must:

Search and select a site from the Find a Plot page.
Choose your plot(s) from the site via the plot passport pages (maximum of 5)
Once you have confirmed your plot choices, select your design(s) using the design guide for reference (if applicable).
Order your chosen plots in terms of priority.
Complete the application form - all applications must be done online through the Self Build Wales website.

Further information

A Register of Independent Advisors list is available to help advise on costings and materials, and take a look at look at the Construction Leadership Council's handy guide on becoming a small housing developer.

If you have any questions regarding the scheme or your application please visit our help section or send us your query via the contact us form.