- Help to Build scheme is planned to provide jobs for small building companies.
- 30-40,000 new homes are set to be built through the scheme.
On 24th April 2021, the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, announced that the government will provide over £150 million over the next four years in order to make it more affordable for people to build their own homes.
How the Help to Build scheme UK will work
The Help to Build scheme will provide an equity loan, therefore allowing people to secure a lower deposit mortgage. As a result of spending less on the deposit, people will have more money to put towards building a custom home; something they might not have been able to do previously.
What the UK Help to Build scheme means for tradespeople
More homes to work in
The government predicts that between 30,000 and 40,000 new homes will be built through the scheme. Research by the National Custom and Self Build Association and the Building Societies Association has found that 1 in 3 UK adults are interested in building their own home, which suggests there is a healthy appetite for self-builds.
Increased demand for bespoke work
Self-build homes allow people to build a home in a way that best fit their current and future lifestyle and needs – such as by building in features to support older relatives, large families and home working.
So, there could be an increase in unique jobs that many people might not have previously been able to do. Our research for The Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report: 2021 on what post-COVID homes will look like found that potential buyers are on the hunt for bespoke features that add space, improve functionality and modernise their homes. Read more about the most in-demand home improvements of 2021.
When the government Help to Build scheme will start
The government says that the Help to Build prospectus will be published this Spring. Following that, applications for the Help to Build scheme will open in late summer. At the time of writing (28th April 2021), the exact dates haven’t been confirmed yet.
How to find out if people are interested in self-build homes in the areas you work in
Under the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding legislation (commonly known as the Right to Build), local authorities must maintain a register of people that are looking for land to buy to build a home on. The government then encourages them to publish key insights on local self-build demand on their websites.
The information that local authorities are encouraged to publish includes:
- The number of people that have registered.
- The number of plots of lands sought out.
- Preferred locations for self-builds in an area.
Find the websites for the local authorities of the areas you work in on Gov.uk. The government is reviewing the Right to Build legislation up until the summer.
The Help to Build scheme is part of the government’s Plan for Jobs, which aims to support existing jobs and create new jobs for people across the UK. The Plan for Jobs also provides cash grants and other support for employers taking on apprentices. Read more about the incentives available in Rated People’s guide to apprenticeships for employers.
