One of the most difficult things for self builders is finding a building plot of land, but do not despair, your plot is out there somewhere!

So where do you start when you are looking for a plot to build your property? Look at Estate Agents, Land Agents, Auctioneers/Valuers, Local Papers, Farmers Guardian, Land Finding Database Council Planning Offices as well as simply driving around your local area and picking out possible building plots. You could even find a possible plot of land which is part of a large garden or land with derelict buildings on. The Internet contains a wealth of information on locating plots for sale. From subscription service websites to email alerts when plots come on the market, websites like ‘Plotfinder’ have up to date information on plot availability. As a general guide for when you are searching, you will need a piece of land of at least a tenth of an acre to build a new 4 bedroom home.

Buying a building plot can take up to 35 percent of your total budget. Those with planning permission can be very expensive, however plots for sale which are available without planning permission can offer a big saving; of course there are no guarantees that permission will be granted!

Plots that are for sale next to an existing development may increase the likelihood of planning permission being granted. You may also benefit from already established communications and utilities.

You could also look at land that already has a house built on it. This could be demolished before or after your self build home is complete. Planning permission for this residence will (probably) have already been obtained. If you do plan to demolish and build on the land you may be restricted to building to the same footprint as the previous dwelling.

It is possible to obtain further information about a property on the Internet. The Land Registry is online, and for a small fee (providing you have an address or title number), you can search a detailed history and ownership of the property that includes information on the land, planning permission and rights of way.

So once you have found your plot of land, how do you assess if it is suitable? Look out for our next blog on this very subject! If you are thinking of embarking on a self build project, Arc Design Services can help you at any stage of the process, from gaining planning permission, to designing and building the property – contact us for further information!