Welcome to the latest self build news, ideas and opinions from Houseplansdirect.
Looking for the latest self build news, or just interested in what we’ve been up to in the last week? Check out our round up below.
Browse by topic: Planning Permission & Strategy | Self-Build Costs | Design & Layout | Process & Planning | Expert Insights
January 16, 2026
For many people, planning permission is the single biggest unknown in a self-build project. It’s also the point at which expectations and reality most often diverge. We regularly speak to clients who are confident their proposal will be acceptable — sometimes because similar homes exist nearby, sometimes because they’ve “done(...)
Read MoreJanuary 9, 2026
One of the most common questions I’m asked by people considering a self-build is also one of the hardest to answer cleanly: “How much will it actually cost to build a house?” The difficulty isn’t that the information doesn’t exist — it’s that much of what’s online is either out(...)
Read MoreMarch 8, 2024
What are the differences between our Building Regulations Notes template, and our Detailed Specification of Works template? Building regulation notes and a detailed specification of works are two different types of documents that are often required for building projects. Building regulation notes are a summary of the technical requirements and(...)
Read MoreNovember 3, 2023
Non-material Planning Considerations: Five Things Planning Officers Don’t Care About As you may or may not know, there is a checklist of things which planning officers have to take into account when making a decision on your planning application. These are known as material planning considerations and are available to(...)
Read MoreOctober 16, 2023
Can house plans be changed? The quick answer is yes. We’re not naive or precious enough to think that our designs will suit every client or every part of the country. But how much can house plans be changed, and what happens if you want to make changes after you’ve(...)
Read MoreOctober 12, 2023
What are house plans? “What are house plans?” was a question posed to me the other day by a lady on the phone. We’d been talking for 5 minutes or so by that point, and I think it took her that long to feel comfortable enough to ask. I realised(...)
Read MoreSeptember 27, 2023
Our top five house plans for small plots. Bigger doesn’t always mean better – these house designs were all meant for a little life. Check out our top five house plans for small plots. 1. THE SOLLARS – small but contemporary and filled with light, this one bedroom home is(...)
Read MoreSeptember 19, 2023
WILL ARCHITECTURE BECOME AUTOMATED? | Unless you’ve been living on a desert island for the last 18 months, you have more than likely heard about the scarily huge strides being made by artificial intelligence, or AI as it’s better know. What does this mean for those of us in the(...)
Read MoreSeptember 18, 2023
Is Building Your Own House Worth It? Many clients come to us with dreams of building their own home, but also a bit of trepidation about how easy it might be, and uncertainty over whether it’s the right solution for them. The truth is that it’s not for everyone, but(...)
Read MoreSeptember 4, 2023
In a game-changing move towards environmental sustainability, the UK government has announced significant changes to the planning process, making biodiversity net gain mandatory for all planning applications starting from November 2023. These changes represent a fundamental shift in priorities, as the government aims to emphasise the protection and enhancement of(...)
Read MoreAt Houseplansdirect, we are constantly involved in the latest developments in the self-build industry. We speak to local authorities, developers and suppliers on a daily basis. This gives us great insight into the challenges facing those wanting to build their own home.
This page collects all of our thoughts on what’s new in self-building. We look at the latest news to see how it might affect planning laws or funding. We’ll share opinions from industry leaders, and articles which may be of interest to anyone looking to build their own home. At the same time, we also keep you updated as to what’s been going on at our offices and any interesting or unusual projects we’ve been working on. There are also new designs constantly in the pipeline, so we introduce them here when they’re ready.
Not everyone is in a position to build their own home right now, of course. With this in mind, we also look at improving your current home, and how to go about it. Our team are happy to share tips and articles which may be of interest to our customers. We appreciate that the world of self build can be daunting but we hope we can make it easier to navigate!
Please let us know what you think of our news and blog posts. We are always interested in feedback from visitors. If there’s a subject you’d like us to look at, email admin@houseplansdirect.co.uk or send us a message via our Contact Us page. Thanks for reading this far down the page and we hope to hear from you soon!
