A growing number of people are designing and building their own homes. Known as ‘self-builds’, these custom homes can have many advantages - they can be personalised to your needs and they can often be very cheap to maintain due to being brand new and energy-efficient. 

However, before you can build your own home, you need to find a suitable plot of land to build upon. This needs to be a location that you’re happy to live in and that you have permission to build on. Below are just some of the different ways to find such land. 

Work with a custom build developer that supplies land

Some custom build developers are able to act as a one-stop-shop for all your self-build needs. These companies specialise in creating custom homes for clients and often have architects working for them and contractors on call who they can arrange to build your home for you. Many of these companies can also find land for you and may even own several plots to choose from which have already been fully surveyed and approved for building purposes. 

Using such a company could take the stress out of hunting for land. However, be wary that you may be restricted to plots that they own and have already approved, plus there may be restrictions as to what you can build there (many custom developers don’t allow full customisation of properties and may instead require you to choose from one of several ‘template’ houses).

Use land listing websites

Many property listing sites also allow you to search for plots of land. There are even some listing sites set up specifically to land buying.

Each listing will come with detailed information about the plot. Some of these sites may even be able to offer assistance in applying for a land loan. They are great resources for exploring your options if you want to buy land independently (i.e. not via a custom build developer).

Consider land auctions

You can also bid on plots of land at auctions. This can be a little more risky if you’ve never bought land before - while you may be able to check out some of the plots beforehand in a catalogue, you’ll have less time to thoroughly inspect these plots before the auction takes place. However, buying land at an auction does have the advantage of providing access to very cheap plots of land that you won’t find elsewhere.

Don’t overlook brownfield land

Brownfield land is vacant land that has already been developed by a previous owner. It could contain abandoned buildings or other disused structures. Such land is sometimes less attractive to buyers, because of the added cost of demolition and land clearance. However, although you may have to spend money on a demolition company, you could save money on having to build infrastructure like plumbing or electrical access which may already exist. You could even choose to convert an abandoned building into your home and preserve some of its history. 

It’s also worth noting that brownfield land often has the advantage of being located in prime urban locations - as opposed to greenfield land that is often on the outskirts of towns and cities. If you want a more central plot of land, it’s better to choose brownfield land. 

Talk to local landowners

You may be able to source available plots of land simply by talking to local landowners. Sometimes, farm owners are willing to sell off parts of their land to developers. If you see a plot of land going unused, consider tracking down the owner and seeing if they have any plans for it. Make a good enough offer to buy that land, and you could persuade them to sell it to you.