NSBRC survey and what is means for self-builders in 2023

It’s not all doom and gloom for self-build as we enter 2023.

Wannabe homeowners or self-builders remain steadfast on their dreams to build a bespoke property to meet their needs.

Findings from a survey by The National Self-Build & Renovation Centre (NSBRC), which is based in Swindon, Wiltshire, questioned 644 people looking to build their own home or renovate an existing property, and asked about factors such as budget, priorities, and motivations of those taking on these kinds of projects, as well as sustainable building practices.

The results were positive.

More than half of those surveyed stated that the economic downturn had affected their plans, but that it hadn’t changed their minds about their projects. Of the 644 responders, only 2% said they had set their project aside.

Building a house from scratch is becoming more popular, with 79% of people embarking on a major project of this kind choosing to build a completely new home. This is a rise from the 73% seen in the 2021 survey and is supported by another finding — the issue of choice and quality when looking to buy a new home.

The 2022 NSBRC survey also showed that almost 70% of people embarking on a major project are at least 55 years old and 35% of them are retired. For many, this is their first self-build project. More than a third of respondents (36%) have been looking for a plot for more than three years and over 70% say they now feel a plot on a smaller settlement is a more realistic expectation.

Harvey Fremlin, Managing Director of the NSBRC, said the findings were reassuring: “These results really show just how resilient people are and how, even when we’re living through very challenging times, the kind of environment we create for ourselves and our ideas of what ‘home’ means are of fundamental importance to us.

“Even if people have to make some compromises because of limited finances or other factors, the determination to go ahead and find a way to make it happen in a sustainable and tailored way is undimmed. It’s incredibly encouraging.”

Achieving a better quality of build was the top motivation for self-building, according to the survey. This was closely followed by the motivations of creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly home and the ability to tailor a house to one’s own specifications.

Sustainability was very important to self-builders, with 90% of people saying they’d budgeted for higher levels of insulation.

Harvey added: “Sustainability and thinking about the energy use of the future is a key priority for our customers. The recent news of possible fuel rationing this winter shows more than ever how important it is to invest in sustainable, energy-efficient measures, and it’s obvious to us from the conversations we have that people are absolutely clear on not compromising on this issue. It’s really important to them.”

Are you a wannabe self-builder?

Explore the Saint-Gobain Self-Build website to find plenty of self-build tips and advice. You’ll find self-build options for all types of budgets and ways to increase the sustainability of your self build to trends for 2023.