Self build eco home works out cheaper

Self build eco homes are not only cheaper to build but are increasingly attracting finance from banks keen to encourage green building, it has been reported.

The Daily Telegraph has reported on the case of a home in Dulwich, south London, which has been built on the site of a cottage that previously occupied the site and was pulled down to be replaced with an eco-home.

House owners the Borowiekis designed the five-bedroom home with eco-friendly features such as extra insulation, rainwater harvesting and solar panels to heat its water.

It cost £350,000 to build but is cheaper than other houses on the same street, which include four-bedroom homes at £460,000.

The paper notes that not only are local authorities amenable to such buildings, but some lenders are also keen to support such homes, with much of the near-doubling of the Ecology Building Society's lending from £7.7 million to £15 million last year going to eco-friendly self build homes.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 people in the UK built their own homes last year, the List reports.


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