Self build homes have been designed and built to meet the individual needs and tastes of those who live in them and, as such, they come in all manner of shapes, sizes and specifications.
With this variety comes a broad variance in build costs which can make it difficult to prospective self builders to get a handle on what kind of home they could build on their budget.
To help demonstrate that great design and a home that meets your needs is achievable whatever your budget, take a look at this list of great self build homes that have been organised by build cost.
As a disclaimer, these are build costs only and do not include land costs. Land costs vary so wildly across the UK and so make for an unfair comparison (additionally some of the self builders listed below already owned their plot).
(MORE: Estimate your build costs with our free Build Cost Calculator)
Self Build Homes Built for £100,000 and Under
Straw Bale Home: £67,000
Justin and Linda Tyers self built a two-bed straw bale home for just £67k under Exmoor National Park’s affordable housing policy.
The couple kept costs low by taking on much of the design and building work themselves.
- Build cost: £67,000
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: Somerset
(MORE: How much does it cost to build a house?)
Log Cabin Self Build: £60,000
Jude Hesselgrave and Roger Page built a log cabin, which they subsequently extended and transformed over the years to create a characterful home — for just £60,000.
- Build cost: £60,000
- Location: East Sussex
(MORE: How to build a house for under £150k)
A Starter Home on a Budget: £80,000
Phil Coe transformed an old agricultural building into a modern home using skills he learned in college and tutorials on the internet.
- Build cost: £80,000 (£615/m²)
- Build time: 2 years
- Location: Yorkshire
Contemporary Barn-Style Self Build: £80,000
Taking inspiration from the local vernacular, Niall and Helen Maxwell built their own sustainable home fit for modern living using local materials and labour to keep costs down.
- Build cost: £80,000 (£1,066/m²)
- Build time: 3 years 10 months
- Location: North Carmarthenshire
(MORE: 15 ways to make sure you stay on budget)
A Handcrafted Home on a Tricky Plot: £100,000
For even more advice, information and inspiration delivered straight to your door, subscribe to Homebuilding & Renovating magazine.
Insulated concrete formwork (ICF) was used to build this home over a stream on a restricted plot. The homeowner, Robin, took inspiration from the internet to teach himself different skills and built the majority of the house himself.
- Build cost: £100,000 (£690/m2)
- Build time: 1 year 8 months
- Location: Argyll & Bute
Self Build Homes Built for £100,001 to £199,999
Timber-Clad Scottish Cabin: £125,000
This contemporary cabin-style self build home was built inspired by Scandinavian architecture and interiors and includes extra insulation and solar panels to compete with the harsh northern climate.
- Build cost: £125,000 (£1,315/m²)
- Build time: 4 years 1 month
- Location: Isle of Skye
A Home for Life: £130,000
David Snell and wife Linda have completed their fourteenth(!) self build home on the edge of the Forest of Dean.
- Build Cost: £129,121
- Build Time: 18 months
- Location: Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
A Coastal Live/Work Self-build: £130,000
Insulated concrete formwork (ICF) and the good will of friends, neighbours and skilled local workers was used to construct this modern home on a sloping site.
Spanning five years, this self build journey provides Ian Grant a place to run his architecture business and his wife Marcella an opportunity for an alternative source of income through a self-catered apartment in the future.
- Build cost: £130,000
- Build time: 5 years
- Location: Isle of Skye
A DIY Traditional Self Build: £150,000
DIYers Melanie and Alan Williams designed and built their third self-build for a build cost of just £604/m2. While building the characterful barn-style family home, Alan did all of the work himself except electrics, plumbing, roofing and plastering.
(MORE: DIY: What to Leave to the Professionals)
- Build cost: £150,000
- Build time: 3 years
- Location: Hampshire
A Stylish Contemporary House: £170,000
A clever cantilevered design means this self build home makes the most of a tight plot and near-by neighbours, while vaulted ceilings on the first floor mean that the space feels open and light.
- Build cost: £170,000 (£1,416/m²)
- Build time: 1 year
- Location: Nottingham
A Characterful Home Built in 15 Weeks: £175,000
Proving that a speedy and beautiful build on a tight plot is possible, Samantha Parr constructed her oak frame home in the centre of a South Staffordshire town with the help of her tenacious spirit and the skill of local workers.
- Build cost: £175,000
- Build time: 15 weeks
- Location: South Staffordshire
Self Build Homes Built for £200,000 to £299,999
A Modern Coastal Home: £203,000
Andrew Williamson self-built this steel-framed, glass and timber clad structure to make the most of the plot's 180º view of Yorkshire's sweeping coastline.
- Build cost: £203,000
- Build time: 1 year
- Location: Near Filey, Yorkshire
A Passivhaus Kit House: £220,000
Paula Harte chose to build using Caber House's Type C kit house, a timber frame Passivhaus pre-designed by Architeco.
- Build cost: £220,000
- Build time: 18 months
- Location: Elgin, Scotland
An Oak Frame Starter Home: £267,000
Achieved on a tight budget, Lucy Newton and Sam Hopkins' energy efficiency oak home was designed by themselves using structural insulated panels (SIPs).
- Build cost: £267,000
- Build time: 18 months
- Location: York
Passivhaus Self Build in London: £250,000
Elizabeth Sharp has self built a 110m² Passivhaus on the site of her former home’s garage and rear garden, and now has heating bills of around £300 per year.
- Build cost: £250,000
- Build time: 16 months
- Location: London
A DIY Oak Frame Home: £250,000
Welsh Oak Frame supplied this oak frame structure to weathertight stage before Billie and Mark Holden moved into the incomplete home and worked to finish it themselves, maximising their build cost potential and leaving themselves mortgage free in the process.
(MORE: DIY: What to Leave to the Professionals)
- Build cost: £250,000
- Location: Cheshire
Oak Frame Family Home: £265,000
Homeowners Wendy and Steve worked with Border Oak to build their dream 185m² oak frame home in Herefordshire.
- Build cost: £265,000 (£1,432/m²)
- Build time: 1 year
- Location: Herefordshire
Barn-Style Stone Home: £296,000
This self build home is a great example of when great design and well thought-out specification meet to create a truly unique property. The use of traditional materials and form means that this new build looks like it has stood for centuries.
- Build cost: £296,000 (£1,458/m²)
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: Monmouthshire
Self Build Homes Built for £300,000 to £399,999
Beautiful Passivhaus in the Woods: £308,000
Built using a steel frame, this contemporary treehouse embraces its surroundings like no other. Imaginative budget solutions combined with beautiful Passivhaus design mean this house is like no other.
(MORE: How to Choose a Construction System)
- Build cost: £308,000 (£1,540/m²)
- Build time: 4 years
- Location: Dursley, Gloucestershire
A Seaside Self-build: £348,000
Semi-built into the restored sea-wall this timber frame home was built to withstand the harsh Scottish coastal climate.
- Build cost: £348,000
- Build time: 17 months
- Location: Musselburgh, near Edinburgh
Modern Home on a Sloping Plot on the Coast: £350,000
Clever design turned two old garages and a dated bungalow into a beautifully compact new home for architect Nick Purchase.
- Build cost: £350,000
- Build time: 14 months
- Location: Cornwall
A Sustainable Home Filled with Charm: £370,000
Tony and Emma Cooke combined local materials and traditional styles with the latest building technology to create their stunning new home.
- Build cost: £370,000 (£2,500/m²)
- Build time: 3 years
- Location: Dorset
Self Build Homes Built for £400,000 to £499,999
Barn-style Oak Home: £400,000
Dawn and Kevin Truscott built their home using local materials based on an off-the-shelf design (WOD 220) from Welsh Oak Frame.
- Build cost: £400,000
- Build time: 110 months
- Location: Essex
New Oak Frame Home on a Greenbelt Plot: £449,000
Shelagh Krasno’s new self build home in Hampshire was built using an oak frame and features dormer windows and weatherboarding and an L-shaped design.
- Build Cost: £449,000
- Build Time: 12 months
- Location: Hampshire
Oak Frame Passivhaus: £450,000
Phil and Yvonne Garnett’s self build home is the first oak-frame home to achieve Passivhaus certification in the UK.
- Build cost: £450,000
- Build time: 13 months
- Location: Yorkshire
Oak Frame Farmhouse in the Country: £450,000
Ali and Jon Goodwin fought to expand the family farm by selfbuilding a new farmhouse for their outdoors-loving young family.
- Build cost: £450,000
- Location: Herefordshire
Modern Self-build Home: £452,000
Replacing a 1950s bungalow in Surrey, Tavia and Richard Vint created an understated and well-crafted family home for just £1,500m2.
- Build cost: £452,000
- Location: Surrey
Light-Filled Contemporary Family Self Build Home in Scotland: £470,000
These homeowners have designed an upside down house to make the most of the location’s spectacular views. The result is a contemporary home, flooded with natural light.
- Build cost: £470,000
- Location: Fife coast, Edinburgh
Single Storey Oak Frame Home in Surrey: £491,000
Homeowners Sheila and Geoff McGaughey built an oak frame bungalow on their Conservation Area plot in Surrey. The couple worked with Border Oak to bring their vision to life.
- Build cost: £491,000
- Build time: 9 months
- Location: Surrey
Self Build Homes Built for £500,000 to £599,999
Efficient Forever Home in Coventry: £500,000
Michael and Penny Young built a beautiful oak-framed home on an infill plot, managing to combine stunning, characterful interiors with an external facade that fits with its suburban setting,
- Build cost: £500,000
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: Coventry
A New Modern Farmhouse: £555,000
This farmhouse was designed to unite modern living with traditional design. An oak frame and SIPs infill was used to construct the home, while open-plan living and contemporary essentials (swathes of bifold doors, ground source heat pump and underfloor heating) were included.
- Build cost: £550,000
- Build time: 14 months
- Location: Cheshire
A New Self Build with Old Character £555,000
Looking for a home with character as well as the convenience of modern living, Kelly and Ben Homden finished their homes with a cream-coloured render as a gentle nod to nearby Tudor houses.
- Build cost: £550,800
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: Shropshire
Self Build Homes Built for £600,000 to £699,999
Low Maintenance and Energy Efficient Timber Frame Home: £600,000
Melvin Starling and Sandy Garfield self built their own home in Surrey using timber frame. The property has a clean, uncluttered appearance and is low maintenance and energy efficient.
- Build cost: £600,000 (£2,000/m²)
- Build time: 10 months
- Location: Surrey
Timber-clad Barn-style Self Build: £625,000
Self-builders Tracy and Steve Head knew from the outset they wanted a home with timber cladding, an overhang roof and expansive glazing on the front elevation.
While they considered building the whole house from oak frame, the long span of the building made this impractical,. Masonry construction with an oak roof was the solution with oak featuring in the downstairs living spaces for charming aesthetics.
- Build cost: £625,000
- Build time: 13 months
- Location: Oxfordshire
Traditional Wealden Barn House: £650,000
A Wealden-barn style design was chosen over a traditional barn-style home in order to achieve planning permission and optimum natural light throughout the building.
- Build Cost: £650,000 (£944/m²)
- Build Time: 2 Years 5 Months
- Location: Surrey
An Upside-down Accessible Home: £650,000
This self-build was designed to be two storeys, with three bedrooms, all opening out onto a terrace on the lower ground floor. The main open-plan kitchen and living spaces are on the first floor, as is an accessible bedroom and bathroom, with separate access when required.
(MORE: How to design Lifetime Homes)
- Build cost: £650
- Build time: 13 months
- Location: Devon
A Handmade Self-build for a Family: £650,000
This traditional-style beach house self-build incorporates reused and reclaimed materials throughout to create instant character in the new home.
- Build cost: £650,000
- Location: Cornwall
Contemporary Cotswolds Home: £692,000
The limestone and oak cladding decorating this build were sourced locally and the unconventional design of the house is complimented by the comforting interior finished with open fireplaces and bamboo and slate flooring.
- Build Cost: £692,000 (£1,457/m²)
- Build Time: 1 Year
- Location: Border of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire
Self Build Homes Built for £700,000 to £799,999
Sustainable Farmhouse with Tilted Roof: £700,000
This off-the-grid home was built using locally-sourced materials with a motivation for sustainable living. The design and the exterior finish means the house melts seamlessly into the landscape.
- Build Cost: £700,000 (£2,058/m²)
- Build Time: 1 year 5 months
- Location: Dumfries & Galloway
Oak Frame Lakehouse: £720,000
Sensitively built, this oak frame home is a masterclass in sustainable living as the design includes both passive and active eco features.
- Build cost: £720,000 (£1,655/m²)
- Build time: 1 year 4 months
- Location: Gloucestershire
Striking Glazed Self Build: £740,000
Replacing a tired mid-1950s house, this modern love letter to wood and glass stands strong, taking full advantage of the views surrounding the plot.
- Build Cost: £740,000
- Build time: 1 year 1 month
- Region: Monmouthshire
Barn-Style Package Build: £746,000
A unique package-build experience gave way for the timber and steel clad home in the form of a contemporary-style barn.
- Build cost: £746,000 (£1,445/m²)
- Build time: 8 months
- Location: Gloucestershire
Low Maintenance Modern Home: £750,000
Suitable for retirement and completely future-proofed this cantilevered house is full of drama and wow-factor as much as it incorporates practical solutions.
- Build cost: £750,000 (£3,660/m²)
- Build time: 1 year 3 months
- Location: Dorset
Contemporary Home on a Riverside Plot: £750,000
Nigel and Alison Maddocks chose a stunning riverside location for their spectacular contemporary self build home in Worcestershire.
- Build cost: £750,000 (£2,863/m²)
- Build time: 21 months
- Location: Worcestershire
Self Build Homes Built for £800,000 to £999,999
Idyllic Eco Home for Retirement: £800,000
The homeowners journey for their home for retirement was stress-free thanks to the detailed planning and design process by Oakwrights.
- Build cost: £800,000 (£2,462/m²)
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: Isle of Wight
Future-proofed Self Build Home in Scotland: £850,000
Kenneth and Marion MacLean built a striking eco-friendly contemporary home that will cater for them as they grow older.
A fabric first approach was taken including three major items to achieve this: a highly insulated SIPs envelope, high performance double-glazed aluminium windows and an MVHR system.
- Build cost: £850,000
- Build time: 13 months
- Location: Edinburgh
Amazing Riverside Home: £850,000
The bold design and striking exterior of this home contrasts wonderfully with the white chalky cliffs on the brownfield plot.
Where most couples downsize as their children move out, Geoff and June Gaffney were determined to build enough space in their home to accommodate their ever-growing family.
Contemporary Woodland Self Build Home: £900,000
On a nine acre site of peaceful ancient woodland, Jane and Tim Meggit built their eco-fiendly self-build. Keen to have lots of light and inspired by Scandinavian design, they opted for a natural palette of timber and red brick and, internally, bamboo and brick for the walls.
- Build cost: £900,000
- Build time: 11 months
- Location: West Sussex
Self Build Homes Built for £1,000,000 and over
Contemporary Costal Self Build: £1,000,000
Nestled into a sloping site, this modern home (designed by van Ellen Sheryn Architects) replaced a dated bungalow.
Built in ICF, the house features copious amounts of glazing, a swimming pool and bright open-plan living interiors.
- Build cost: £1,000,000
- Build time: 148months
- Location: Devon
American-style Traditional Home with Smart Tech: £1,000,000
In an effort to create a bright home for their family, Ellie and Alan Inskip crafted a New England-inspired self build. The house has Sonos in every room and smart lighting controlled by a panel which can set moods and themes.
- Build cost: £1,000,000
- Build time: 13 months
- Location: Hampshire
Remarkable Oak Frame Forever Home: £1,200,000
Despite the sensitive, historic nature of their plot, as well as the fact that it was prone to flooding, Rachel and Darren Luke have overcome every challenge to build a stunning, oak frame ‘forever’ home.
A Coastal Self Build: £1,250,000
With a form made from a series of irregular shaped this self-build home rises to a central truncated triangle of glass which faces the ocean, offering amazing coastal views and a private access to the beach.
- Build cost: £1,250,000
- Build time: 22 months
- Location: Kent
Modern and Eco-friendly Package Home: £1,800,000
Anya and Robin Nuttall chose a package build to create their dream family home. Facit Homes offered them an all-in-one build with set finances, project management and an off-site construction.
- Build cost: £1,800,000
- Build time: 18 months
- Location: London
