Celebrating 30 Years of Homebuilding & Renovating

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(Image credit: Future)

In the summer of 1990, a weighty tome entitled Individual Homes landed on the newsstand. Brought into fruition by founding editor Peter Harris, the magazine’s aim was simple: to educate and inspire those hoping to create a one-off home — whether that involved building a new home, renovating a house (or extending an existing property), or converting a redundant building into a dwelling.

By autumn 1997, the quarterly title had become a monthly magazine, had a new editor, Michael Holmes (who remains a cornerstone of our shows to this day), and a new name: Homebuilding & Renovating. However, the ethos of the magazine remained the same.

Over the years, the magazine and its readers have weathered a major recession, numerous revisions to planning permission rules and building legislation (both good and bad), changing design trends and a long succession of housing ministers — and governments for that matter.

And the self build and renovation market continues to grow and evolve to this day. The emergence of Graven Hill, a large-scale self build site, for instance, would have been unheard of back in 1990, but is testament to just how far the industry has come.

What has remained a constant is the pioneering spirit of the self-builder and renovator — a willingness to push the boundaries and to tread the often challenging but rewarding path to creating an individual home.

Homebuilding & Renovating has grown into so much more than a magazine over the last 30 years, too. Our eight UK Shows, this website, our plotfinding service (Plotfinder.net) and more recently, video and social media channels, mean we’re now on hand 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, should you need us.

Over the next 12 months, we’ll be sharing some of our favourite memories and bringing you special content to mark the occasion.

Thank you for celebrating with us.

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“We are produced by enthusiasts for enthusiasts”

Jason Orme, editorial director and former editor (2004-2016)

“What’s unique about the magazine is that we are produced by enthusiasts for enthusiasts — and we bring our experiences, good and bad, to the page. The questions, travails and highlights we live through directly influence our editorial decisions, which means you can rely on what you read because it comes from experience. As our voyage of discovery continues, we pass on our findings and thoughts to you. Sometimes we fall on our face, but overwhelmingly we get it right and give you the honest, independent, expert answers and ideas you demand.”

Our Anniversary Partners

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Self-Build Zone provides flexible site insurance packages and structural warranties for new builds, renovations, extensions and conversion projects.

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Greentherm Solutions distributes and markets Icynene spray foam products throughout the UK. It believes that Icynene is unmatched for quality and energy efficiency.

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Kloeber offers homeowners and self builders a range of bespoke glazing solutions, helping them select the perfect doors and windows for their projects. Its vast selection of high-end products includes bifold, sliding and French doors and the award winning FunkyFront door. It also offers windows, rooflights and fixed glazing elements.

Kloeber specialises in providing its clients with the full package, from the initial meeting and showroom visit through to liaising with architects and builders. The company can also offer a site survey to guarantee a high quality and efficient installation service carried out by its own in-house fitting teams.

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The award-winning slimline Korniche aluminium roof lantern provides a traditional timber look with all the advantages of a thermally broken aluminium construction. Precision engineering, optimisation and modern manufacturing techniques have created a beautifully proportioned, thermally efficient, strong and secure lantern solution ideal for flat roof home extension projects.

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Founded in 1955, Airflow has grown from one man’s expertise in fan design and air flow measurement into a thriving international group, 60 years later. Renowned for its innovative approach to new product development and air movement techniques, Airflow’s variety of ventilation solutions means it can specify a perfectly designed system for each individual application.

Claire Lloyd

Claire is Editor in Chief of Homebuilding & Renovating website and magazine. She became Editor of Homebuilding & Renovating in 2016 and has been a member of the team for 15 years. An experienced homes journalist, her work has also appeared in titles such as Real Homes and Period Living.


She has a particular interest in green homes and sustainability, and interior design is a passion too; she has undertaken qualifications in this area. 


After finishing a major renovation of a period cottage, she is now onto her next project: overhauling a 1930s property in the Shropshire countryside.