By Peter Body - an Englishman and owner of Thermohaus, the Caithness based company which will design and supply highly energy efficient timber frame kit homes, throughout the UK.
According to the National Custom & Self Build Association (NaCSBA) the Highlands is one of the most popular places to build your own home. For those of us who live here this should not come as a great surprise. And, if having a view is high on your list of priorities, it's a no brainer.
Add to this the ready availability of plots and their low prices, compared to the rest of the UK, the case for building in such a wonderful place is compelling.
One of the things the Corona virus has shown us is the ability of significant numbers of desk bound employees to work from home. For many this could become the ‘new normal'. And, providing you have good Internet connectivity, home could be anywhere.
The pandemic has also highlighted that the further you are away from urban areas the less chance you have of contracting such a virus. Consequently, a desire to ‘run for the hills' is to be expected.
This anticipated increase in demand for self-build plots in rural areas will inevitably lead to increased prices and a real concern that demand could outstrip supply. Made worse by the often intransigent position adopted by some planners towards building in the countryside.
If you are one of the alleged 60% of the population who aspire to build their own home, now maybe a good time to put your plans into action. And, if you want something a little out of the ordinary, the Thermohaus website is a good place to start.
For much more help on self building your own new house see the following articles -
