Design Buy Build Issue 22 2016 | Page 52

architecture Modern Homes CUSTOMISED LUXURY WITH LUSSO DESIGN & BUILD F or those who have always dreamt of building their home, the arrival of the new local authority registers is a game changer, marking the start of a policy shift, and crucially, making it easier for people to get the home they want through self or custom build. Recognising the growing demand for greater choice and customisation of homes, luxury developer Lusso Homes is now offering a comprehensive Design & Build service for those who want the benefits of a customised home, without the hands-on approach. giving consumers greater choice in a new homes market that is uniquely dominated by volume builders. While this model of building homes is popular in Europe, particularly in France, Germany and Sweden, where it accounts for 30% - 55% of all new homes, only around 10% of new homes in the UK last year were self build. Despite research suggesting that as many as seven million homeowners would like to build their own home, only around 12,000 succeed each year. The self build marketplace has developed beyond the traditional time-intensive model of ‘sweat-equity’, which sees many self builders laying the bricks themselves, to offer a range of services catering to those who prefer a hands-off approach, recently termed custom build. Under new legislation, which started 1st April, aspiring self-builders can register their intention with their local authority, a move which is part of a package of planned measures aimed at increasing new housing supply, and 52