Recently, there has been a significant shift away from “cookie-cutter housing,” which has defined the British suburb for decades. The Home of 2030 report published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) stated that three in four Brits want homes with their own identity instead of a copy-paste of the house next door. (1)
Better known as tract housing, these home designs grew in popularity after World War II as families looked for affordable housing. However, being designed to be constructed quickly, it’s no surprise that some of these homes have cut corners in several respects. A number of towns have even opposed such developments due to such flaws.
As modern British society moves toward homes they can really call their own, now’s a good time to talk about bespoke home design. As you’ll learn soon, it has essentially everything you want in a modern abode and more.
A Dream Home Realised
Despite a slow decline in the past decade, home ownership remains a dream for a sizeable chunk of the U.K. populace. It has gotten harder with challenges like the rising cost of living and property prices, but less than half still cling to this lofty goal. (2)
Fortunately, buying a house already on the market isn’t the only way to achieve that dream. Hiring a bespoke builder to build one from the ground up provides several advantages beyond complete peace of mind.
Designed the Way You Want
When developers build homes en masse, they aren’t necessarily designed with the potential occupant’s preferences in mind. They often adopt housing design trends that the project’s budget and circumstances can afford. Trends are important, but not all trends are applicable to everyone.
Meanwhile, when building a bespoke home, the would-be homeowner is involved from start to finish. The design process is perhaps the most important step, as the client discusses their vision with the builder. It’s up to the latter and their expertise to tick every item on the client’s wish list the best they can, down to the finishing touches.
Bespoke home design isn’t without its downsides, such as longer wait times and having to make tough choices on design styles. As for cost, it depends on where the house will be built. Naturally, the price tag will be higher in or close to major urban centres like London and Manchester than in the countryside.
Modern Materials and Practices
Of over 15 million owner-occupied homes in England (as of 2023), a quarter were built before 1980. Of these, the largest group were homes constructed before or during World War I, at 28%. (3)
Many, if not all, of these old houses have likely undergone several renovations and retrofits to meet the changing needs of their occupants. But before you think that renovations are cheaper, not all properties are viable for such works. Even eligible ones have costs to consider, as renovations can be costlier than a new build.
Bespoke homes have no issues, as they’re built using modern construction materials and techniques. It doesn’t mean they won’t ever need a major makeover in their lives, but that won’t come for a few decades. A new build is an effective way of ensuring your home stays compliant with the latest Building Regulations.
Furthermore, leveraging local marketplaces for sourcing materials and services can significantly enhance the efficiency of the home building process, while also supporting the regional economy.
For example, you won’t see homes built after 2002 containing asbestos because it was banned in 1999. If it were any older, homeowners would first have to spend on asbestos testing and removal. Renovating without checking for asbestos is risky.
Focus on Energy Efficiency
With the country committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, cutting energy consumption in residential housing has become a key point. In 2023, the domestic sector comprised 26% of the final national energy consumption of 125 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe), second only to transport. (4)
Residential energy consumption has been on a downward trend since 2020, mainly due to more homeowners willing to pay more for better energy efficiency. An Oxford Economics survey last October found that buyers were willing to pay 3.4% more for a highly energy-efficient home. (5)
Similar to the issues with renovating existing homes, not all properties can integrate energy-saving technology—at least seamlessly. For example, adding solar panels to heritage homes risks altering their timeless elegance.
Bespoke home design benefits from energy efficiency, and for the same reason, it benefits from modern construction. Builders draft plans that consider factors like solar heat and light gain and use materials that best realise the household’s energy efficiency goals.
Attention to Detail
While attention to detail is given in housing, its importance grows when building a house from scratch. With bespoke home design, the only factors that can limit you from owning your dream home are budget and vision. It doesn’t matter how grand your vision is if your budget can’t afford to make it a reality.
Start by getting an idea of the average cost per square metre of living space. Naturally, the figure varies all across the Isles, but data from construction software cost modelling provides a ballpark range for each type of single-family home. (6)
| Residential Entity | Type | Single Storey (GBP£/m2) | Two Storey (GBP£/m2) | Three Storey (GBP£/m2) |
| Estate | Standard | 1,630 – 1,810 | 1,480 – 1,640 | 1,500 – 1,660 |
| Detached | 1,710 – 1,890 | 1,670 – 1,850 | 1,720 – 1,920 | |
| Semi-detached | 1,620 – 1,800 | 1,510 – 1,670 | 1,520 – 1,700 | |
| Terraced | 1,600 – 1,780 | 1,370 – 1,530 | 1,430 – 1,590 | |
| One-off | Standard | 2,320 – 2,580* | ||
| Detached | 2,190 – 2,430 | 2,340 – 2,600 | 2,410 – 2,670 | |
| Semi-detached | 2,190 – 2,430 | 2,100 – 2,340 | 2,110 – 2,350 | |
| Terraced | 2,260 – 2,500 | 2,140 – 2,380 | 2,140 – 2,380 | |
*No price data available for individual storey types.
If achieving all your custom design requirements for your dream home isn’t possible, don’t lose heart. It isn’t unusual for homeowners to put off certain features for later. In fact, you might even realise the home could use some extras that weren’t thought of initially.
Considering upgrades for the long term involves a long and hard think about the following:
Lifestyle Changes
Change isn’t just inevitable—it also happens faster than you think. A lot has occurred over the past several years that has prompted people to rethink their way of life. Accordingly, it affects their choices for making their homes, well, homier.
Case in point: the rise of remote and, later, hybrid work arrangements has inspired homeowners to add dedicated office rooms. While some are content with working in their bedroom, an office room closes off the space to distractions in the house. And given the attitude toward return-to-office, it won’t be going away anytime soon.
Even if the owner’s job hasn’t warranted working from home yet, an extra room can be useful in other ways. Paired with modular furniture, this space can be set up as a guest room, extra bedroom or makeshift storage.
Functionality
It’s only reasonable for homeowners to get their money’s worth out of every square metre of housing. Dead space is wasted space, so every square metre should be vital in the bespoke home design.
The ways you can repurpose dead space are practically endless. For example, the space under the stairs can incorporate furniture for extra seats for guests or add a nice flair to the area. Another approach is to make it into a small bedroom.
Utilising all the available space helps put off deciding on a home addition, at least for the time being. The money saved can be allocated to more important add-ons and other necessary expenditures.
Smart Technology
Technology is growing to the point that today’s refrigerators, thermostats, and other appliances perform functions beyond their original purpose. Thinking about the smart appliances to place in the house is always a good idea.
A fridge with a built-in ice and water dispenser and TV capability (yes, some models can do this) requires less space than a separate fridge, water dispenser, and TV. A space-saving appliance is always welcome in any home design.
Granted, such systems carry quite a price tag, but many Brits don’t seem to mind. A survey done by a marketing research firm revealed that the number of households owning smart appliances has doubled in the past five years. Two in five households own more than three. (7)
No one can be certain about what’ll be in store several years or decades from now. You may be contented with living alone right now, but who knows whether a pivotal event will prompt you to start raising a family. Looking far into the future is crucial to saving on home renovation costs down the line.
In Conclusion
It’s safe to say that cookie-cutter housing is on its way out as bespoke home design slowly supplants it. There isn’t anything to hate about the ability to design the kind of home you’re really going for and ensure it’s modern enough to last almost a lifetime. And while it needs considerable investment, the end result pays dividends.
References
1. “We don’t want cookie-cutter homes government-backed study reveals”, Source: https://thenegotiator.co.uk/news/we-dont-want-cookie-cutter-homes-government-backed-study-reveals/
2. “Brits are giving up on their dream of homeownership warns new report” Source: https://www.standard.co.uk/homesandproperty/property-news/less-than-half-of-aspiring-homeowners-expect-to-get-onto-property-ladder-b1141422.html
3. “Age of dwellings in England by tenure 2018”, Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/292252/age-of-housing-dwellings-in-england-uk-by-tenuree/
4. “Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Energy consumption in the UK (ECUK)”, Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66f13235f188a93404379f94/Energy_Consumption_in_the_UK_2024.pdf
5. “The growing importance of energy efficiency in home buying decisions”, Source: https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/resource/the-growing-importance-of-energy-efficiency-in-home-buying-decisions/
6. “Typical UK Construction Costs of Buildings”, Source: https://costmodelling.com/building-costs
7. “Ownership of smart home products doubles in the UK in five years”, Source: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2024/ownership-of-smart-home-products-doubles-in-the-uk-in-five-years/
