A DOZEN plots of land in Basildon are set to go on sale in the coming weeks with prospective buyers invited to ‘build their own homes’.

Dutch Steenvlinder has announced plans for the ambitious ‘self-build homes’ project in Pound Lane, Laindon.

Steenvlinder has already purchased the 12 plots of land and buyers will be invited to decide how their home will look like.

There are three house types buyers can choose from, each pre-assigned to a specific plot, and then buyers can ether chose from a series of design options created by the company's architects or create their own – all planning permissions have been taken care of by the firm.

The ‘build your own home’ concept is already popular elsewhere in Europe, and accounts for most newly completed homes in Germany, according to Steenvlinder.

“It is encouraging to see further investment in the customer and self-build market in the UK,”

The Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP, Minister of State for the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, said.

“It has the potential to deliver thousands more homes each year as we bring forward the recommendations in the Bacon Review to scale-up the sector and introduce the Help to Build scheme which will make home building a realistic and affordable option to many more people.”

Boris Johnson recently ordered a review into a major scaling up of self-commissioned new homes to boost housing supply”.

The Government has now published the ‘Bacon Review', entitled ‘How putting customers in charge can change everything’.

The report identifies the potential for self-build homes to alleviate the UK’s housing shortage, highlighting the successful growth of the Dutch new town of Almere, now with a population of more than 200,000, where the first home was built in the 70s.

Hans Sparreboom, CEO and Co-Founder at Steenvlinder, said: "We were delighted to meet with Mr. Bacon when he visited the Netherlands three years ago and to contribute to his housing review.

“With the Government supportive of the CSB methodology, let’s spend less time asking how to build more houses and more about making ‘how to make houses’ more popular. We're excited about helping the UK build back better with homes designed and built to last.”

Earlier this year,the Government announced The Help to Build scheme, is a £150 million fund set up to encourage self-building by reducing the initial costs.