Hello and welcome to 2022! Well, you might be used to this new year by now, with all of its wintry trials and tribulations, but this is the first issue of Selfbuilder and Homemaker of the year, and we are pleased to bring it to you.

With Covid and various other political concerns bedevilling the Government over the past few months, it’s perhaps little surprise that its self-build loan scheme was launched with more of a ‘whimper’ than a bang. The quiet emergence of a ‘prospectus’ for Help to Build was no doubt because the scheme from Homes England was originally announced in April 2021. But also because it represents, if popular, another major strain on the Government’s resources following what has been a very expensive couple of years. And the Government is trying to put all its PR energies behind ‘levelling up’ the poorer areas of the UK, rather than being seen as funding ‘Grand Designs’ (which some self-builds might appear to be in the minds of many).

However, Help to Build is here, and self-builders only need a 5% deposit, to be topped up by an equity loan from the Government (between 5% and 20% of the total cost), and a self-build mortgage for the rest. It covers projects up to £600,000, which would represent a lot of the schemes we cover in the magazine. The Government loans only extend to £150m, so register with Homes England now if you are keen.

The UK still lags way behind other European countries, and despite all of our other challenges currently, Help to Build is a fantastic step forward, let’s hope it lasts!

Best wishes for 2022 – for you and your builds.

James Parker