Make the dream of building your own home a reality with help from the experts

Residents keen to take on the challenge of building their own home are being offered the opportunity to find out exactly what it takes, as part of two special advice sessions held in Leeds this month.

On offer as part of two ‘Dream it, build it, live it’ self-build events on Saturday 18 March (Leeds College of Building -10am-12 noon) and Thursday 23 March (Leeds West Indian Centre-6pm-8pm) will be a wealth of help and guidance from the experts. Areas covered will include information on the types of build and different options that are available when setting out on the journey of building your dream home.

Commissioned by Leeds City Council and led by the Leeds West Indian Centre Charitable Trust (LWICCT), those present will also have the chance to learn more regarding the technical, legal and financial considerations of building their own home. Also taking part in a Q&A session will be representatives of the Community Self-Build Agency which is not to be missed.

The promotion of self-build housing forms part of the Council’s wider housing growth strategy for the city and supporting different routes to home ownership.

The event is free and open for all, no registration is required.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive member for regeneration, transport and planning, said:

“We are absolutely committed with partners to opening up every potential avenue of home ownership to residents of our city. In recent years there has been some real momentum in the number of people wanting to build their own homes in Leeds, through self-build, custom build and co-housing developments, and we are very keen to see this continuing.

“Advice sessions such as these are therefore a great way to provide people who are interested in the self-build route with expert advice and support to get started as soon as possible. A range of information is on offer, and we look forward to welcoming members of the public to both events.”

Claude Hendrickson, a self-build consultant from the Leeds West Indian Centre Charitable Trust said:

“We want to do everything possible to make sure that the option of self-build is playing its full part in helping to tackle the existing housing challenge in Leeds.

“The response to self-build especially from many young people in the city has been really positive and I am delighted to say that our previous sessions have been really well attended. If you are interested in building your own home, these sessions are not to be missed.”

Notes to editors:

‘Dream it, build it, live it’ sessions:

Leeds College of Building / Hunslet Campus

Saturday 18th March 2017 / 10am - 12 noon

Leeds College of Building / Hunslet Campus

Cudbear Street / Leeds LS10 1HD

Leeds West Indian Centre

Thursday 23rd March 2017 / 6pm - 8pm

Leeds West Indian Centre

10 Laycock Place / Chapeltown / Leeds LS7 3JA

For media enquiries, please contact;

Colin Dickinson, Leeds City Council press office (0113) 39 51578

Email: colin.dickinson@leeds.gov.uk