4. Affordable plots Plots are then leased or sold to self-providers, for around £20,000. Some households choose to proceed with a conventional self-build project, employing an architect and builder to make a fully bespoke house. Many more choose to purchase off-the-shelf or customised house components. Much like any other household durable (such as a car), they are manufactured off-site, fast to construct and carry almost no development risk. This creates a market where the long-fêted advantages of prefabrication can finally be used to increase generosity, quality, flexibility and energy performance. One basic ‘starter’ house can be purchased for £20,000, providing first time buyers with a very lowthreshold mortgage of only £40,000. Popular with young couples and families, it is, in effect, a form of micro-mortgaging.
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