Chance to buy a custom build home in a sought after village near Harrogate

The Knaresborough based home building business, which has a good reputation for constructing new homes over the past 30 years, is offering a type of custom build approach to its latest project.

The site is in the sought-after village of Pannal, which is close to Harrogate and has a railway station with trains that can get you into Leeds central station within half an hour.

The plot as it stands is a farmstead, which consists of a farmhouse, which will be demolished to make way for a new home in keeping with the surroundings.

There is also a stone-built barn with a cart opening and a milking parlour that will be converted into homes, along with two portal framed barns for conversion that lend themself to a more contemporary treatment. All of the proposed properties have planning permission for conversion in place.

While the Wharfedale Homes team could’ve converted them using their own discretion and ideas, the team there decided to offer custom build because they thought it would be much more appealing to prospective buyers.

They were right and so far they have had 40 enquiries from people far and wide, including overseas, who want a hand in creating their own “Grand Design” that does not carry the same risk and jeopardy as a conventional self-build.

Matt Gibson, Land and Planning Director at Wharfedale Homes, says:“We’ve been thrilled with the response to this concept, where buyers can truly make their home their own and see it being built throughout the construction stage.

“We know a lot of people want to ‘self-build’ their own homes and this is an opportunity to do so, with the guidance of our experienced construction team.”

Buyers will purchase the property and its plot and Wharfedale’s construction team will come as part of the bargain. Planning permission has already been sought and gained for the conversions and new build farmhouse, which is a big plus, as it can take months and up to a year to secure planning permission on this kind of site.

The external design is non-negotiable to a large extent but there is plenty of leeway with the interiors.

“We have done the specification for inside, which includes kitchens from Design House in Wetherby, and it’s good but if people want to change the skirting boards, change the electrical systems or make other alterations we can do that,” says Matt.

All of the five, three and four bedroom homes are bespoke and the overall development has been named Pannal House Farm. Prices for the properties start at £995,000 and are being marketed by Jackson Stops on 01904 625033 or email [email protected]

*There are various types of custom build, which ultimately allow you to bespoke all or aspects of your newly-built home but with key elements taken care of.

Ordinarily, self building means finding a plot, arranging access to it, applying for planning permission to build on it, getting key services to the site, i.e. power and utilities and finding a builder.

These elements can take time and are often the most stressful parts of the project. With a custom build site, all the above is taken care of.

A custom build site usually consists of a number of plots that are bought by a company or developer who will then sell the plots to individuals.

There are generally two options. You can buy the plot with planning consent, access and utilities in place and with foundations leaving you to organise the build or, more commonly, you buy the plot and a pre-designed house, which you can customise to some degree.

While self-builds are zero rated for VAT, serviced plots are not but you can take advantage of the “Golden Brick”. This is when a developer provides a plot with foundations and which is at least one brick above foundation level and obviously under construction.

It is then considered by HMRC to be a residential property and will be exempt from the standard 20 per cent rate of VAT.

If you are looking for a plot of land for yourself or a custom build project, look at www.plotbrowser.com/serviced, www.plotfinder.net and register with estate agents in the area you are interested in.

We couldn’t find any other custom build sites for sale in Yorkshire, apart from the one in Pannal, but there is what looks like an exciting opportunity in the Cumbrian village of Bootle in the Lake District National Park.

Wellbank Park allows plot buyers to design their home to their own layout, appearance and specification. Set close to the fells and the beach, phase one is 18 plots, which are priced at £125,000.

The development will include a community hub, pool and a cafe. Visit www.wellbankpark.co.uk