SELFBUILDER SURVEY: BUILDING A GREENER HOME What are your motivations for taking on a low carbon build?
viewing doubts about return on investment as a barrier. Again this could be attributed to a general lack of knowledge on how effective products are, unawareness of the various incentives available which carry long term benefi ts (such as SEG), and perceived high upfront costs, resulting in doubt about whether it’s worth the big expense. A lack of suitable products was selected by 16%, again indicating
there’s a gap in knowledge and understanding with many products suitable for one-off domestic projects. However, one respondent commented on products being “awkward to install without specialists” so perhaps rather than a lack of suitable products, it’s a lack of specialist installers that’s the problem. We then asked respondents if the cost of their project had been higher or lower than expected. Coinciding with high upfront costs being perceived as the biggest barrier, just over half (55%) said the cost has been higher than expected. 27% said it’s as expected, 15% said they were unsure and just 3% said it has been lower. While the industry as a whole may insist upfront costs are not as high as is often believed, there is clearly a cost issue somewhere. With budgets often already tight for self-builders, the issue of high costs – whether perceived or actual – is one that clearly needs addressing.
Biodiversity
Our survey was concluded by asking participants what provisions they’ve made to enhance biodiversity. With self-builds exempt from BNG requirements, there is no obligation to undertake anything – a detail 54% of respondents have taken advantage of. However this could again be due to a lack of awareness over what exactly enhancing biodiversity means, and whether their project would be considered to have done so. General landscaping and garden work were the most popular enhancements, with 31% saying they have done general shrub and tree planting and 22% having done some form of restorative planting or landscaping. 20% have installed bird or bat boxes, 16% have opted for bug hotels and 12% are going down the rewilding route. While all small and simple steps and measures, they contribute to a project’s impact on biodiversity and, consequently, the environment.
CONCLUSION
Sustainability is clearly on the agenda for self-builders and renovators, with the majority of our respondents recognising its importance and actively making efforts to incorporate measures where they can. Insulation, timber frame, solar panels and airtightness membranes are just some of the ways self-builders and renovators are looking to make their homes and projects more environmentally friendly. Rising energy costs and a desire for a healthier, more comfortable
living environment are among their biggest motivators, as are concerns about climate change and a wish to reduce their overall carbon footprint. However, our research has also highlighted barriers that continue to hinder self-builders from fully committing to a low carbon build. With only a quarter of respondents considering their build to be genuinely low carbon, it would suggest self-builders are approaching sustainability through individual measures rather than holistically. High upfront costs are the greatest concern, closely followed by a general uncertainty over the reliability, suitability and long term benefi ts of certain products and sustainable measures. Confi dence in new technologies is seemingly low, and gaps in self-builders’ knowledge and understanding are holding them back. Increasing public awareness of the benefi ts of sustainable technologies and of the various incentives on offer is necessary, particularly with the upcoming Future Homes Standard impacting self-builders as well as developers. Improving education, ensuring self-builders have better access to specialist support and a general continued effort to lower installation costs are essential in order to transition self-builders from simply building sustainably to delivering a truly low carbon home.
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