The countdown to the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special is on and the unanswered questions from the finale of series three are starting to circulate. One of the key themes is where Gavin and Stacey will be living. The couple seemed to have settled on Barry in South Wales, however with a growing family, they would have most likely needed to move out of Stacey’s mum Gwen’s house and find their own family home. Will they decide to rent a house? Will they raise the required deposit to get on to the property ladder and buy a house? Will they decide to build their own house?
Traditionally, building your own house has been perceived as a risky endeavour however recent developments suggest that this is about to change. Thanks to the Welsh Government, as of late 2019, building your own home is now a realistic option in Wales.
The Welsh Government has announced it’s Self Build Wales scheme which helps people build their own home. The scheme, which is funded by the Development Bank of Wales (“DBW”), provides an attractive option to first time buyers, those who may not be able to find a house in their preferred location, those wishing to downsize or those who wish to build an adapted home (to name but a few).
The scheme works with local authorities to identify plots for development. The local authorities will then work with DBW and Welsh Government to obtain a loan for the plot, obtain planning consents and undertake any necessary works required bringing the plot up to standard. The key factor here is that the local authorities obtain planning permission for the plot and individuals are not required to tackle the planning process.
As applications for the scheme open in late 2019, sadly it is unlikely that Gavin and Stacey will have built and be in their new home by the Christmas special. There is, however, hope for series four!
In the next instalment of this article, we will delve deeper into the logistics of the scheme, with a step by step guide on how Gavin and Stacey could build their family home in Wales.
