Why the Time Is Right for More Choice in How We Build Homes in Scotland

Scotland’s housing offerings can be complicated. But if you strip it back, a big part of the answer is actually quite simple:

People want choice.

Not just another house that looks like the last one they viewed, but a home that fits their life. One that compliments how they live now,  how they’ll live in five or ten years, and what really matters to them day to day. More light. Better layouts. Lower running costs. A bit of breathing space. You know the feeling.

And that’s where custom and self-build homes quietly come into their own.

They’re no longer a quirky niche for the brave or ambitious DIY builder. They’re becoming a sensible, supported way of creating homes people genuinely want to live in.

Why Custom & Self-Build Are Having a Moment

Across Scotland, there’s a growing realisation that one-size-fits-all housebuilding doesn’t suit everyone. Life simply isn’t that neat.

Households look different now. Work patterns have changed. Family dynamics are evolving  with blended families, adult children living at  home longer and a demand for multi generational living increasing.  Energy bills matter. And people are thinking more carefully about how their homes will perform, not just how they photograph on move-in day.

Custom and self-build homes respond to that shift. They allow people to shape their homes around lifestyle, comfort and long-term value, rather than squeezing their lives into a standard layout. It’s not about extravagance -it’s about intention.

A Helpful Tailwind from Policy (Stay With Me)

Even policy-makers have noticed this change.

In 2021, the Scottish Government published Housing to 2040, Scotland’s first long-term housing strategy. In plain English, it recognises that homes provided by the people who’ll actually live in them, including self-build and custom-build, are a good thing.

Why?

Because they tend to be:

• better designed

• more energy efficient

• more flexible

• and better suited to real lives

Alongside this, National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) puts more emphasis on sustainable, community-focused development and a wider mix of housing types. It also supports smaller, locally led projects, which is good news for anyone who prefers character over conveyor belts.

This isn’t just nice language in a document. It reflects a genuine shift in how housing is being thought about in Scotland -including new opportunities for farmers and landowners who want to be involved in small, carefully considered developments rather than large, long-term land deal options.

Plenty of Interest… Fewer Places to Do It

While a lot of the headline numbers about self and custom-build come from England, the story is similar here.

Across Scotland, and  in places like Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen, local authorities keep self-build registers to track interest from people actively looking for plots. Aberdeenshire Council launched its register specifically to help make custom and self-build a more mainstream option.

In short: people are interested. Very interested.

What’s still relatively rare, particularly  here in Aberdeen, are sites with planning permission that support multiple custom-build plots. That gap between demand and availability is important… and it’s where thoughtful developments can make a real difference.

Why This Matters Here, at Home

The housing market in Aberdeen and the surrounding area has had its ups and downs, particularly following changes in the oil and gas sector. But planning frameworks still recognise a clear need for new homes, including a share delivered through custom and self-build routes.

That matters because it sends a clear signal:  there should be variety and difference within  the mix along with traditional volume housebuilding  in  order to meet Scotland’s long-term needs.

Over the last decade, more smaller builders across Scotland (including Aberdeenshire) have started offering custom-build approaches, creating homes that feel personal, efficient and built to last.

For homeowners, this opens up a genuinely appealing alternative: the chance to design a home that reflects their lifestyle and values, without taking on all the stress, risk and hard hats of a full DIY self-build. And reassuringly, this is all happening within a policy environment that increasingly supports these choices rather than fighting them.

Signs of a Positive Shift

There are some quietly encouraging changes happening:

• National policy is more supportive of smaller-scale, design-led development

• Self and custom-build registers help show what people actually want

• Custom build is becoming a supported route, not a lonely one

More often now, custom build means working with architects, planners and professionals to create homes that prioritise comfort, efficiency and long-term wellbeing — not just ticking boxes.

What Comes Next

This is just the start of the conversation.

In the rest of this series, we’ll explore what custom build looks like in practice, how it balances freedom with reassurance, individuality with quality, and choice with peace of mind.

Because building a home shouldn’t feel intimidating or impersonal.

It should feel… well… human. And maybe even a little bit joyful , exciting, inspiring and fun.

Ready to Keep the Conversation Going?

If this way of thinking about homes resonates - slower, more intentional, and shaped around real life, you’re very welcome to stay in touch.

We share updates, practical guidance, and gentle inspiration for people in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire who are thinking about their next home, whether that’s soon or somewhere on the horizon.

There’s no obligation and no sales pressure, just honest insight to help you explore what’s possible.

Join the Strawberry Grange interest list to receive future blog posts, plot guidance, and early updates when they’re ready.

Sometimes the first step isn’t deciding, it’s simply staying curious.