There is a small number of self build home builders, but they want financial support from the government too. Jason Orme is one of the self build home builders. He calls the government’s professed support of the housing niche, "a joke."

Grant Shapps, housing minister, says the government will allocate land to anyone describing themselves as a self builder. In return, they will conditionally consent to constructing large schemes. Some of them also would have to classify their new constructions as local social housing and not be sold-on privately. "We want to see a self build movement spread across the country and particularly come to the rescue in rural areas," Shapps said.

But Orme, along with other self builders say other policies contradict these statements.

"When it outlawed ‘garden grabbing,’ the government said it was stopping developers building blocks of flats on little old ladies’ back gardens. But a significant minority of self build plots are in large gardens and they’re entirely appropriate. If the coalition was serious about promoting self build, it would make this an exception."

Orme also feels strongly about abolishing home building targets, which will be replaced with more power given to local communities to decide on schemes for local homes. Sometimes, up to 90 per cent of locals have to support a project before it goes forward, which is a stretch to take place, if at all.

"Creating the ‘revolution’ Grant Shapps has spoken of requires a significant support framework that involves government, local authorities, mortgage lenders and the construction industry," says Buildstore (a resource centre) chief executive Raymond Connor.

One big problem is funding. Land has fallen in price over the last couple of years, but lenders are still tightly controlling the market. Self builders require special mortgage products because they are often carrying a loan, while trying to obtain another; a risk factor so few lenders want to gamble with.

Now, it is a wait and see game for self builders.

Orme says, "The government wants them to build social housing that used to be provided by professional developers or councils. That is a cop out by government and is not what self build is about."