It comes as a new report predicts that there will be a 141% rise in the mortgages available for those building their own homes over the next three years.
The minister said that going down the self build route was an affordable option for aspiring home owners and shouldn't be seen as the preserve of those with deep pockets and grand designs.
He said that a budget of £150,000 is adequate, in most instances, to get a three to four bedroom home built. The average cost of a ready made home is now over £232,000.
Pledging to double the size of the self build sector, he was joined by a glittering cast list of TV house building experts at 10 Downing Street, one of the most famous pieces of property in the UK.
A growing number of Britons are laying their own foundations with almost 14,000 new homes self built last year, more than many individual volume house builders are building.
However, the self builder's share of the market at one in ten of all new homes is still very small by international standards.
Shapps said that for the first time, anyone wanting to don a hard hat and build their own home from scratch whatever their budget and will have the help, advice and support they need to get started.
‘Our self build industry still lags behind much of the rest of the world so I'm pledging to back the self build boom and support the industry to double in size over the next few years. As well as a new website giving help and advice, we're working hard to identify more land for development and have reformed the planning rules to stop people's aspirations getting tangled in red tape,’ said Shapps.
The new website is just one of a number of measures the industry is driving forward with the support of the government. The National Self Build Association reported to government on achievements since the launch of its Action Plan last year. In particular the report highlights a predicted 141% rise in mortgage availability for people looking to build their own homes
The government is continuing to identify more surplus land for self build projects and there is increasing interest from builders, developers, landowners and local authorities to support self home building across the country.
‘More than half the UK population would like to one day build their own homes, and around two million families are keen to get their projects off the ground in the very near future. The new self build portal will help them figure out what, realistically, they can afford to build. It will explain how their budgets can go further if they team up with other would be self builders or do a portion of the work themselves, and it highlights the parts of the UK where it can be cheaper to find a site and construct a home,’ said Ted Stevens, the chairman of the National Self Build Association.
‘The site has lots of great examples, and is crammed with practical advice and tips. We have also worked hard to ensure the information is as authoritative and independent as possible, in may ways it's like a Which Guide to Self Build, so people using it can really rely on the information that's provided,’ he added.
Kevin McCloud, green developer and presenter of the popular television series Grand Designs, said that self build is sometimes seen as a long, difficult and self sacrificing process. ‘But with the right planning, help and support it can be enjoyable and on collective schemes empowering. I believe we can become a nation of self builders. With the right support I believe we'd see more customised homes that reflect where they are, built to higher standards and to a better quality,’ he explained.
‘We'd see people sharing skills and saving money. We'd see neighbours working together on community self build schemes and local construction economies thriving. And we'd certainly see more energy efficient buildings and a wider embracing of green technologies,’ he added.
George Clarke, architect, presenter and independent advisor to the government on empty homes, said he would like it to be made much easier for a new generation of younger people to be getting their self build projects off the ground.
‘Few people realise that it is possible to build a very affordable, custom designed home for quite a modest amount. And if young people team up with others, it's possible to make even bigger savings, perhaps reducing the cost of a new home by 30or more,’ he pointed out.
‘So self build really can be a route to affordable housing. This new portal explains in depth how group self build schemes can be delivered and I'm sure it will help to increase the number of innovative low cost self build projects that are completed in the UK,’ he added.
