WORK is underway on the development of 122 new custom build homes in Basingstoke.

The Squirrel Wood will be designed by the new homebuyers themselves, giving them as much input as they want into the look of their new home.

The idea has been developed by the government’s housing agency Homes England in partnership with house builder designyourhome.com to make custom build more accessible to the public.

Custom build gives new home buyers the opportunity to choose how much they want to be involved in the design and construction of their new home.

From a fully serviced self-build plot where they can independently manage the design and build of a home to tailoring room layouts, fixtures and fittings then having a home built by an already appointed contractor, the buyer can choose the level of support that suits them best.

The site will also include 44 affordable homes available for shared ownership or affordable rent with housing association Aster.

Residents will be able to choose the features of their homes from a menu of options pre-agreed by Aster.

Kelly Hillman, senior development manager, who has led the project for Homes England said securing full planning permission up front to cover all the design options offered at Squirrel Wood will significantly speed up the process of custom building and make custom build available to a wider audience.

She said: “Homes England’s mission is to help build better homes faster, custom build supports this by bringing a greater choice of products to the market.

“We are pleased to work with DesignYourHome who aim to make custom build available to as many people as possible and not just the luxury end of the housing market.”

Kim Slowe, managing director at designyourhome.com, added: “Squirrel Wood is an extraordinary project that gives every home buyer real and meaningful choices as to how their very competitively priced new home is configured.”