Exmoor Young Voices’ Self-Build Tour 2026

Affordable housing on Exmoor isn't easy to find...but self-builds offer hope. Last week, young people and supporters from across the National Park turned up eager to explore what self-build could look like on Exmoor. The Exmoor Young Voices’ Self-Build Tour took us to three very different homes:

• A completed timber frame and straw bale build
• An in-progress ICF block build
• A traditional in-progress brick build

Each stop offered something unique, but together they told a bigger story...one of inspiration and determination to build a future here on Exmoor, even when that isn’t easy.

Why we hosted the Self-Build Tour

EYV has run self-build tours before, but the last one was pre-pandemic. Since then, interest and urgency around affordable self-builds on Exmoor has grown. Conversations with young people have sharpened, new projects have started, and one question keeps emerging: is self-build the only realistic way for young people to afford a home on Exmoor?
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In response, EYV formed the Self-Build Group – a growing network of people at very different stages of the journey, from plot finding and early ideas, to homes already rising from the ground. The group of young people, led by Justin Tyers, exists to share knowledge, frustrations, small wins, and hard-earned lessons. And as it grew, so did demand for something very simple: the chance to actually see self-builds in real life.

The homes on the Exmoor Self-Build Tour

The tour centred around three homes, each representing a different approach, stage, and experience. The aim wasn’t to present a single “right way” to build, but to share experiences honestly.

Justin and Linda’s straw bale & timber frame self-build

Justin and Linda Tyers’ home was the first stop. Built on a £50,000 plot within Exmoor National Park, their self-build is a striking example of what’s possible when determination, creativity, and hands-on learning come together.

Constructed using traditional, locally sourced timber and straw bales for insulation and wall structure, the house is ecological, low-carbon, and deeply connected to its surroundings. Everything about the build feels intentional and bespoke, from the structure itself to the way the home is powered and lived in.

Perhaps most surprising of all is the cost. The total build came in at around £67,000, which includes not just the house, but a fully insulated 40sqm workshop and complete off-grid systems for electricity, water, and sewage.

Most of the work was done by Justin and Linda themselves. Budget constraints forced them to question assumptions about what was possible, including whether they needed an architect.

“What I learnt when I was doing this was how much you can do yourself. We were really tight on the budget, and the first thing I came up against was the cost of an architect. That was going to be a big chunk of the money we had. I wondered if it was even legal to be your own architect – and I found there was no problem with that” said Justin.

Drawing on books, research, and a love of traditional building methods, Justin taught himself timber framing.

“I’m very into medieval-style frames, so I got a book out, read up on it, and worked out how thick the timber needed to be and what joints to use. It’s incredible what you can learn.”

More than anything, Justin’s message to the group was about doing it your way, taking control of the process, and designing a home that reflects how you want to live.
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“You’re in charge of your build. You make all the decisions. You don’t have to accept anything. You would be amazed at how much cheaper it is to do things yourself, and how you can come up with solutions that work for you and how you want to live.”

It’s also worth noting that Justin and Linda’s home is tied to a Section 106 agreement – ensuring new homes in National Parks like Exmoor remain available to people with a strong local connection.

Josh and Meg’s ICF self-build

Josh and Meg’s home is still under construction, but the journey began many years ago after they attended an earlier EYV self-build meeting and visited Justin’s property. Both are deeply involved with EYV, Meg as Coordinator and Josh as a Trustee, and their self-build sits on land that has been in Josh’s family for generations.

Like Justin and Linda's home, their build is also subject to a Section 106 agreement.

The house itself is a contemporary design, built using ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) blocks, and will be clad and rendered to give it a rustic finish that sits comfortably within its Exmoor surroundings.

“Think of it a bit like Lego – the blocks slot together and there are little clips on them. You build the ground floor first, and the void in the centre gets filled with concrete. It gives you a very sturdy construction, but it’s also incredibly thermally efficient” said Josh.

Designed as an “upside-down house”, the open-plan living space is positioned upstairs, with large windows carefully placed to make the most of the stunning views.

The couple has taken a mixed approach to self-build (or custom build as it’s sometimes referred to): expert tradespeople for certain parts, and doing as much as possible themselves to save money. Much of the work has been carried out by Josh, his father and Meg’s father – a huge family effort that they’re extremely grateful for.

Along the way, they’ve faced their fair share of hurdles, from planning approval delays and rising material costs, to expensive utilities connections, and balancing build work with full-time jobs and family life.

Despite these hurdles, support from Exmoor Young Voices, Lendology CIC, planners, local councillors, the local community, and most importantly, family, has made progress possible and kept the project moving forward.

Sam and Charles’ traditional brick self-build

Sam and Charles are part of a local farming family and have lived in their Exmoor village all of their lives. Their site already had a small, derelict two-up, two-down timber house on it that hadn’t been lived in for around 20 years. After early conversations with Exmoor National Park Authority, they were granted planning permission to demolish the existing structure and build a new Rural Worker and Succession Farm dwelling, designed to be in keeping with the style and surroundings of the village.

Initially designed at 93sqm, they later discovered that the Rural Worker planning designation allowed a larger footprint – an important advantage when planning a functional family home.

Like Josh and Meg, Sam and Charles are combining professional tradespeople with doing as much as they can themselves. They joined the EYV Self-Build Group to learn from others’ experiences and gain support navigating planning changes, such as switching from wooden windows to uPVC wooden-look alternatives.

​Their build highlights that there isn’t a single route to self-build on Exmoor. Different planning pathways exist, and understanding them is key for anyone hoping to build a home in a National Park.

Learning from the Self-Build Tour

The Self-Build Tour highlighted both the challenges and opportunities of building on Exmoor, offering practical insights and hope to anyone considering creating their own home here. 

​At Exmoor Young Voices, we’ll continue the conversation about self-build in Exmoor National Park. Our aim is to educate, inspire, and help others overcome the hurdles that come with building a home in a protected landscape. We’re committed to working alongside the Exmoor National Park Authority and local councils to recognise self-build as an important part of affordable housing on the moor, and to ensure young people have the knowledge, support, and confidence to create homes for their future here.