Win tickets to the Homebuilding and Renovation Show

From the archive, first published Wednesday 12th Feb 2003.

More and more people are realising the advantages of either renovating an existing property or taking on the ultimate project of building their own home.

If you are interested in increasing the value of your home, saving up to 30% on a new home or are simply looking for ideas to get you started, the National Homebuilding and Renovating Show at Birmingham's NEC from March 13 until 16 is the place to be and the Shuttle/Times and News has got 60 pairs of tickets to be won worth more than £500.

Renovating or building your own home does not necessarily mean spending months living in a caravan watching a house slowly emerge from the ground with blood sweat and tears. For most 'self-builders', the term simply means commissioning a house to be built to an individual specification - no dirty hands required.

By building your own home you can create a house which will suit the unique demands of any family or individual, potentially saving up to 30%.

So popular has this route to home-ownership become that, collectively, self-builders and those who renovate or convert existing properties make for the largest group of house builders in Britain.

The most recent figures, published in 1999, have self-builders and renovators accounting for 20,000 new residential units a year.

The nearest rival is Wimpey at 12,356, with Barratt trailing at less than half that figure at 9,556 new homes.

The organisers of the show have created the perfect one-stop shopping opportunity for all would be self-builders and renovators, visitors are attracted to the Homebuilding and Renovating Shows because of their unparalleled reputation as a source of inspiration and excellent free advice and information.

The show boasts more than 300 exhibitors - everything from finding a plot of land to paving for patios and interior finishing can be found under one roof.

The ticket price includes a comprehensive programme of free seminars on all aspects of building and renovating, as well as an `ask the experts' forum where specialists will answer questions on specific projects.

The show is open daily from 10am until 5pm and tickets are £9 on the day, with a reduction for tickets purchased in advance.

For more information call the ticket hotline on 0208 710 2186 or visit the website

For the chance to win, answer the following question:

Q: What potential % saving could you make by building your own home?

Closing date: Friday, March 7.

Normal Newsquest rules apply.

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