Positioned in Finsbury Park, London, this striking new build cleverly utilises a derelict garage on a tiny plot, transforming the unused and unsightly space into a stylish two-bedroom home in a highly sought-after location.

Known as Wittering House, the property was designed by Charles Bettes, Managing Director of gpad London. Charles created the home for himself and his wife, with the modest budget of £240,000.

With the garage measuring just six metres by seven, the innovative self-build now covers 829 square feet and lies over three floors. Built from masonry and bronze, the property uses extensive glass and an open-plan layout to create the illusion of space.

The property took just 10 months to complete and inside boasts sleek, pared back design with Scandinavian-inspired furnishings, exposed brickwork and resin elements.

The property claimed the top prize at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards in May 2018, with the judges describing the home as “modest yet elegant.”

Eric and Jean Sawyer started self building in the 80s, when they created themselves a bespoke four-bedroom home in Oxfordshire. Roll on a few years and the couple’s passion for self build was reignited…

They purchased a plot adjoining their current home for just £5,000 and approached timber frame specialists, Potton, to design and build a bespoke barn-style home ideal for their downsizing needs.

The couple knew exactly what they wanted, so Eric drew up some initial ideas for a 140 square metre timber frame property. The brief to Potton was for a traditional home with a light and contemporary interior. In October 2013, Potton delivered the timber frame to site on the back of a lorry.

Built from the Kingspan Logic Plus build system, the three-bedroom home is highly energy efficient, with solar hot water, an air source heat pump and underfloor heating. The property cost just £234,000 and was crowned the winner of Best Self Build Under £250K at the 2017 Build It Awards.

This ultra-modern city pad lies in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Homeowners Tom and Emily Hunt needed more space, thanks to Tom’s flourishing media business. The couple decided to demolish their historic three-bedroom end-of-terrace to create a more suitable family space.

Using the original footprint of their former home, the couple approached SIPS@Clays to create a modern and spacious three-bedroom house with a dedicated office for business use. In order to pass planning, the home needed to replicate the structure of other buildings along the street, in terms of breadth.

Completed for the impressive sum of £139,000, the home was built from Structural Insulated Panels, making it highly energy efficient and easy to erect, with SIPS@Clays constructing the shell in just four weeks.

As well as a free-flowing and modern interior, the property also boasts a desirable rooftop garden, offering uninterrupted views over the city.

The edgy property won a Telegraph’s Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine Award in 2011 for its innovative design and low eco impact.

Known as Sorte Hus, this inventive family home is located in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Featuring a saddle roof and a private garden covering over 100 square metres, the property is a tranquil haven amid the bustle of city life.

Built from natural materials to keep costs to a minimum, the home utilises self-heated concrete, prefabricated wooden panels and extensive double-glazing.

With a sleek, open-plan interior, the home showcases a natural colour scheme with brushed concrete and floor-to-ceiling windows, for a clean, Scandinavian finish.

Covering 80 square metres over a single storey, this compact and ultra-modern family home cost the homeowners just €120,000, which equates to around £96,000.

READ MORE: 10 amazing package homes that take the graft out of self build

Nick Middleton and Kate Prentice were after a home that required little energy to run, so came up with the solution of a self build on the Isle of Skye. 

The cutting edge design cost the couple £123,000 ($171k) to build in just nine months and is one of the most energy-efficient homes in Scotland. The exterior design, with the asymmetrical frame, larch cladding and corrugated fibre-cement roof, takes its cue from the agricultural sheds scattered around the area. 

The views were carefully incorporated into the interior design for the family home. A glazed gable faces north over the loch, and slot windows to the west look over the mountains. On the south side there is a huge window that helps to heat the house. 

The 753-square-foot building also has a Swedish composting toilet, the Ekolet V, saving the couple thousands of gallons of water a year.

READ MORE: How to build your own house – a self build beginner's guide

Born out of a budget problem, this one bedroom micro – named The Wee House to reflect its Scottish roots – cost just £64,000 to build. It was conceived as an affordable solution by owner and entrepreneur Jennifer Hope to help people struggling to get on the property ladder.

The house is small at 430 square feet but this means that you don't need a huge plot of land to build on. Constructed in pre-fab sections, the house took only five weeks to build.

Inside the house is bright and welcoming. The open-plan layout makes the most of the space and has been decorated in light-reflecting colours to make it feel open and roomy.

French doors lead outside from the living room, making the best of the house's stunning rural location.

Clever storage solutions such as slimline wardrobes mean that the modestly-sized bedroom still feels workable and, with a smart nautical colour scheme, effortlessly chic.

When a young carpenter with a tight budget wanted to build his first home, architects Atelier l’Abri were more than happy to help with the self-build project.

The modern and uncomplicated design is square in its layout and spans over two floors.

Spruce, a cost-effective and rugged material, was chosen for the exterior cladding and helps the cabin blend into its surrounding.

The ground floor features the open-plan and double-height living room, dining area and kitchen, which are all bathed in natural light and look out onto a wooden deck and the beautiful landscape.

Using materials worth just £105,000 ($130,000) and numerous YouTube videos, one woman and her four kids built a five-bedroom house from scratch. Cara Brookins used the last of her money from a property sale to pay for the supplies, so the build itself was hugely hands-on.

Cara and her family were total amateurs and had to learn all of the skills themselves from the internet and people they met at their local Home Depot store. “I didn’t know yet how to frame a window or a door, how to snake pipes and wires through a wall or how to draw up blueprints or obtain permits," she said. They started by learning how to lay foundations, followed by erecting a timber frame.

With no experience of nailing together anything bigger than a bookshelf, Cara and her kids learned how to pour concrete, frame the walls and lay bricks, completing the house in nine months.

They even learned how to build a kitchen as part of the project. The house is now a 3,500 square-foot, two-story, five-bedroom family home called Inkwell Manor.

The design makes a highly insulated house on an affordable budget that people can build over the space of a year during weekends and holidays. 

This simple, wooden-framed self build was designed by architect Dominic Stevens with the aim to redefine how people house themselves.

The simple timber frame holds a compact design which holds a modest three bedroom house of 645 square feet that still feels spacious. 

Dominic has made the plans and building instructions available for free on an interactive website so that the knowledge he learned can be passed on to other self builders. 

Home to Sam and Stuart Honour, this glorious oak frame cottage was designed and constructed by timber experts, Welsh Oak Frame. The property covers 215 square metres and features three light-filled bedrooms, as well as an extensive garage space.

Costing just £220,000 to build, the large family home is located in the idyllic countryside of Cheshire, with every window offering uninterrupted views over the gorgeous surrounding landscape.

The home was the Honours’ second self-build project and was inspired by their plot's much-loved rural setting. They decided to utilise traditional oak to construct their dream property, with each joist handmade by Welsh Oak Frame's expert carpenters. Every exposed beam plays a key role in the interior aesthetic of this bespoke home. 

Building commenced in February 2010 and by December the couple were living in their brand new oak frame home. 

For the interior, the Honours opted for modern country style, with soft textures, a light colour scheme and simple tartan fabrics. Even though the home has lots of traditional character, its decor brings it right up to date.

Talking about their new home, Sam and Stuart Honour said, “We love living here. It’s the perfect location and house. It’s southwest facing, so we get sun from midday to evening. Having a traditional oak frame makes the house feel cosy and welcoming, which is enhanced by the use of tactile fabrics, creating a lovely lived-in feeling.”