A Guide to Becoming a Small Housing Developer

How to approach small-scale development with clarity, confidence and great design.

Becoming a small housing developer isn’t just for seasoned property professionals. Increasingly, we’re seeing individuals, families and local landowners take the leap into small-scale residential development.

Whether that’s building a few bespoke homes on a garden plot, converting a disused barn into boutique apartments or replacing a single dwelling with something more efficient.

At CODA Bespoke, we’ve worked with a wide range of private clients and emerging developers to help them realise the full potential of their land, while ensuring the homes they create are sustainable, beautiful and sensitive to context. Whether you’re starting with a back-of-a-napkin idea or already own a site, here’s what you need to know.

What counts as a ‘small developer’?

There’s no official threshold, but most ‘small’ developers in the UK operate at the scale of:

• 1 to 10 dwellings
• A single site or property
• Private or joint ownership (often families or individuals)

This could include:

• Subdividing a large plot
• Replacing a tired bungalow with multiple new homes
• Developing infill land between existing buildings
• Converting barns or outbuildings, like the stunning Lindrick Farm project in Tickhill.
• Building on land at the rear of a home (commonly called ‘garden development’)

What defines a successful small developer isn’t volume. It’s attention to quality, community impact and long-term value. Here’s how to get it right:

Start with the site (and its context)

Every site comes with opportunity. But it also comes with constraints. Think access, trees, visibility, neighbour boundaries, topography, planning history, local design character and more.

That’s why the first step in any development project is a site appraisal. At CODA Bespoke, we help clients understand:

• What’s feasible in planning terms
• What infrastructure is available (like utilities, highways and drainage)
• Where the opportunities lie (making the most of features like views, orientation and natural light)
• How to create a layout that works for both future homeowners and the surrounding community.

Planning permission: know what you’re in for

Navigating planning can feel daunting, but with the right guidance, it becomes manageable. And often, even collaborative.

Key considerations include:

• Local Plan policies: what your council supports in terms of density, character, parking and mix of housing types. For example, the Brook View project saw four luxury, multilevel homes constructed in a picture-perfect village setting, a stone’s throw from Peak District National Park.
• Access and highways: especially important for infill plots or shared driveways.
• Heritage constraints: if you’re working in or near a Conservation Area or listed building.
• Impact on neighbours: think sunlight, privacy and outlook.
• Ecology and trees: surveys may be required if you’re near protected habitats or mature vegetation.

We often recommend pre-application discussions with the local authority. These can surface issues early and give planners more confidence in your intent.

Design matters (and so does detail)

It can be tempting to focus purely on cost per square metre. But when it comes to getting planning permission (and creating homes people actually want to live in) design quality is everything.

At CODA Bespoke, our approach balances:

• Layout logic. Making sure homes are well oriented, private and connected to outdoor space.
• Architectural character. Modern yet contextually grounded, using appropriate materials and forms.
• Buildability. Ensuring the design is practical for construction and delivers long-term value.
• Sustainability. Embedding passive principles, efficient materials and future-ready technologies into the fabric of the buildings.

A great example? The scheme at 119 Park Road, which consists of four new-build dwellings located in the grounds of a non-designated heritage asset. The existing building has been sensitively restored and converted into a six-bedroom super home, seamlessly blending past and present. It's the kind of project that proves small-scale development can be bold, beautiful and rooted in context.

Whether you’re building two mews houses in a backland plot in York, or redeveloping a brownfield site in Sheffield, design isn’t a luxury or even a nice-to-have. It’s a genuine tool for success.

Financing your project

Every development needs funding. The good news? Lenders are increasingly open to self-builders and small-scale developers, especially when there's a clear plan in place.

Typical options include:

• Development finance: short-term loans secured against the project.
• Self-build mortgages: released in stages as work progresses.
• Private equity or joint ventures: often with family or local investors.

Lenders will want to see:

• A professional design team
• Planning permission (or at least a strong planning strategy)
• Cost estimates and contingency planning
• An exit strategy (sale, rental or personal use)

Working with an experienced architect can significantly improve your credibility with both lenders and planners.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Becoming a small developer is deeply rewarding but it’s not without risk. Some things to watch out for:

Overdeveloping the site

Trying to squeeze too much onto a plot often leads to poor layouts, unhappy neighbours and planning rejections.

Poor preparation

Skipping surveys or ignoring planning policies rarely ends well. Upfront due diligence pays off later.

Designing without context

Cut-and-paste solutions won’t get far, especially in sensitive settings. Respect the character of the street and its rhythm.

Misunderstanding costs

Building costs have risen. Include a healthy contingency and be realistic about finishes and timeframes.

How CODA Bespoke can help

We’re more than just architects. We’re collaborative design partners who can help you shape a project that is:

• Commercially viable
• Architecturally thoughtful
• Planning-compliant
• And genuinely enjoyable to live in

We’ve worked with new developers on everything from first-time garden plots to multi-home conversions, bringing clarity, experience and design excellence to each one.

Think long-term with us

Small-scale development isn’t about making a quick profit. It’s about creating places that endure. A great project will stand the test of time: architecturally, financially and socially.

Done well, small developments:

• Contribute positively to local housing need
• Unlock value from underused land
• Provide homes people genuinely want to live in
• Set a precedent for what good design looks like in the community

Thinking about a small development? Let’s talk.

Whether you’ve got a piece of land in mind, an underappreciated building with big potential or are just starting to explore your options, reach out today. We’d love to hear from you.