A new study has revealed that the Torridge is the best place in the South West to build your own home.

Landscaping experts Marshalls, who released the data, analysed factors such as the cost of land and construction, planning approval rates, and cowboy tradesman reports across the country to discover the places where self-builders face the fewest challenges.

Torridge ranked 43rd on the list, making it the only location in the South West to sit within the top 50 best places in England to build a house.

The area had a high planning approval rate of 94.49 per cent, with 240 out of the 250 planning applications submitted within the period measured being approved, meaning it had the tenth highest approval rate of anywhere in England.

When looking at the value of land, Torridge saw an average price of £1,490,000 per hectare, which made it approximately the 89th most affordable out of the 307 areas.

Another factor that Marshalls considered was the regional construction cost difference, which was measured at one per cent higher than the national average.

The final data set that Marshalls factored in was the amount of cowboy traders reported in each region of the country, measured by reports per 100,000.

As of the 2021 census, there were 5.3 million people living in the South West, and the data reveals that there were 76.09 cowboy trader reports per 100,000 people.

This gives the region the fourth lowest rate of cowboy traders, with only the East, South East and London having fewer reports.

Anna Hampshire, Head of Marketing from Marshalls says; “Building your own home is no easy feat and there are many challenges that you could face in making your dream home a reality.

“From the cost of the land you’re building on to finding the best tradespeople for the job, there’s a lot to consider before you get close to adding the finishing touches to your property.”