For most of us, building our own house would be a DIY step too far. But every year, 20,000 Britons take the plunge, which means self-build accounts for around 11% of all new housing starts. And among these brave souls aspiring to create their very own dream home, a large proportion – some say the majority – are using timber and wood products-based construction.

Both these facts are reflected in Swindon's just-opened National Self Build & Renovation Centre.

The operation is the brainchild of BuildStore, the company behind the TradeCard discount scheme and PlotSearch service for self-builders. Opened in February by TV personality and builder Tommy Walsh (who is now working on a new series on self-build), the centre is effectively a permanent exhibition for companies involved in the sector. Currently around 220 have taken space in the cavernous 67,000ft2 DIY-shed-style building and more are reported to be interested.

BuildStore's Tim Doherty said that current estimates put the value of self-build, including materials, services and land, at £6.6bn. “There are also a lot of people aspiring to do it. The Centre will help give them the confidence to go for it, with all the products and advice they need under one roof.”

In addition to the self build pot, the new venture is also going after the renovation market, which 300,000 consumers dip into each year. “We're expecting 30,000 visitors in the first year, growing possibly up to 100,000,” said Doherty.

The Roof Zone, where traditional and modern timber structures are displayed

Entry to the Centre costs £12 at weekends and £10 during the week. For the money, visitors will get an audio tour gizmo, similar to those used in museums, to guide them round the 'educational journey' sector, which features cut-away exhibits to illustrate various stages of housebuilding. They can also take advantage of the PlotSearch and Finance Centres and the Design and Planning and Trade Referral Desks, where they can get advice on the whole self-build process and locate suitable trades people from a 15,000-strong national database.

The Design Centre provides further creative inspiration and there are 'events theatre' areas where they can see products being put through their paces. The main company exhibit area is the “Trade Village” and, finally, there's a separate audio tour of the “Renovation Zone”, comprising a full-sized, three-sided house to show the house frontage and roof before, during and post refurbishment. Inside, the pre-refurb section is even fitted out with artificial dry rot, swirly, peeling period wallpaper, a Bakelite phone, butler's sink and 1950s-style canvas crash helmet hung on an old-fashioned coat-stand.

The prominence of timber construction in this temple to self-build hits you straight away. The biggest display of all is a full-size post and beam timber frame house from Potton Homes' new arts and crafts-inspired Renaissance range. It was also officially opened by Walsh at the Centre's launch event where he described himself as a “traditional-build dinosaur, now converting to more modern, sustainable construction methods, like timber frame and SIPs”. He also told Timber Building that his prospective new show, about building a house for £60,000 on a £60,000 plot in 60 days, would have a timber frame first floor and timber-based room in the roof structure.

TV personality and timber building convert Tommy Walsh opened the Centre

Potton's sales and marketing director Joe Martoccia said that self-build held major potential for timber construction, with design flexibility, user-friendliness and now, increasingly, its natural and sustainable credentials all adding to its appeal. “We send a questionnaire to potential self-builders asking them their priorities for their new home,” he said. “Environmental performance is now fourth on the list and that clearly favours timber construction.”

Underlining the importance he attaches to the self-build market, Gilbert McCarthy, managing director of Potton's new owners, Irish-based Kingspan Century (see p69), was also at the opening. “We see prospects for Potton to use our systems and product, such as Kingspan Tek [SIPs] panels, and for developing the Potton self-build model in Ireland,” he said,

Other timber frame specialists with display space include Welsh Oak Frame, Oakwright, The Swedish House Company, and Platz Haus and WeberHaus of Germany.

The timber and wood products supply and manufacturing sectors are also at out in force. On its stand, Wolf is promoting its easi-joist metal-web and timber parallel chord trusses, WolfWin design software and KeyBuild panel wall system. “This really puts our products in the front line to reach self-builders and renovators and we'll be able to pass enquiries to our supplier network,” said Wolf's Paul Flounder, adding that the company's fink and room in the roof trusses also feature in the Centre's roof zone and the demonstration theatre.

The Potton Renaissance range house takes shape in the Self Build Centre

Norbord gets double exposure too. It shows its Caberdek flooring, Sterling OSB and Caberwood MDF in the Trade Village, while Caberdek is also used in the Renaissance house and the 200-seat lecture theatre and Sterling forms part of Potton's wall cassettes and roof structure.

James Jones jji-joists crop up in various displays and the company is also promoting its rapid-construction, pre-assembled

I-joist and timber panel-based attic roof system JJ-IntelliRoof.

According to general manager Brian Robertson, IntelliRoof is currently being trialled by Wimpey, but is also ideal for the self-builder. “It's prefabricated, weather-tight in a day and fully-floored before installation, which gives obvious safety benefits,” he said. “It also ties in with the growing popularity of rooms in the roof and on average adds about £1,000 to the cost of the house, which self-builders, we believe, will not baulk at.”

Brill Sawmills, which is highlighting its range of hardwood second-fix products, from flooring to beams and worktops, sees the Centre as a route for tapping into a quality-orientated and high value added market. “Self-builders are generally an older, more affluent consumer group and they're looking for quality,” said Brill's Tony James. “Obviously budget is important, but they're not obsessed with taking cost out. They see their home as a long-term investment and they're building to last.”

The National Self-Build & Renovation Centre is also marketing itself to architects, interior designers and builders. “We expect a lot of them to come here with their self-build clients so they can take them through the construction process and see the products and systems available,” said Doherty.