A Naked House is a home house that is complete in a minimalist sense. It is habitable and comes with electricity, heating, and a simple kitchen and bathroom.
Naked House was established as a not-for-profit in 2013 by four young Londoners all feeling the impact of the affordability crisis. We all work in housing, development and construction. This is by generation rent for generation rent.
Established by four working Londoners in 2013, we were all on moderate incomes and being priced out of the communities in which we’d put down roots. We were uninspired by increasingly expensive shared ownership flats where every last fixture and fitting is chosen for you and often expensive management arrangements were ineffective.
We wanted to be a part of solving our own housing crisis by getting stuck in and contributing to our homes ourselves and being part of a community of like-minded people. We quickly realised we had a model that could help thousands of people like us. This is by generation rent for generation rent.
‘Developer’ has become a dirty word. We want to put people back at the centre of housebuilding by prioritising things that matter to our members – a sense of community, high environmental performance, well constructed flexible homes and not curating a certain look with expensive fixtures and fittings.
If you earn a moderate income – typically under £90K as a household – and can’t afford to buy a home on the open market then Naked House is for you.
If you want to be part of a community that owns and manages all communal areas, then this is for you.
If you want to be part of the process of adapting and improving your home over time, then this is for you.
In Enfield our homes will be prioritised for those who live and/or work in the borough, in line with the Council’s own allocation policy.
There is a huge unmet demand for self and custom build housing as demonstrated by the Self and Custom Build Housing Act of 2015 intended to kick-start supply. All Councils are required to hold a register of individuals wanting to self or custom build and to help unlock sites for such development.
Naked House has combined the idea of affordable housing with custom-build housing – empowering people to be part of their own solution to the housing crisis.
Our homes cost between 70-80% of market value. In Enfield we aim to ensure homes are genuinely affordable for those with a household income of £45K-75K. This means for example that a couple who are both newly qualified teachers would be able to afford a home.
Naked House is not-for-profit so we pass on all cost savings to purchasers.
We are different to most developers because we limit prices to the minimum needed to cover our costs regardless of what the market is doing. This is about putting affordability first.
We receive grant funding from the Greater London Authority.
Any discount received by the initial purchaser is locked in through a resale covenant, so if you buy at 75% of market value you have to sell at 75% of market value. Your home can still rise or fall in line with the market, or with the improvements you make, but always at the same level below market. This ensures the homes keep on serving the local community in perpetuity.
Unlike many affordable products where you own part and rent part, with Naked House you 100% own your home. We think this is really important for a lot of people so it was a founding principle for us. With Naked House flats, you have a standard lease and share of the freehold.
All communal areas are owned and managed by residents. No rip-off service charges. It’s about empowering people to own and manage not just their home but their community.
Yes, homes are habitable from day one. They are planning, building and mortgage compliant. There’s heating, electrics, lighting and a simple kitchen and bathroom, but there are few extra finishes, fittings or partitions. Our homes are designed to be adapted and improved over time.
Our homes are future-proofed for a changing climate. We surpass the minimum carbon emission, energy efficiency and building fabric standards. Homes are A-rated and come with triple glazing, air source heat pumps. The buildings have a very high ‘thermal mass’ which helps regulate both hot and cold weather. We’ve chosen to build less but build well.
It’s completely up to you. We have designed homes to be as flexible as possible – for example with easily accessible services and simple building techniques.
We are inspired by Georgian and Victorian homes that have served the differing needs of subsequent generations because they were built simply but built well.
As with any building work any adaptations must be carried out in line with current legislation including health & safety, Planning and Building Regulations.
To ensure the highest number of mortgage lenders possible homes are habitable from day one and come with heating, electrics, lighting, a simple kitchen and bathroom. All homes have a new build warranty.
As it’s a type of affordable housing there are clauses to protect affordability for future generations. We work with affordable housing mortgage brokers Censeo Financial who can guide you through the buying process.
There is a set of eligibility criteria – for example you must live/work in the borough, qualify for affordable housing (earn under £90k as a household) and be a member of Naked House. We then prioritise purchasers in line with the eligibility criteria.
All our homes are complete and habitable from day one. They are planning, building and mortgage compliant. There’s heating, electricity, lighting and a simple kitchen and bathroom.
We far surpass the standards of most news builds – our homes have triple glazing, air source heat pumps and are highly insulated for example.
It’s not that our homes are cheaper to build, we’re just choosing to spend money in different places, which we think will better serve residents in the future.
Self-finishing is not for everyone but we know there is a huge unmet demand from the Self and Custom Build Housing Act of 2015.
All communal areas are owned and managed by residents. It’s about empowering you not just to have a genuine stake in creating your own home, but in your neighbourhood and local community.
Naked House is a Community Interest Company. Our social mission is set in stone to benefit “working Londoners who cannot afford to buy…in a shared community that promotes wider social and environmental living.”