This investment enables Steenvlinder to form a strategic partnership with CBH and demonstrates both parties’ commitment to diversifying the UK’s growing custom and self-build (CSB) housing sector and to making the process more accessible to the many.

Steenvlinder, which was founded in The Netherlands in 2015, began expanding into the UK in 2021. Currently invested in two sites in Kent and another in the Midlands, Steenvlinder has also been exploring further opportunities to scale up across the British Isles and this partnership with CBH makes that possible. Steenvlinder remains open to fresh conversations and encourages interested organisations to get in touch.

With more than 35 years’ experience in the housing sector, including 15 years launching and furthering self-build schemes in The Netherlands and UK, Hans Sparreboom, Steenvlinder founder & CEO and CBH board member, said: “While the ambition to increase the number of homes is important, the social ambition to make CSB more accessible will diversify the UK’s housing market with the development of better-designed homes for happier homeowners and more vibrant communities.

“I am excited we are partnering with CBH. Our experience, model, and openness towards self-building in The Netherlands will complement CBH’s knowledge and pragmatism towards navigating the UK market. I look forward to seeing what we can achieve by working together.”

CBH built the UK’s national customer demand database, The Right to Build Register, while the company was incubated within BuildStore. This deal sees CBH take ownership of the technology on which several local planning authorities track demand for CSB housing in their areas and where millions of data points from over 100,000 applications are used to inform planning, design, and development decisions to create new places and products that respond to the needs of local people.

Tom Connor, founder & CEO at CBH, added: “We are pleased and excited to have such an experienced, forward-thinking, and socially driven developer like Steenvlinder as a shareholder and board member. Their continental approach to development and placemaking through CSB has enabled them to grow quickly in The Netherlands, and their openness to share and coach means we are sure to find plenty of opportunities to collaborate in the UK going forward.”