DESPITE the economic conditions, private new build registrations have risen 20 per cent according to the Home Building Council.

Following Housing Minister Grant Shapps' vow to ease barriers to self-build, it is expected that this figure will steadily increase over the next few years.

To meet increasing demand, Britain's biggest self-build and renovation event, The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show returns to the NEC, Birmingham at the end of March, with new ways to educate visitors wanting to build their future.

This year's show is bigger and more interactive with a whole host of new design ideas, practical workshops and hands on demonstrations, as well as more than a 100 new exhibitors.

The first thing visitors will see when they arrive at the NEC will be the The Cutting Edge Home by Border Oak, a life sized home which can be built in five days.

There are practical demonstrations, with a ‘try it yourself’ area, providing interactive training sessions on skills such as tiling, bricklaying, plumbing and plastering.

Tricks of the trade demonstrations will have qualified tradesmen to take you through a series of top money saving tips.

The show, which takes place from March 24 to 26, will have more than 450 self-build and renovation exhibitors.