5 Reasons Why Joining A Community Improves Your Odds of Success

Hi Reader 👋

It was great to meet so many people and put names to faces on the 19th of October at Valerie's Retirement Party.

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Gillian and Ray Bond very kindly hosted us at their new house. Built on the footprint of an old agricultural building and set in an idyllic area, it features numerous eco-technologies, vaulted ceilings with large windows to soak up the views. I extend my thanks once again for allowing us to view your wonderful new home.

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Valerie began BADSBA - then known as Bath and District Self-Build Association - in 2000. Her support on many projects was widely praised by everyone I spoke to with a couple of people even saying that had it not been for her support they would have walked away from their self-build projects entirely.

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I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Valerie for all she has done for the sector and wish her an incredibly happy retirement. 🎉

The one thing that really stood out to me during the party was the community Valerie has built over those 24-years and how it was a key aspect in the success of many people's journeys. This got me thinking into why that was and what the key takeaways could be for encouraging people to network in the self-build sector going forwards.

1. Knowledge and Opportunity Sharing and Learning from Others’ Mistakes

Joining a community allows access to a collective wealth of experience, where members can share both successes and challenges. This can save time and money by learning what pitfalls to avoid and which strategies have worked well for others. In aerospace we call this “Lessons Learned” and ask “why” something happened repeatedly until we get to the root cause of the mistake. Using this root cause to then improve the processes for later use.

Many members will bring unique perspectives to these root causes and can bring creative solutions to the table, which can help others approach challenges in new ways.

2. Finding Trusted Resources and Recommendations

Communities often serve as excellent referral networks for reliable contractors, suppliers, and materials, helping self-builders find high-quality options that meet their needs. People tend to be more honest and detailed about their experiences in a community setting, which is often more trustworthy than random reviews online.

3. Emotional Support and Motivation

Building a property is challenging, and setbacks are common. Being surrounded by people who understand the journey can be a great source of encouragement, helping members stay motivated and resilient when facing obstacles. Support from others who “get it” is invaluable. Which has clearly been a strong point as I mention above.

Opportunities such as being invited to other self-builds evoke inspiration and encouragement.

4. Opportunities for Shared Resources and Bulk Buys

Members undergoing construction at the same time could team up to make bulk purchases on materials or hire equipment together, lowering costs. This kind of cooperation can make certain aspects of the build much more affordable and accessible and is very often a benefit of Community Self Builds.

5. Keeping Up with Trends and Regulations

The construction industry changes quite slowly but even with that being the case a lot of the information available online is out of date in terms of building codes to eco-friendly practices. Being part of a community can keep you informed on these changes, allowing you to adapt your build plan with the latest knowledge and trends, which might not be as accessible when working solo.

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Networking with like-minded individuals gives you a number of advantages and opportunities that can improve your odds of success.

Join Our Facebook Peer Community

Retired architect Paul Richards has expanded a Self-Builder Community on Facebook, which he has graciously handed over. This unites our collective network to approximately 650 individuals who are interested in, or are actively engaged in, self and custom building.

If you haven't already, join our growing Facebook Community and invite others who you think may also be interested!

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Recommendations

• Gillian Bond recommends Houzz which is a free digital magazine that can be used to help find local trades and for exploring ideas.
• I use other Dassault software in my Aerospace Design work, HomeByMe is a free online 3D space planning software that enables you to quickly draw up a three-dimensional property and kit it out with real products. You can then render images to use to explain ideas to contractors. It looks very powerful for the price tag!

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Have a great weekend,

Brendan