Hi, As a kid my favourite superhero was (and still is) Batman. There was something about the Batcave in particular that really stuck with me. The hidden, self-made, full of tools and secrets. A place to retreat to and be safe. The idea of a Bolthole still interests me today. This was in the Michael Keaton Batman Returns era of the early 1990’s. With Danny DeVito's antagonist Penguin and Michel Pfeiffer's deuteragonist Catwoman. Around that time, when I was about 4 years old, my dad built a...

Hi, 5 Why’s in Engineering Since the inception of powered flight in the early 1900’s, learning from mistakes has been a revolutionary tool in understanding how to improve on ideas and evolve quickly. While investigating manufacturing issues on wing spars in 2017, I often used a Root Cause Analysis Model called the Five Why’s to understand what could have caused a particular issue on the build line. The Five Why’s was a model developed by Toyota in the 1930’s that encouraged engineers to ask...

Hi, Some people build because they want more space. Some because they’re tired of renting or compromising. But for others, it goes deeper, it feels like something they have to do. Ikigai is a Japanese word meaning “a reason for being.” And today, I want to show you how to use it to figure out why building your own home might not just be a good idea… …but the right idea for you. What is Ikigai? In essence, ikigai is what brings you joy, meaning, and fulfilment in daily life, often without...

Hi, Let’s get a bit weird today. I want you to imagine there are 1,000 versions of you living across 1,000 parallel universes. In one, you’re a musician in a cliffside cabin. In another, you run a vineyard in Italy. In a third, you never left your hometown — but you built the perfect home from scratch with your bare hands. Each of these versions of you made different choices. Took different risks. Chased different wants. But across all those timelines, I’d bet some things are always there....

Hi, Today we’re going over the 5/25 Rule to focus down a broad range of reasons to more specific reasons. The 5/25 rule is commonly attributed to Warren Buffett, although there’s no direct confirmation from him that he ever formally named it that way, it mostly comes from a story involving his pilot, Mike Flint. Here’s how it goes: The 5/25 Rule (Focus Rule) Step 1:Write down the 25 most important goals you want to achieve, this could be career goals, personal goals, life ambitions, etc. Step...

Hi Reader, This week I have been struggling with burnout. Every small task feels like a heavy lift. I find myself looking at my phone and procrastinating far more than usual, and the social algorithms keep sending me land sourcing and property development course adverts which further add to the guilt of procrastinating! One positive from sitting outside in my contemplative mood this week is noticing that the swifts who nest in our roof space have returned after their migration! It’s like...

England Housing Model Prospective Changes and Impact to Self-Build Hi Reader 👋 As a reminder you're receiving this free email because you opted-in via BADSBA.co.uk, with Valerie Bearne, or I added you manually because we've spoken one-to-one, and you gave your consent. If you don't enjoy it or have changed your mind, feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom – I won't be notified, and I'll never even know! (This is the last time I'll include this message) Hope you have had a great couple of...

5 Reasons Why Joining A Community Improves Your Odds of Success Hi Reader 👋 As a reminder you're receiving this free email because you opted-in via BADSBA.co.uk, with Valerie Bearne, or I added you manually because we've spoken one-to-one, and you gave your consent. If you don't enjoy it or have changed your mind, feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom – I won't be notified, and I'll never even know! It was great to meet so many people and put names to faces on the 19th of October at...

Welcome to the Measure Twice, Build Once newsletter! Hi Reader and welcome! 👋 As a reminder you're receiving this free email because you opted-in via BADSBA.co.uk, with Valerie Bearne, or I added you manually because we've spoken one-to-one, and you gave your consent. If you don't enjoy it or have changed your mind, feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom – I won't be notified, and I'll never even know! I'm excited to start off this journey of self-build with a sequence of emails that explore...