By Angie Nichols, PIP Bristol Host.
As other property networking companies closed their doors for August, due to dwindling numbers courtesy of the holiday season, The Engineer’s House enjoyed a full room, of committed and experienced property professionals, ready for a jam packed day of content, as we took a deep dive into the world of development. We welcomed new members this month and it was lovely to see them in the room, together with more familiar faces and, of course, as ever, the Bristol banter game was strong!
Speaker 1 Ian Walmsley
The Planning Geek himself managed to deliver a presentation full of humour and individualism, on what is often a dry and complex topic – planning in development. He is a self-confessed developer who loves planning and this fact shone through. We heard about use classes; challenges on site; the importance of doing your own research; what happens when things go wrong; uncovering what’s beneath the ground and knowing your site. One of the key takeaways for me, was the importance of never making assumptions and doing your own investigations. If you missed it, Ian’s presentation will be in the Vault, our online database of more than 400 talks, which is just one of the many member benefits and, can be found on the website.
Speaker 2 Rod Turner
Our very own “Big Sexy” Rod Turner delivered a superb talk, full of content and value. We had deliberately scheduled Rod’s presentation for after the coffee break and wow, were we pleased we did, as caffeine was definitely required, in order to take it all in! Rod spoke about all aspects of the development from finding the site, right through to structuring the asset. My personal key takeaway was the importance of looking at something differently to how it was marketed and “taking the blinkers off.” Again, if you missed it, Rod’s talk will be in the vault, in about 14 days’ time, if you have any interest in development, I would highly recommend that you watch it.
Speaker 3 – Josh Thompson
Josh Thomspson from CrowdProperty gave a fabulous presentation about the change in Building Regs, which came into force in June of this year (2022), what they are and what they mean for us. It was great to hear from Josh as he is a Senior Surveyor at CrowdProperty, so, able to give us concise, relevant and useable advice on something that he sees every day. Be sure to watch his presentation in the vault if you missed the meeting, as his presentation comprehensively covers all the changes which came in only a few months ago.
Speaker 4 Garrick Rose
And, last but not least, we had a super member’s showcase from Bristol member, Garrick Rose. Garrick is a very experienced Quantity Surveyor and he enlightened us on where and how a QS can add value to a project. Garrick spoke about structure, cost, certainty, and sanity. We gained insights into a recent case study concerning a listed building and also heard about the different stages of a project, from pre-contract to completion. One of the key things which stood out for me, was how a QS can negotiate effectively on your behalf, because they have little emotion for the project or the finances, meaning that they can sometimes get better results than you maybe would yourself. If you missed August’s meeting, be sure to catch Garrick’s presentation in the vault – it is definitely worth a watch!
Networking
Our members enjoyed the usual networking with other members of the community, lunch, round table discussions with our speakers, sponsors and other industry experts. There were also 121 sessions with Tom Howells on all things legal, Peter Vandervennin on all things financial and John Cox for anything Insurance related.
Our Next Meeting
The date for your diary is Friday 23rd September and the theme is “raising private finance.” We have presentations from two property investors – Alicia Rose Barlow and Tina Collins, whose approach to using private funds in their investments is something we find refreshing, ethical and wholesome and we feel sure that you will too! Come and join us in Bristol on Friday 23rd September, from 9:30am – 3:00pm. If you’re not a member, but would like to come and see what a wonderfully supportive property community looks and feels like, then there is an offer on our website HERE – Use the referral scheme, put my name (Angie Nichols) in the space provided and get 2 months members’ benefits for £30.00.
See you in September!
(Don’t forget members will be able to catch up on this meeting in the VAULT very soon)
Angie and Ben. Bristol Hosts and KPA Property Management
