Frequently asked questions
Here are some of the things people most often ask about life at Laughton Lodge. If your question isn’t covered, we’re always happy to talk.
What is daily life like at Laughton Lodge?
Most of the time it’s like living in a village where you know all your neighbours. From day to day we’re all busy with work, school and home commitments, with the advantage of having friendly faces to chat to on the way to the car or while taking the bins out. Many of us share lifts or school runs, and there’s always someone to lend a hand or a missing ingredient when needed.
Several of us have offices in our community building, so we have all the advantages of working from home while being able to escape the house. Our kids ride their bikes and play in the gardens after school, and are constantly in and out of each other’s houses.
Outside of the day-to-day, we come together often to share work and play – through our weekly potlucks, seasonal social events, monthly community meetings and monthly work days. All of these are optional, and we understand that not everyone will attend every time. Sometimes people take a break from community activities for a while when life requires it.
How much privacy do people have?
Our homes are private and we respect each other’s space. The gardens and grounds are all shared – we collectively take responsibility for looking after them and make decisions together about how to manage them. In practice, people tend to care for the gardens closest to their homes, and there is significant scope to shape these for those with green fingers.
How much time do residents typically contribute to community life?
There are no minimum time commitments. We understand that everyone has different levels of time, energy and capability, and that this ebbs and flows over the years. However, it takes a lot of work to run a site like Laughton Lodge, and it is run entirely by the community. We rely on residents giving their time and skills when they can.
The main regular activities are our monthly main meeting, where major decisions are made about the community including budgets and expenditure, and our monthly work day, where we tackle jobs on the land and around the community buildings together. Most of us are also members of a sub-group – finance, maintenance, land or facilities – which manage different aspects of the community and oversee day-to-day expenditure.
What are the financial commitments beyond the purchase price?
Each household pays an annual service charge that covers the shared running costs of the site. This includes heating, electricity, water, high-speed broadband, and all maintenance of the shared land, gardens, community buildings and infrastructure. Ground rent is £10 per year.
Is this community right for everyone?
Honestly, no – we’d rather be upfront about that. It works best for people who are genuinely interested in shared living, willing to collaborate and compromise, and happy to be actively involved over the long term. If you value complete privacy and independence above everything else, this probably isn’t the right fit.
Over the past 25 years we’ve learned that two things tend to catch new residents out. The first is arriving with very high expectations. Community living is rewarding, but it’s also ordinary life, with all the friction and imperfection that involves. The second is wanting to change things quickly. Consensus-based decision-making means change can take time, and people who arrive with grand plans sometimes find that frustrating.
If you’re at all curious, the best thing you can do is visit. Spend time with people here, ask questions, and get a genuine feel for the place before making any decisions. We’d always rather someone takes their time than rushes into something that isn’t right for them.
Do you offer trial stays or volunteer days?
Yes. Our monthly work days are a great way to experience community life first-hand – you’ll work alongside residents on practical tasks around the site, join us for a community lunch, and get a real sense of the place and the people. We also have guest rooms available if you’d like to stay overnight and spend a little longer here.
How are decisions made, and how are conflicts handled?
Major decisions are made collectively at our monthly main meeting, using a consensus model. This means we work towards solutions that everyone can support, rather than relying on majority votes. This process can take time – trying to balance the ideas, priorities and perspectives of 70 people is challenging! But it tends to produce decisions people genuinely buy into. We delegate day-to-day decision making to our sub-groups, who look after the land, our finances, and our buildings.
Disagreements do happen – this is inevitable with so many of us sharing land and responsibilities. We aim to handle conflicts respectfully and directly, and where difficulties arise we work through them together, with the help of several residents who are expert facilitators. It isn’t always easy, but most people find that the willingness to work things through is one of the community’s strengths.
What happens when someone wants to buy a home here?
Homes are sold on the open market, but with a maximum price agreed by the community based on professional valuations. You can find full details, including current availability, on our Live page.
The sale is between the vendor and the buyer – the community doesn’t decide who purchases a home. It’s a self-selection process rather than an application. However, we strongly encourage anyone considering a move to visit several times, join a work day or pot luck dinner if they can, meet residents and get a genuine feel for whether this way of living suits them. Buying a home here is a big decision, and we want people to feel confident it’s right for them before they commit.
Can people rent at Laughton Lodge, or is it only possible to buy?
We don’t currently have long-term homes available to rent. However, some homeowners do privately share their homes with lodgers through individual arrangements. People lodging here are welcome to take an active part in community life.
If you’re interested in renting a room, feel free to get in touch and we can let you know if anything becomes available.
Are pets allowed?
Yes. Dogs, cats and other pets are welcome, and many residents have them. We also have chickens and horses on site. The 23 acres of shared land means there’s plenty of space, though we ask that pet owners are considerate of other residents and the wildlife.