I’m a full-time working mom of three (a.k.a. a woman with no social life). I barely have enough time to comb my hair these days. I rely on social media, mainly Facebook to keep me connected to these family and friends, some who have scattered all around the globe. AND I can keep track of these loved ones all while standing over a boiling water for my kid’s next dose of mac & cheese.
Facebook also gives me an avenue to connect with people (via “Groups”) I’ve never met in person, nor talked to on the phone, or even texted.
Huh.
When I say it like that, these people sound like perfect strangers now, don’t they? And didn’t we learn not to talk with strangers in Kindergarten? My daughter is in Kindergarten and I just talked about “Stranger Danger” last week!
But, yet these folks are not strangers to me. We discuss and share a common passion – a love of older houses and a desire to improve their own home. They are my house “support” group.
Sure, corporations in the real estate industry, like This Old House, maintain websites and Facebook Pages. These sites are chock-full of expert information. And of course I follow those guys. But I’m also interested in the “everyday” home owner – the Average Joe (or Jane). The folks just like me, fumbling their way through the challenges of maintaining a older house.
Who exactly are these people?
- People who have no idea what they are doing, but have the enthusiasm and motivation to try.
- People who make mistakes yet are determined to try again and again until they succeed (or hire a contractor….).
These people’s stories, goals, dreams, mistakes – they all resonate with me. Why? Because I have the same stories, goals, and dreams. And like them, I’ve made a heck of a lot of mistakes.
These are my people, my tribe, my “homeys” (pun intended…)
Why Join a Facebook Group?
The purpose of a Facebook Group is to build community. By joining you forge and grow new kinds of connections. Find YOUR people, you tribe, your clan.
What could be in it for YOU?
- Brains/ knowledge – Exchange of information. Either you learn from others or share your knowledge. Who’s in these groups? The retired carpenter who has decades of experience with re-building staircases. The young couple who jumped in feet first with a fixer-upper, and just had their “oh sh*t, we are in over our heads” epiphany. Yup, they are likely in this group.
- Support – share success and failures. Who else is going to truly appreciate the grueling hours of sanding down old doors or painstakingly removing wallpaper? Who else will ooh and ahh over the treasure of old pictures of past owners found under floorboards? This group will cheer you on (or cry with you) like a good friend.
- Network – Create events to meet up, especially if the group is local. Want to signup for a drywall class but couldn’t find a partner? Well, post your interest and you might find a buddy.
- Perks, intel, and/ or freebies – Someone just posted that they found rock-bottom pricing on flooring at the home improvement store? Yup, you just grab your car keys…
- Uncover potential problems (and solutions) – Members post about problems about their homes, and in reading their posts, you might realize that you have the same problem. And better yet, someone already responded with a solution..
- Inspiration – Pictures of restorations, renovations, new color schemes, improved landscaping could be your best bet to evoke ideas on how to improve your home
What is a Facebook Group????
I have to admit I really didn’t fully understand Facebook Groups until I wrote this post.
A Facebook Group is a place for group communication – for people to come together around a common cause, issue or activity. In a Group, you share common interests, discuss issues, post photos and express opinions. Anyone with a Facebook account can set up and manage their own Facebook Group, which is ideal for grassroot causes and interests.
I should point out that a Facebook Group differs from a Facebook Page (which anyone with an account also can set up). There is more flexibility in a Group. In Pages, only administrators of that Page can only post to the account. You can only like or comment on the administrator’s post and pictures. But a Facebook Group is an open forum and provides a more corroborative environment than a Page.
And you know what? Sometimes I want to start the conversation, not just comment. So go ahead, call me crazy but I prefer Groups.
4 Facebook Groups Dedicated to Old Houses
I belong to several Facebook Groups, some public, some closed, some secret – and love it.
We are on the shared journey of figuring how best to handle home ownership. While scrolling through updates, I am educated and inspired. I feel empathy for the poor home owner who made a costly mistake in a renovation and have wanted to reach through my computer screen and give them a virtual hug.
Do a search on Facebook under “Groups” for “old house”,”historic house” and “vintage house”. You will find lots of options. For me personally, the below list is my current favorites. Two things to note:
- The groups below are either public or closed. For obvious reasons, I’m not listing my favorite secret ones. I know, I know, you are intrigued now, aren’t you? You want to know the secret handshake. don’t you!?! Nope, sorry, not gonna tell ya.
- While these Groups are specific to old or historic houses, they are still general in nature. If you want to drill down to a specific niche within old houses, chances are one exists. For example, I’m also a member of a groups related to my architectural style of house, the American Foursquare. You can niche down as much as you want – likely, you will find a group.
| Group Name | Description | Membership Count (June 2018) | Status |
| Historic Home Owners | Owners of historic homes! Join us in restoration experiences in your historic home, history of your home, transformations with before and after photos of your historic home, and more. | ~600 | Closed |
| Historic Preservation of Homes and Cities | The purpose is to show historic preservation as it relates to houses and buildings. This room can serve as a resource to others as to possible grants in your area or state or federal. | ~7,700 | Public |
| My Old House | A place to post pics and video of any house inside and out before and after, things you have done to your home, things you want to do in the future. If you have an old house for sale feel free to post | ~5,500 | Public |
| Our Old House | The purpose of this group is for you to post pictures of your home. The era we prefer to see listed are from the 1700’s to 1960’s Mid Century Modern so this covers a large period. You can share before and after pictures, things you did to your place, things you may want to do to your place, etc. | ~70,500 | Public |
How do you join?
Easy peezy! Get on Facebook and search for the Group Name under “Groups”. For Groups that are listed as “Closed”, you might have to complete a short form for the administrator to approve. Questions are usually basic – i.e. who are you and why you are interested in the group. Approval usually it takes a day or two. I’ve been accepted to all but one group (the one that didn’t approve me is a small group and I’m convinced it wasn’t active anymore….. at least that’s what I tell myself…).
Look forward to seeing you on these Groups!
Do you already belong to these Groups? Other Groups worth mentioning? If so, please comment below!
Photo by Bruno Martins on Unsplash
Want to be the first to know about new posts? Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter of even Etsy! Or better yet… Subscribe below!
My monthly (admittedly sometimes more, sometimes less….) emails are like receiving a unexpected letter from an old friend WITHOUT needing to put on your slippers and walk out to your mailbox…. See? I got ya, my friend!)
[Note: My posts are proudly connected to these amazing link parties full of DIY ideas and inspiration!]