If you haven’t heard of the Build Buddy app, it’s a genuinely interesting proposition. 

The purpose of the app is to allow the everyday punter become a successful owner-builder, with no experience and without using a licenced home builder, thereby saving on the 20% builders margin. 

What is Build Buddy?

It’s a digital platform designed for owner-builders to manage their own construction projects. It:

• Provides workflows and checklists to guide users step by step from design, planning and pre-construction, through estimating, and then building the home. 
• Connects home builders to contract-based supervisors called Construction Buddy’s to assist with project management. 
• Offers wholesale supplier rates and connects users with vetted and verified trades. 
• Includes workflows for defects management, variations management, and budget tracking tools.

We caught up with Build Buddy’s CMO, Elise Middleton, at the Brisbane Home Show where she spoke about the uptake so far – “We’re an app that’s only been around for about a year and a half, so it’s a good way for us to actually test the market—making sure that we’re providing exactly what people are after. You know, we’re bringing something completely new to not just Australia but the world.”

A New Tool for a Different Market

Middleton explains,

“Build Buddy is an app for owner-builders. We’re empowering owner-builders with all the tools and resources that builders normally have.”

“They get a customised workflow of tasks that they’ve got to follow through step by step, including quality assurance checklists and pre-filled scope of works. We provide absolutely everything to them—wholesale trade discounts, supplier access, and the right professionals. Because, you know, it’s hard to get good trades these days. So we go out of our way to source the best of the best in different areas and bring them onto our platform.” 

Will Build Buddy Replace Builders? Not Quite.

While Build Buddy is clearly targeting owner-builders, it’s unlikely to make professional home builders obsolete anytime soon.

Speaking to the Tech Panel Podcast, Build Buddy CEO, Danny Assabgy’s philosophy aligns with this shift: “We’ve created a new method of construction that we’re calling ‘collaborative construction.’ It’s a bridge between what traditional builders do and where the current owner-builder market exists.”

He also points out that not everyone is suited to being an owner-builder: “One out of every five customers might go to Build Buddy instead of a traditional builder—but that’s 20% of the market that no builder currently has.”

“This isn’t just about taking customers from traditional builders, it’s about tapping into a whole new category of home buyers who previously thought they couldn’t afford to build.”

Who is the Target Market?

Build Buddy is designed for people willing to take on the responsibility of managing their own projects.

According to Assabgy, “It’s probably only for one out of every five customers. The vast majority of people will still want a traditional builder, but this creates a new option for those who want more control over their build and significant cost savings.”

The app primarily appeals to:

• Budget-conscious homeowners looking to save money by managing their own build.
• Experienced DIYers or those with a trade background who feel comfortable overseeing a project.
• Investors who want to maximize returns by cutting out builder margins.
• People frustrated with the traditional building process and looking for more transparency.

How does the app ensure a quality home is built? 

One of the biggest concerns with owner-builders is ensuring quality work. Build Buddy has built-in safeguards to help users avoid costly mistakes.

Assabgy explains, “One of the biggest problems in the owner-builder community is that nobody likes dealing with owner-builders. Tradespeople don’t like dealing with them. Banks don’t like dealing with them. And the reason they don’t like dealing with them is, with all respect, they don’t know what they’re doing.”

To combat this, the app incorporates several quality control measures:

• Structured Workflow – The platform ensures that steps are completed in the correct order, preventing users from skipping critical tasks.
• Vetted Tradespeople – The marketplace only includes trades who meet Build Buddy’s quality standards, and their performance is continuously reviewed.
• Construction Buddies – Experienced site supervisors act as advisors, ensuring that work meets industry standards.
• Digital Wallet System – Payments are held in escrow and only released when work is completed to satisfaction, protecting users from dodgy trades.
• Transparent Reviews – Tradespeople are rated by users, and those who underperform are removed from the platform.

Assabgy shares an example: “A customer once called me and said, ‘Danny, Build Buddy is broken. It won’t let me start construction.’ I checked, and it turned out she hadn’t selected her shower taps. She told me, ‘I don’t need my shower taps for another seven months.’ But I explained, ‘Right now, your construction drawings show just hot and cold taps. If you don’t select them now, by the time the waterproofing is done and the tiles are in, you might have to rip everything out just to install a different tap.’ She got it. And that’s exactly why the system is designed the way it is—to prevent costly rework.”

TGB Thoughts

Firstly, the execution of Build Buddy has been exceptional. This is an incredibly challenging piece of software AND business concept to execute, and Danny Assagby and his team have nailed it. Build Buddy is a well-thought out and comprehensive solution for owner-builders. 

From a home builder’s perspective, there is a chance for this app to convert more clients over to owner-builder. However, the clients who are more suited to owner-building, are in many cases clients who you don’t want to be building for. They want continual involvement and control over every aspect of the build, to the extent they probably should be building it themselves. 

In this sense, Build Buddy is an excellent addition to the home-building landscape. It will make life significantly easier for owner-builders, as well as trades and other professionals who have to deal with owner-builders.

Author: The Good Builder

The Good Builder is a media platform that provides news and insights for Australia’s home building industry. From exclusive stories and curated insights to bold industry perspectives, we deliver the news and updates that keep builders, suppliers, and the entire home building industry inspired and ahead of the curve.