In today’s world, with hundreds of options available at the click of a button, finding trustworthy service providers for your home can be a daunting task. That’s why Issaquah Highlands resident Spencer Charles founded Huddle Local, a platform that connects homeowners with trusted service providers in their local community.
Spencer didn’t have much experience with home ownership or maintenance when he moved to Issaquah Highlands three years ago. After a decade of apartment living in the Bay Area, he wanted guidance on the necessary local services to care for a home as well as help finding the best and most trustworthy options. 
He quickly learned that he wasn’t alone in his search. After joining several Issaquah Facebook groups, Spencer noticed a high number of neighbors seeking service recommendations—all looking for the same information.
“People trust their community members more than faceless organizations,” Spencer says. “They can give you more relevant and reliable recommendations.”
While his time in Silicon Valley didn’t provide much practice with home maintenance, it did give him over 10 years of experience in the tech industry. With years spent working on travel and commerce products at Google, he is passionate about the ways technology can make our lives easier. And he decided to put this passion to work to build a solution for our community.
He designed Huddle Local for communities to share trusted providers and book together to get group discounts. Spencer hopes that Huddle Local will make homeownership more manageable by taking away the guesswork involved in finding reliable service providers.
The platform is user-friendly and easy to navigate, Spencer added. Homeowners can choose from a list of neighbor-recommended service providers, see their prices upfront, and send them a request to book—whether it’s a plumber, electrician or landscaper. Once someone is booked in the neighborhood, others can join the same time slot—or “huddle”—to get service on the same day.
For example, if one house in Issaquah Highlands creates a huddle for gutter cleaning next week, other houses in the neighborhood can sign up as well. This reduces the need for every household to independently research and schedule gardening, gutter cleaning, furnace checks and all the other services a house needs throughout the year.
The group booking system also helps local service providers save time driving to different locations, allowing them to offer discounts based on how many households join a huddle. Spencer says it’s easier for the provider, and better for the neighborhood.
Huddle Local is helping to build stronger, more connected communities by creating a platform where homeowners can rely on their neighbors to provide them with trustworthy recommendations. Join your neighbors on Huddle Local!
