New Home Build with Affordability and Family in Mind, with Tatiana

8 snips

Feb 17, 2025

Join a homeowner in regional Queensland as she embarks on a journey to design and build a new home for her family. The discussion covers the thrill and challenges of working within a tight budget and navigating local council restrictions. She shares her insights on finding a builder in a rural area and the learning curve of construction terminology. Listeners will discover the importance of the PAC Process and how guidance can make transitioning from renovation to new build a smoother experience. It's an inspiring story of family, resilience, and home-building dreams!

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ANECDOTE

Choosing A New Build Over Repeated Reno

Tatiana and her partner plan a new build for their family of five because their current small house has poor layout and ongoing renovation needs.
They bought a larger block that fits their budget and may allow future subdivision, so they chose building over continual piecemeal renovations.

INSIGHT

Site Shape Creates Privacy And Siting Options

The site's unusual curved frontage and large depth let you site the house at the back to create privacy and shield outdoor space from street exposure.
Siting the house and keeping a simple form both protect large yard areas and reduce build costs for future subdivision potential.

ADVICE

Use A Stepwise Process To Reduce Overwhelm

Get structured guidance early to reduce decision weight and align expectations for team roles and processes.
Use a proven process (like Home Method) to create clarity about next steps, responsibilities and who should be on your team.

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Hello! This is Episode 350, and in it, I’m talking with HOME Method member, Tatiana. She lives with her partner and three boys in regional Queensland, and is getting ready to design and build their new home.

We meet Tatiana at the very beginning of her journey. Their project faces challenges, including a tight budget, council restrictions due to a nearby water treatment plant, and managing sun exposure for the local climate.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/350]

Having experienced a previous renovation, but now finding their existing home inefficient overall, Tatiana discusses how much bigger and significant it feels to design and build a new home … especially as someone who hasn’t grown up in Australia. She says it “feels like she’s learning English all over again” as she dives into the terminology-rich construction industry!

Tatiana would love to also follow the PAC Process, or Paid As Consultant Process, where a builder is brought on board as a paid consultant during pre-construction to work collaboratively with the designer and client to provide input on cost and buildability.

(This is a process I teach to members inside HOME Method and provide tools and templates they can use to check with builders and set up their project well).

You’ll hear how she’s finding a builder to help with this, which has proven challenging given her regional location, and local builders not being too familiar with the concept.

Because how do you present the PAC process to a builder and designer who has not worked that way before so that they consider it? We talk more about that in this episode.

If you’re preparing and researching for your project, I think you’ll find this episode super helpful, as Tatiana and I discuss the steps she’s taking to get started, and I share lots of tips and suggestions to manage the constraints of the site, and what to consider in the home’s layout to work with the site and climate.

Remember, if you’d like to grab a full transcript of this episode, you can find all of that by heading to www.undercoverarchitect.com/350.

Now, let’s dive in!

SHOW NOTES:

If you’re struggling with understanding the overall steps for your project, what you should be focussing on and when, or how to best invest your efforts, energy and money to get a great outcome in your future home, I’ve created something super helpful for you.

Access my free online workshop “Your Project Plan” now >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/projectplan

This free workshop will really help you understand the best steps to take wherever you’re at in your project, and how you can avoid some serious and expensive mistakes.

Plus, I’ll share with you what to focus on and when, so you know you’re getting everything in order for a successful project and beautiful home. And you’ll get access to some great bonuses as well.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST NOW.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:

For links, images and resources mentioned in this podcast, head to >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/350

Access my free “Your Project Plan” online workshop and awesome bonuses now >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/projectplan

Access the support and guidance you need to be confident and empowered when renovating and building your family home inside my flagship online program >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/the-home-method/

Just a reminder: All content on this podcast is provided by Undercover Architect for reference purposes and as general guidance. It does not take into account specific circumstances and should not be relied on in that way. You should seek independent verification or advice before relying on this content in any circumstances, including but not limited to circumstances where loss or damage may result. The views and opinions of any guests on the podcast are solely their own. They may not reflect the views of Undercover Architect. Undercover Architect endeavours to publish content that is accurate at the time it is published, but does not accept responsibility for content that may or has become inaccurate over time.

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