Pre-Design: How to Make Confident, Clear Decisions when Renovating or Building

Sep 22, 2025

The focus on pre-design highlights how essential it is for successful home projects. Discover why homeowners crave clarity and confidence throughout renovations. Learn about the often-skipped pre-design phase and its serious consequences. Amelia shares insights on local rules and site analysis to inform design choices, emphasizing the value of early professional input to avoid costly mistakes. The message is clear: investing in pre-design builds the foundation for a smoother, more efficient project and minimizes stress.

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INSIGHT

Pre-Design Shapes The Entire Project

Pre-design is the research phase that sets up your whole project and must happen at some point.
Doing pre-design first streamlines the whole project and can save tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

ADVICE

Start Pre-Design Early Yourself

Do pre-design even if you plan to start design later; you can do many steps yourself without professionals.
Use structured pre-design to focus research and avoid overwhelm before engaging a team.

ADVICE

Check Local Planning And Building Rules

Do research your local planning rules and building codes before committing to a design.
Understanding rules prevents costly approvals, fines, or designs that can't be built.

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Hello! This is Episode 373, and I’m kicking off a 4-part mini-series on how to make confident, clear decisions in your project.

SO MANY homeowners tell me they wish for the ability to make confident, clear decisions in their project. And that’s totally understandable when you’re investing this much time, money and effort, and creating something so long-term and impactful as your own home.

The good news is that it IS possible to feel much more confident, and clearer about what are the right and most suitable choices for you and your home, whilst avoiding the costly and stressful mistakes along the way.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/373]

What’s important to understand is this: Confidence doesn’t just appear at the end when everything’s finished. It’s something you can build step by step, with the right guidance, tools, and support along the way.

Confidence in your project also isn’t about having all the answers on your own. It’s about being resourced with the frameworks, the questions, and the support that make the answers easier to find.

When you have that, every step becomes clearer, calmer, and more rewarding. And in this mini-series, I’m going to take you through some tips on how to do this through each Phase of your project.

So, this episode is all about the Pre-Design Phase. This is the phase that sets up everything that follows, yet it is the most skipped. In this episode, I will show you three practical ways to build clarity from the start so you avoid costly detours later.

These are not dramatic horror-story moments. They are the quiet missteps that creep in when you do not have a plan for the early stage. Each can derail progress, add expense, and leave you second-guessing.

Whether you are just getting started or already feeling stuck, this episode will help you step back, reset, and move forward with much more confidence and clarity.

As always, if you’d like to access a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources I mention, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/373.

Now, let’s dive in!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:

For links, images and resources mentioned in this podcast, head to >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/373

Accessing my free '44 Ways' E-Book will simplify sustainability and help you create a healthy, low tox and sustainable home. You can download your free copy here >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/ways

Get 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/

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