Get It Right with Undercover Architect

So you want to build or renovate a Passive House? Your specialist team may need to include a Certified Passive House Consultant to help test and measure your Passive House design. Let me introduce to you Luc Plowman, of Detail Green. Luc is a Passive House Certified Consultant and Certifier. In fact, he’s only one of 2 Passive House certified building certifiers in the country, and there’s only about 50 world-wide. Luc was brought in on the Owl Woods Passive House project as Talina wasn’t certified yet. He assisted with reviewing and auditing the design, running it through the Passive House modelling tool, and providing feedback and advice on what needed to be included and amended in order for the home to reach required benchmarks. SHOW NOTES: Meet Luc Plowman, from Detail Green. Detail Green has a wealth of building design, engineering, construction and sustainability performance experience.  This includes both local and international projects in residential, commercial, industrial and educational buildings across multiple green building standards.   Luc is a Sustainability Engineer. With 15 years experience he has been involved in a wide range of green building and sustainability projects across Australia. He’s a director of Detail Green based in Beechworth, Victoria.   With a background in the commercial building industry and a range of Green Building qualifications Luc provides specialist ESD input to all areas of the built environment.    Luc is both a Certified Passive House Consultant & Building Certifier and one of Australia’s most experienced Passive House professionals. In this episode, I ask Luc ... How do you describe what Passive House is? What is your role on the Owl Woods Passive House Project? Is this how you’re normally involved in projects? You’re a Certified Passive House Consultant ... what does that mean? How did you get involved in this type of work - what is your professional background? what made you choose to become a Certified Consultant? Is a Passive House not really a Passive House if a Certified Passive House Consultant is not involved? As a Certified Consultant, do you find that homeowners come find you because they really want to do this type of home and they’ve first done a lot of investigation and research themselves? Or do you find that there’s an interest, and then still lots of education to do on your part? What misconceptions do you see about Passive House? I know homeowners will say to me “oh my climate is quite mild, I don’t need to be this extreme about my home” ... what would you say to them? Is there anywhere that Passive House is ‘over the top’ as an approach? What key tips do you have for homeowners considering this as an approach for their renovation or new build? Passive House can seem initially like a complex process of data and analysis. However, Luc shows us its fundamental aspects and the opportunity this methodology has to help us predict the performance of our homes - before we build them. Listen to the episode now. This episode is brought to you by my online course “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home”. This is a superfast course that will help you get ready for your renovation or building project in the best way possible. In it, I share my step-by-step system to help you save time, money and stress in your project, so you can know what you need to know and create the perfect home for you - simply and with confidence … avoiding the dramas and heartaches. You can join now, get access to a fantastic Facebook community, Live Q & A sessions with me, and all the tools and resources you need to achieve success in your project. Head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/howtogetitright to learn more and join us. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talina Edwards, of Talina Edwards Architecture, is the architect on the Owl Woods Passive House project. This project didn’t start out as a Passive House, and Talina didn’t start the project as a Passive House Certified Designer … but that’s what she is now, and that’s what the house is now. I think you’ll learn a lot from hearing how Talina talks about the process of working with a client, understanding their wants, needs and aspirations for their home and her responsibility in bringing that to life … and how she’s worked collaboratively with the client and other team members to deliver this family their forever home. SHOW NOTES: Let me introduce Talina Edwards to you, and Talina Edwards Architecture. Talina Edwards Architecture: elemental design studio is passionate about creating healthy, beautiful, functional, comfortable and sustainable architecture. The practice has a passion for design that improves people’s lives – for residential, community and commercial clients. Talina strongly believes that high quality design of our built environment has many positive impacts for people and the planet. Talina established her Architectural Studio in 2013 after more than a decade of working as a registered architect with Melbourne practices who excelled in sustainable architecture. Talina recently became qualified as a ‘Certified Passive House Designer’, which is an international standard to deliver the healthiest, highest-performing and lowest-energy buildings in the world. The standard is heavily based in building-physics for proven performance. Talina embraces this scientific, rational and practical side of architecture, as well as the more creative and intuitive approach to design. She employs a holistic and collaborative approach that is responsive to the whole picture, whilst including careful consideration of all the small, important details. She is very interested in how the principles of biophilic design can be applied to architectural projects to improve our wellbeing by connecting to nature. Talina recently attended the ‘Living Future Institute’ 2018 symposium and is committed to this ideology, which aims to redirect our future towards a society that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative.Talina is hugely engaged in her local community, in the architectural community and the sustainable design community as well. She is an active member of several industry organisations, and a huge advocate for her local professional community. Talina loves sharing her love of all things elemental design (green buildings, sustainable architecture, healthy homes and natural living) by writing articles, exhibiting at Smart Living and Building expos, and giving presentations to her community.On the weekends, she loves spending time amongst nature with her partner, children and playful puppy – as Talina knows this is the best way to slow down and re-connect and maintain a sense of wellbeing. In this episode, I ask Talina ... How do you describe Passive House to people who ask? Tell me about what happened when the clients, David and Yvonne, first approached you for this new home ... discussing sustainability measures, design etc ... how did that go? One of the things that’s been interesting about Owl Woods Passive House is that it didn’t start its journey as a Passive House did it? Can you explain more about that? When did Passive House start becoming part of the conversation? Who drove that? What was your aim for the design initially, as the clients briefed you on what they wanted, etc ... and then as it became a Passive House? Talking through the ideas, the pavilion style, designing a home for people who will have older children who'll leave and come back, etc. Since starting this project, you’ve achieved your Passive House design certification - why? David spoke about how they went about the process of finding you, and then have really sought to trust you, and seek your support as they move through the project. It appears you've created a really trusting relationship, and a collaborative one. How do you think that has happened? As an architect, who has come from a sustainable design point of view, to now move into this area, what have been your key learnings about what’s needed to get this right? Do you think you need to be a specific type of architect to tackle this area of design? It seems very technical to an outsider. Have you found any of this limiting for your creativity? I had a client joke with me that seeing homes we’ve designed get finished must be like seeing our children grow up and leave home ... what are you most looking forward to in seeing this home finished? If you’re wondering what it’s like to design a Passive House, or work collaboratively with an architect for your new build or renovation, this episode provides great insight, tips and strategies to get it right. Listen to the episode now. This episode is brought to you by my online course “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home”. This is a superfast course that will help you get ready for your renovation or building project in the best way possible.   In it, I share my step-by-step system to help you save time, money and stress in your project, so you can know what you need to know and create the perfect home for you - simply and with confidence … avoiding the dramas and heartaches. You can join now, get access to a fantastic Facebook community, Live Q & A sessions with me, and all the tools and resources you need to achieve success in your project. Head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/howtogetitright to learn more and join us. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you decide you want to build your forever family home as a Passive House? This is the story of a homeowner who did just that. I’m really excited to be introducing you to the Owl Woods Passive House Project. SHOW NOTES: The Owl Woods Passive House is a new home being built Victoria. Its design meets the Passive House requirements and will be certified as a Passive House when complete. This home is David and Yvonne’s forever home, and we’re going to hear from David about what their journey has been like as the clients in this project - and the future owners of this home. At the time of recording this, the project was nearing completion, and due to be finished right about now actually!   We’re going to be meeting the whole team over the upcoming episodes, and you’ll get a great insight into this project from various viewpoints. In this episode, David Rhind, the client, tells us what it’s been like to be the client in this project. Everything from how they went about finding their block of land, choosing Talina Edwards as their architect, and then working together on the design. David will share what motivated them to pursue sustainable design in the first place … and then to commit to the Passive House methodology. And you’ll hear some fantastic tips and insights along the way that I know will really help you with planning your own project. Whilst it was under construction, it was included in 2018’s Sustainable Open House Day. As you can imagine, it was a popular site, because many visitors were really keen to see the details of a Passive House whilst it was being built. From the Sustainable House Open Day website …. “After many renovations we’d always wanted to build a house from scratch. High on our priority list was sustainability, for a variety of reasons, but were not quite sure what that could/should entail! Key to us was engaging local firms and, during this search, the idea of a house with good solar orientation was suggested and this soon developed into a full blown Passive House (still with the solar orientation, but now with awesome thermal properties and air tightness) was suggested and it quickly took hold as the ideal way to build our new house – given the climate, rising energy costs and achieving ‘comfortable’ living. When we’ve been living in the house for a year we’ll be able to gauge the impact on running costs, but we’re expecting to be pleasantly surprised.” In this episode, I ask David ... Who this home is designed for The site the home on is being built on ... when did you buy it, what’s it like, did you choose it with specific criteria? When you thought about building a new house, what were your key goals ... what did you want to achieve? What led you to thinking about building a Passive House? How did you start the process ... choosing the right team, getting the knowledge you needed etc Have you found you’ve had to upskill yourself in any way? Terminology, the science of it all, etc? Was there anything you were specifically nervous about in doing this? What are you most looking forward to about living in a Passive House? Do you think it’s forced any compromises for you? (Often homeowners think a Passive House will mean they have to have the home look a certain way, or they can’t open windows, or they’ll just have to deal with being cold or hot at certain times of the year, or they can’t choose the material they like aesthetically because it doesn’t meet requirements). What do you think have been some of your key learnings along the way? Any specific challenges, or wins, or things you wish you’d known before you started … What key tips would you have for homeowners considering building or renovating their home as a Passive House? This episode is a great insight into a homeowner’s personal journey of embarking on their new home project - and how they are bringing their forever home dreams to life. Listen to the episode now. This episode is brought to you by my online course “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home”. This is a superfast course that will help you get ready for your renovation or building project in the best way possible. In it, I share my step-by-step system to help you save time, money and stress in your project, so you can know what you need to know and create the perfect home for you - simply and with confidence … avoiding the dramas and heartaches. You can join now, get access to a fantastic Facebook community, Live Q & A sessions with me, and all the tools and resources you need to achieve success in your project. Head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/howtogetitright to learn more and join us. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is Passive House? Or Passivhaus (as the Germans say!) Passive House offers an opportunity to create a home that is comfortable, improves your health and well-being, and lowers the energy use of your home. This episode is an introduction to what Passive House is. As a building system, it involves a range of measures to have your home performing the way it needs to, to be deemed a Passive House. SHOW NOTES: What’s Passive House? Well, you may be familiar with it when it’s spelt the German way - Passivehaus. Let me say upfront … Passive House is not to be confused with Passive Design or Passive solar design. Passive House is a specific way of designing and building a new or renovated home so it meets certain requirements that lower its energy use and improves the health and wellbeing for its occupants. It creates energy efficient homes. It gives a system to design, test and audit the home’s performance overall. And I actually think it’s going to get some serious traction in Australia as the best way to build or renovate your home. Overseas, particularly in Europe, it’s popular for its ability to create energy efficient, comfortable homes that don’t need significant heating and cooling, even in extreme climates (picture snow up to the gutters!) Here, even though in some areas of Australia - and in the USA for my American listeners - our climates may seem too mild for many to be concerned. However, Passive House offers a huge opportunity to really understand and know before you commit to construction, how your home will feel to live in, and what it will cost to run. And that is what seriously excites me for you as the homeowner, building or renovating your family home. Imagine being able to predict exactly how your house will perform, how comfortable it will be and what it will cost to heat and cool - BEFORE you build it. And then, having a system and auditing process in place so it gets tested during and after construction, and a certificate provided to show it actually performs as promised. That’s what Passive House enables you to do. In this episode, I’m talking with Daniel Kress, a certified Passive House trainer and consultant. In this episode, Daniel and I talk about: What is meant by the term “Passive House” (and do we call it Passive House or Passive Haus or Passivehaus!?) How and why did you get so interested in it and choose to pursue not only building and designing this way, but also becoming a trainer in the certification courses? What are the benefits of creating a Passive House? What are the key components of achieving or creating a Passive House? How do you create one? What do you see people get wrong in what they understand about Passive House? Is it possible to renovate and create a Passive House? Or is this only achievable when building new? Is building a Passive Home more expensive? The certification education you do ... why is it necessary for a homeowner to use a certified Passive House Consultant. What difference does this make? And is the house only a Passive House if it’s designed and/or certified by a Certified Consultant? Listen to the episode now. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I’m going to be sharing with you how to really get yourself ready for your renovation or building project if that’s on the cards for you in 2019. NOW is the time to prepare properly, and so I want to help you get really well set up for a successful project so you can save time, money and stress, and get it right in your future home. Sound good? So, let’s dive in. SHOW NOTES: In my experience, when homeowners start thinking about building or renovating, this is commonly what they do: they jump online, perhaps set up a Pinterest Board or Houzz Ideabook, and start gathering gorgeous images of kitchens, living rooms, alfresco areas … a lot of aspirational photos of finished projects that look like what they hope they’ll have in their dream home They really do try to nail and define their ‘style’ and put a name on how to describe it … be it Hamptons, or Coastal, or Scandi or something similar They may get a builder around and throw a bunch of ideas and suggestions at them, to try and get an idea of price - which is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string They can speak to friends and neighbours who’ve renovated or built, to see who they used and if they were any good, and what suggestions they might have They might even get a few designers around, and pick their brains for ideas under the guise of seeking fees for their help And I’ve even seen homeowners at this point look at colour schemes, flooring, tiles and Tapware and start collecting samples of things they like Look, all of these things are definitely part of the process, but they’re not the best place to start. In fact, they can be a great way to waste time as you pursue ideas and suggestions that aren’t based in what’s possible for your project and budget - or what potentially suits you the best. And they’re completely lacking any strategy that will streamline your effort, make your project more efficient, or less stressful as well. Homeowners can spend years at this point. Often they’re waiting for the ‘right’ time in their lives … for a pocket of time to become available. Which if you’re like most busy, modern families, that doesn’t really ever happen. Or they’re waiting to have ‘enough money’, which is certainly useful, but if they haven’t actually established their budget, or got some concrete ideas of costs for their desired ideas, it’s a bit of a stab in the dark what ‘enough money’ actually is. I could keep going on about what happens for homeowners in the time before they start their renovation or building projects. Many call it ‘getting ready’ but I feel it’s more like procrastination - or ‘procrasti-planning’ as I call it! And it’s counterproductive because in the searching, the collecting of ideas, the desire to get certainty around what they want to do, what they want to spend, and how they want their home to be, there’s a lot of time wasted. Because they’re often doing it alone, or with well-meaning but poor quality advice from free Facebook groups, or fluffy websites online written by people without a lot of experience or expertise. Sitting up late at night, or scanning their phone on their commute, or at the park with the kids. I think of the deliberation and research that first time mums put into purchasing their first pram or car seat, and yet fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants for their renovation or building project. I see women taking 12 months to plan a wedding - a one-day event that’s basically a very expensive party - and yet dive into renovating or building with incredible urgency and haste. This may all sound quite harsh and brutal … It basically comes down to this: If you don’t know how to get where you’re going, how can you possibly expect to not get lost? How can you expect to know how to ask the right questions, choose the right people to work with, know how to ask for what you want, be sure you’re getting what you’re paying for, and reach the destination of your finished home unscathed? If you have bottomless pockets and all the time in the world, then winging it is certainly do-able for your renovation or building project. But if you have constraints of time, money and resources, then you may want to be better prepared, better informed, and better equipped for the journey to your finished home. It is possible to have a great experience when you build or renovate your home. You hold the key. You are your future home’s greatest asset. You - what you do, how you choose, what you decide and how you push the progress of your project. It’s within your reach, your power, to be your home’s greatest advocate, and for you to know what you need to know to make your project a success. The fact that you listen to the Undercover Architect podcast tells me that you’re a natural at this … because you understand the importance of being informed and educated for your home’s reno or build to go well. So how can we work together more closely on this … how can you get better prepared, and better informed for your project? Listen to this episode to larn more about “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home”. This is my 6 week online course that is a super-fast way to get you equipped with the tools, knowledge and resources to make your project a success. From understanding how to speak to council, your potential designer and builder, to be able to set your budget and communicate what you want for your future home, to auditing the design and getting all the details resolved, and through to having a stress-free construction process that runs on time and on budget … that’s what “How to Get it Right” will help you do. I’ve got some exciting news to share with you about developments we’ve made in this course to improve it, and also a holiday special you can access so that, if 2019 is your year to renovate or build your family home, you can get yourself sorted and prepared in the best way possible. This is such a great way to get ready for your renovation or building project, and learn a step-by-step system that is proven, tested and I’ve used on my own and client projects for 2 decades now. Plus, you’ll access lots of additional helpful tools and resources to simplify your project, and help you get it right in your future home. As Lisa said "You CANNOT renovate or build without first doing the course with UA!  The mistakes that you will avoid will save you tens of thousands $!!" That’s a sensational return on investment! And when members are asked “Do you think this course has saved you time and stress”, 100% of respondents said yes. If you have any questions about whether it’s a good fit for you and your project, get in touch on hello@undercoverarchitect.com or join now on www.undercoverarchitect.com/howtogetitright FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your Reno Roadmap, my renovation and building course and membership can provide the 1:1 support and advice to save you time, money and stress in your project. How would it feel that, as you navigate the journey of building you new home or renovating your existing one … that you had a professional to check in with, get a second opinion from, and ask for advice at each step of the way. Right from figuring out if you can afford what you want to do, to choosing your designer, getting your floor plan and home design right, making budget savings along the way, selecting your materials and fixtures, and then going through the construction of your project. Someone who you could ask all your questions, and get a response, or get a review of your floor plans, or get help with making decisions? And what if that someone was me, on tap, to help guide and support you at a 1:1 level? Well, it’s possible, and that’s what this episode is all about. WANT TO JOIN YOUR RENO ROADMAP? Head here >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/yourrenoroadmap SHOW NOTES: So, what is Your Reno Roadmap? Well, it’s an online course and a membership all in one. It’s really the whole enchilada … it provides education, support, regular advice and guidance for homeowners whilst they navigate the process of building or renovating their family homes. This happens through a few means. I call these the 4 C’s of Your Reno Roadmap. They are: CONSULT COURSE COACHING And COMMUNITY First things first … Let me say upfront first that one thing I’ve observed over the years I’ve been doing this is something I thought was really strange at first. Especially given how much money is being spent on our future homes when we build or renovate. And how long the process can take, how many variables are involved, and that it’s where we’ll be living with our families in the future. What is this strange thing? Well, it is how hesitant homeowners are to seek a second opinion when looking at their renovation or building project. Whether it’s seeking a second opinion on their design, or questioning if what their builder is telling them is true or the only way to do something … there’s this real resistance to involving other professionals and getting assurance that they’re moving on the right path. Now, I’m going to speak a few generalisations here, but this comes from my experience, and perhaps you can relate. Women generally can find it difficult to speak up, and can feel like they’re rocking the boat if they wanting to seek a second opinion elsewhere about their project. Women can also feel that they’ll slow things up, or make relationships difficult, if they look like they’re not trusting what the designer or builder is saying to them. And given the long-term nature of these relationships, they worry that will have a long-lasting impact on how well everyone gets along. And women can also feel - or be made to feel - that they’re being silly for taking so long to gain certainty about their decisions. That choosing and committing to the design, the team, the building process, the finishes and fixtures, should be quite a straight-forward matter and does not require so much deliberation … let alone seeing advice elsewhere to support them in this. And the industry also plays a guilty part in this desire to not seek a second opinion. Designers can be super precious about their work, and either directly or indirectly, and give the impression that a second opinion is a bad idea, disruptive to the process, or that you’re not entitled to seek one. In fact, I’ve personally experienced when a homeowner did seek a second opinion, that her designer told her he didn’t want to work with her anymore. She realised later she’d dodged a bullet by getting out of her working relationship with him at that point, but for her, it felt awkward and confronting at the time to navigate that situation. I know that many members of Your Reno Roadmap keep their membership and my involvement in their projects a secret from their designer and their team. We had this funny situation recently, where a homeowner was asking for help on part of the design of their home. She’s working with an architect who is earlier in their career, and they couldn’t seem to reach a happy solution on this one part of the process. She posted in our Facebook group, and I did a sketch overlay of the area they were struggling with to propose a couple of ideas for it. She posted her thanks and also added ... “… so this might the occasion where I finally admit to our architect that I have been 'seeing someone else on the side' as I'll need to share image this with her so we are on the same page.” I know members have redrawn what I’ve suggested, or presented my ideas as their own feedback … and that is totally fine by me. After all, Undercover Architect is YOUR secret ally … this is about you, having the support, knowledge and advice you need to feel confident and get it right in your projects, and your future family home. The thing is this … I implore you … don’t let anyone talk you out of your right to seek a second opinion on your design, your project, your choices, and how you’re spending your investment. Your home is far too important for you not be sure about what you’re doing. If you were investing $500,000 in the stock exchange, I seriously doubt you’d take the advice of only one person before you decided what to invest in. This is no different. Your Reno Roadmap is your ultimate second opinion, whilst you make one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make. Your Reno Roadmap is a 12 month membership containing ... Your onboarding Skype one hour consult with me to lay out your best first steps and get you moving quickly and painlessly on your project journey, whatever stage you’re at - you can use that in the first 3 months of your membership A comprehensive Course that lays out the steps to follow, and provides tools and resources along the way to build your own project portfolio and simplify the renovating or building process 1:1 Coaching from me to answer your questions, review your design, help you with selections, and point out any red flags or mistakes to avoid so you can be saving time, money and stress, and have certainty about your choices and decisions And a Community of like-minded awesome people who are on the same journey, to cheer you on and share their learnings as well AND now you also get bonus access to Manage Your Build! You can extend your membership on a month-by-month basis if you need to. Sometimes life gets in the way of our best-laid plans, and in some locations it can take 2 years or more to get the whole way through our projects. So, if you’re thinking you’d like me in your corner at a 1:1 level for the duration of your renovation or building project, Your Reno Roadmap is where you can access this. Members have described their membership as life-changing, which is really humbling to hear. I think something really amazing happens to your sense of self, your sense of confidence, when you feel empowered to navigate a process you previously thought to be overwhelming and enormous. When you have the knowledge and support you need to do it well, and do it simply, and you can check in with me along the way … it never ceases to amaze me just how incredible the members are and what they’re achieving, how they’re standing up for their homes, their investments, their future, and really driving their projects. It’s such a joy for me to be part of their journey, and to see that transformation happen. I’m super passionate about how Undercover Architect helps homeowners, and I love how Your Reno Roadmap gives me the opportunity to support our gorgeous members in a way that really makes a difference to their projects, their homes, and their experience. If you think Your Reno Roadmap is a good fit for you and your project, I’d love to be able to support you in this way too. If you’d like to find out more about Your Reno Roadmap, head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/yourrenoroadmap/ … and if you have any questions about the course, don’t hesitate to email me on hello@undercoverarchitect.com FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you starting the build of your new home or renovation soon and worried about it not going well? So many homeowners walk blindly into signing contracts, not realising how significantly they obligate themselves ... in time, money and by law. They don't protect themselves or understand what should happen next. To be frank, it's where things begin to go seriously wrong in projects. This, followed by not having an understanding about the sequence of construction, and working with a builder who doesn’t have systems in place, or shows any accountability to timelines and budget, or keeps communication open and regular … well, it’s not long before things go pear-shaped during the build or your new home or renovation. So, in this episode, I’ll be talking about how to avoid that when overseeing construction of your new home or renovation. WANT TO JOIN MANAGE YOUR BUILD? Head here >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ SHOW NOTES: Manage Your Build is a self-study, online course to help you simplify the construction of your new home or renovation, and maintain your sanity! Working with me in this course is Duayne Pearce. Long-time listeners of the podcast will be familiar with Duayne … he’s been a guest here in Season 4, and he also co-hosted with me for Season 7. He’s a fantastic guy, a builder with extensive experience in building and renovating family homes, and loves sharing his knowledge to improve your experience as a homeowner, and the building industry overall. Manage Your Build covers the construction phase of your project. From the point of signing your contract with your builder, through seeing your new home or renovation get constructed, to the builder finishing and you being able to move into your finished home! Homeowners focus a lot of attention on that construction phase, and they often mistakenly think it represents the whole process. There are actually 4 stages to any project … regardless of where you’re located, how much you’re spending, and what type of project you’re doing. They are: Before you begin your project Getting your design right Before you build your project Getting your project built Manage Your Build dives into the nitty gritty of Stage 4 - Getting your project built. I see homeowners get really focused on this stage when thinking about their new home or renovation project. They’re thinking about the builder they’ll choose how they’ll find one that’s reliable How long the construction process will take Where they’ll live in the meantime - especially if renovating - and cover that cost whilst paying for construction How they’ll not get ripped off with a poor quality build or a dodgy builder What materials, fixtures and finishes they’ll choose What their finished home will look like And in that process, they leave behind some really essential considerations that can cause massive headaches and budget blowouts on site, and expose them, their project, and their finances to huge risk. And they can be boxed into a corner, with a half-finished home and a builder holding them to ransom. I see homeowners get themselves in a lot of trouble, not knowing who holds responsibility, how legally they might be obliged because of the contract conditions, and leaving it all too late to do anything about the situation. When you’re in the construction process of your new build or renovation, time is of the essence. The whole nature of construction is that it’s a sequence of activities and people that need to occur in a specific order, within specific timeframes. If work gets delayed, if things get done in the wrong order, then you can not only run into cost and time issues … you can lose the opportunity to have things the way you want them in your home. And there are SO MANY moving parts and people … it is a complex process, particularly if yours is a one-off project. Other potential expensive and stressful headaches during construction include: Thinking your builder is also your Project Manager Your builder not having solid cashflow for your project You and your builder not understanding or following the contract A project doesn’t have structure to it … so no weekly meetings, no communication systems and no regular reporting on cashflow and timelines. I’m super passionate about you being who you need to be, and knowing what you need to know, as you build or renovate your home. Confident, in control, able to be proactive, feeling informed and in the driver’s seat for your project. So you can know how to ask for what you want, be sure you’re getting what you’re paying for, and reach that beautiful home you’re dreaming of - saving time, money and stress. If you’d like to find out more about Manage Your Build, head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ … and if you have any questions about the course, don’t hesitate to email me on hello@undercoverarchitect.com FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dive into the world of home remodeling and new builds for American homeowners! Discover the fears of wasting time and money and how to avoid unreliable contractors. Learn about an empowering online course designed to equip you with essential knowledge and tools. Hear success stories showcasing informed decision-making that leads to beautiful quality homes. Uncover how to spot red flags before they turn into costly problems, ensuring your dream home becomes a reality!

Do you want to make low tox choices for your interior finishes and fixtures when renovating or building your family home? Melissa Wittig from Healthy Interiors is a ‘health-focused’ Interior Designer. In this episode, she shares some fantastic knowledge and insight into what you need to know about low tox choices for your home. SHOW NOTES: Melissa has over 15 years industry experience, and her work not only focuses on Interior Design, but also in helping homeowners understand how to make low tox choices that create healthy interiors. And she’ll explain more about what this means in this interview. Melissa’s work and knowledge has been published in various publications including, Sanctuary and House & Garden Magazines. She is also the author of several award recognised design resources including a book called The Smart Living Handbook, which she co-authored with Danielle King - and we’ll be talking more about that book in this episode. So, in this episode, Melissa and I talk about: What does ‘low tox’ mean when it comes to building or renovating your home? Why does this information matter when you’re choosing materials and finishes for your interiors? How do you know a material or product is ‘low tox’? What types of questions should you ask to determine how low tox a finish or product is? Where are the main areas to focus in creating a low tox interior for your home? Melissa shares some fantastic and actionable advice, and also some useful resources and tips, when it comes to creating your low tox home. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to know whether solar power is worthwhile for your new home or renovation? This is part 2 of an interview with Lucy Best. Listen to last week’s episode for Part 1. SHOW NOTES: In the last episode, Lucy and I began our conversation about solar energy and solar systems for your home. Lucy Best is the Community Engagement Lead for the Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd, and they run a programme called Positive Charge. Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd (MEFL) is an independent not-for-profit organisation. They are dedicated to tackling climate change and committed to accelerating the energy transition by empowering communities to take action. They work hard to ensure communities play a meaningful part in this transition and that no one gets left behind. The MEFL are a trusted educator, partner, advisor and service provider. They see their job is to build partnerships that demonstrate what’s possible; to give the right advice; and make sure people have access to the information and technology they need to take action. Their customers include councils, business, schools, community groups and members of the community. In this episode … Part 2 … Lucy continues to share some fantastic knowledge and information and answer some of the most common questions I receive from the UA Community when it comes to solar systems and choosing them for a renovation or new build. Some of the topics Lucy and I discuss about choosing solar power for your home: We talk about what you need to know about where you’ll put the panels on your roof. This is a big question I get … when your roof faces the ‘wrong’ direction, or perhaps doesn’t have a steep pitch, or not a lot of space, many can think that means solar isn’t possible. So, Lucy shares how panels need to be positioned in terms of orientation, and pitch, to be as efficient as possible. And what workarounds are available to you to create a solution for your place, and what to consider when designing from scratch to make your roof work for solar. We also talk about requirements for your roof structure, whether using tile or metal. And we look at what to do if your budget is tight and you can only afford a small system, how to find a reputable installer and the questions to ask them. We talk about new technologies with solar tiles that you use instead of roofing material … and Lucy shares some fantastic resources to help with learning more about solar, and getting support and advice in your decisions. Dive into the episode now. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.