Get It Right with Undercover Architect

Request your free E-Guide “The Narrow Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/narrowblock Do you have a narrow block? And do you know how to design your new home or renovation to make the most of it?  When I refer to ‘narrow’ blocks, I mean anything that is 10m or less wide.   For most areas, that constitutes a narrow block, and some can even get down as narrow as 4 or 5m depending on where you live. Actually, I saw a home recently for sale that was on a block that was under 3m wide!   There are specific challenges when you’re designing for a narrow block. These challenges may change as the block size and configuration changes as well.  So, I’m going to focus on big ideas that will help you think about your narrow block, and how to create a home for it. The things you can explore, and some of the strategies that designers use to solve the challenge that is the narrow block.   And I think probably the biggest priority and goal for designing homes on narrow blocks is to help them feel larger than they are. To create a sense of spaciousness and expansiveness that’s not hemmed in by their narrow width, or skinny configuration. So I’ll be sharing ideas about how to achieve that. And even if you don’t have a narrow block - these strategies will help you with creating spaciousness in your home.  However there are consistent challenges and opportunities when it comes to designing for a narrow block that are worth being aware of to get great outcomes.   In this episode, I discuss the key challenges to contend with when designing for a narrow block of land. I also explain the opportunities that are available, and how to maximise them.  And, I take you 10 key questions to ask about your narrow block, and the home you’re building or renovating on it. These questions will help you create a home that suits your land, and creates a great outcome for your lifestyle.  Whether choosing a home off the plan, building a custom designed home, or renovating and extending your existing one, there are certain things to know so you can make the most of your narrow block.  Listen to the episode now!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab the bonus free download for this episode, which includes a transcript and worksheet for you to get it right on your corner block >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/cornerblock Do you have a corner block? And do you know how to design your new home or renovation to make the most of it?  There can be a range of attitudes and feelings about corner blocks.   Some people really dislike them because they feel less private, and less secure. Others think they’re great, because they feel more spacious and open to light and views – and feel bigger as a result.   Of course, specific challenges and advantages may vary based on how flat your corner block is (and I’ll be discussing more about sloping blocks later in this season). They may also vary based on the size of your block as well, and the specific dimensions of it.   However there are consistent challenges and opportunities when it comes to designing for a corner block that are worth being aware of to get great outcomes.   In this episode, I discuss the key challenges to contend with when designing for a corner block of land. I also explain the opportunities that are available, and how to maximise them.  And, I take you 10 key questions to ask about your corner block, and the home you’re building or renovating on it. These questions will help you create a home that suits your land, and creates a great outcome for your lifestyle.  Whether choosing a home off the plan, building a custom designed home, or renovating and extending your existing one, there are certain things to know so you can make the most of your corner block.  Listen to the episode now!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This upcoming podcast season will be all about designing for difficult sites. For the non-standard, non-normal, tricky sites. A cookie cutter approach doesn’t work when your land, block size and shape is different.  When you’re renovating or building, you have a unique opportunity to create a home that suits your block of land. That makes the most of its assets, minimizes the things you don’t like about it, or its immediate environment, and really celebrates the qualities of where you live, and the land you live on.  Homeowners often don’t understand the challenges that are specific to their type of block. And in doing so, they miss the opportunity to maximise the site’s characteristics, and minimise the things they don’t like about it.  Over the coming season, I’m going to be sharing specific design strategies you can use when designing a reno or new home for a trickier or difficult block.   And whilst I’ll be sharing a specific type of block each episode, the strategies I’m sharing and questions I’ll be suggesting you ask yourself, will help you whatever type of block you’re on.  So, let me explain how this season will go. In each episode, as I talk about the different types of tricky sites, I’ll be outlining:  the main challenges for that type of block, and what requires careful consideration when designing your reno or new home  the main advantages or opportunities you want to make the most of  key questions to ask – either yourself, your designer or your builder – so you design a project that is specific to your block of land, whatever it’s shape, size or type  and I’ll also be going through what to focus on to get it right if you’re choosing a home off the plan, building a custom-design home, or extending and renovating an existing home  These are the different types of blocks I’ll be talking about across this coming season.  Episode 01 Corner Blocks  Episode 02 Narrow blocks  Episode 03 Wide, shallow blocks  Episode 04 Sloping blocks  Episode 05 Acreage blocks  Episode 06 Dual access blocks  Episode 07 Blocks where main view is from upper floor  So, let’s dive in!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are 3 secrets I see homeowners keep when planning and carrying out their home renovation or building projects.  These things are almost unspoken. It’s only been in digging, asking questions, and listening loads, that I’ve seen these things aren’t a one-off – but happen really regularly for many, many homeowners.   These secrets are related to the hesitancy I see homeowners have around discussing money, and the details of their reno or build with others. Particularly with those who could help them stay sane, and feel far more confident and empowered in their project.   There are 2 reasons why these secrets we keep can be really damaging when renovating or building our homes – and can isolate us from the help we need for our success and sanity.  These reasons are:  #1These 3 secrets breed ‘shoulds’. External and internal pressures that can mean we blow our budgets, and create homes for other people, not ourselves.  #2These 3 secrets mean we don’t access the support, help and key information that will rocket-blast your project, and help you avoid the mistakes and drama.  In this episode, I share 3 stories about women you may identify with. In sharing their secrets with me, they got the help they needed to dramatically change how their projects proceeded – and the types of homes they’ll create for their families.  Listen to the episode now.  The  doors to my 6 week  online  program, "How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home" are open NOW.  This online program is a supercharged way to get the education and information you need to understand the process of renovating or building your home. Plus get my help and advice on your project.   I share key lessons I've learnt from over 250 of my projects, many more that I've studied and analysed, and more than 2 decades of industry experience.    All so you can understand the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid, can skip the heartache and drama, and know that your effort, investment and planning will all be worth it in your beautiful finished home. And I'm there, alongside you for your 6 weeks membership to answer your questions and really rocket launch you further along in your project.   To join "How to Get it Right" right now - head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/howtogetitright and you can find out lots of information about the program, what others members thought of it, and how you can join.  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MY FREE 7 DAY CHALLENGE IS STARTING NOW! HEAD TO  www.undercoverarchitect.com/7daychallenge  Want to feel and sound like you know what you’re talking about when you build or renovate your home?   And avoid being a newbie, feeling like you have a target on your forehead, waiting to be ripped off or taken advantage of?  A recent report by Ernst & Young estimates that by the year 2028 women will control about 80% of discretionary spending worldwide.   And I recall as far back as 2006, when I was Chair of an Industry Committee, we commissioned research to find the purchasing power of women in the property industry. We that found at that time, that when it comes to property, women either controlled, or heavily influenced 80% of the purchasing decisions.  And yet, and I’ve experienced this personally, when it comes to our own projects, we’ll often find designers, salespeople, builders and tradespeople still want to speak to and listen to our male partners.  I’ve had tradespeople, not knowing I’m an architect, tell me they’ll wait until my husband is home to get instructions on a job (even though it was me who organised the job). Or tell me the most outlandish stuff when quoting, thinking I was a mum with a baby on my hip who didn’t know any better.  A woman named Melissa said her greatest worry about building her new home was this:  It is going into a contractual deal where it becomes obvious that I have no experience in this field and "they" have all the experience. Therefore "they" can easily pull the wool over your eyes or to be more blunt - rip you off. As a woman on her own building a house for the first time I feel like I have a big target cross on my forehead saying "easy".  In this episode, I share 3 key actions for you to consider before you embark on your project, so that all those initial dealings, conversations and choices can achieve 3 things.   These 3 things you’ll achieve are …  you’ll get great service from those you’re hiring  you’ll know who and what to choose to get the outcome you’re seeking  you’ll feel confident and excited about your project, your team and the home you’re going to create  Want to know what the 3 key actions are for you to implement and avoid being a home renovation or new build newbie?   Listen to the episode now.  The doors to my 6 week  online  program, "How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home" will be opening soon.   This online program is a supercharged way to get the education and information you need to understand the process of renovating or building your home. Plus get my help and advice on your project.   I share key lessons I've learnt from over 250 of my projects, many more that I've studied and analysed, and more than 2 decades of industry experience.    All so you can understand the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid, can skip the heartache and drama, and know that your effort, investment and planning will all be worth it in your beautiful finished home. And I'm there, alongside you for your 6 weeks membership to answer your questions and really rocket launch you further along in your project.   To be the first to know when the doors open to "How to Get it Right" - head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/waitlist and pop in your email address now.   FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know what the most underestimated mistake is when building or renovating your home?   Listen to the podcast to learn the renovating and building mistakes to avoid, and how to save your sanity and stress less when renovating or building.  There’s a thing I see happen for many homeowners when embarking on, and executing their reno or new build. And it’s this: They’re totally surprised at how stressful it is. And how stressed they get.  The stress a project can cause catches many homeowners by surprise – because its source is from an entirely different place to what they expected.   The online world is full of promises of ‘easy’ when it comes to building and renovating your home. There are loads of people out there offering to make it this way. Telling you it IS easy and that ANYONE, ANYWHERE can do it, and do it well, regardless of skill or experience. They’re offering their own brand of magic pill.  I have a firm belief on the magic pill thing – based on my experience over the last 20 plus years. It doesn’t exist. There is no magic pill.    But that doesn’t mean your project has to be a disaster, or you have to resign yourself to a journey of nightmares, budget blowouts, and a horrible experience.  Renovating and building can certainly be simplified. You can certainly minimise stress and avoid headaches and pitfalls, and have an enjoyable experience. And, when you get it right, it is all SO worth it.  But first you need to know something really important. Knowing this is how you can stay sane during your renovation or building project.   And this is WHO you will be when you renovate or build your home. Because WHO you will be, and HOW you’ll behave in your project may take you by surprise. And it fundamentally impacts your project and how well it goes.   There’s 3 things to remember when it comes to understanding reasons why stress happens and takes homeowners by surprise:  there is a huge amount of emotion caught up in the whole idea of ‘home’ – and our attachment to it – and creating change to ‘home’ comes with its own cocktail of emotions that we totally underestimate the power of  when renovating or building, you’re not only dealing with dreams, hopes and fears, but also status and personal identity, and that clouds rational judgement, no matter how balanced you try to remain  people are people first, and emotions can get out of hand as people differently under stress – even if you’re dealing with businesses as you renovate or build, everyone is a person first and their behaviour can be impacted by what they’re going through personally  Here’s how to save your sanity, and avoid these stress-making mistakes. Listen to the episode now.  The doors to my 6 week  online  program, "How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home" will be opening soon.   This online program is a supercharged way to get the education and information you need to understand the process of renovating or building your home. Plus get my help and advice on your project.   I share key lessons I've learnt from over 250 of my projects, many more that I've studied and analysed, and more than 2 decades of industry experience.    All so you can understand the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid, can skip the heartache and drama, and know that your effort, investment and planning will all be worth it in your beautiful finished home. And I'm there, alongside you for your 6 weeks membership to answer your questions and really rocket launch you further along in your project.   To be the first to know when the doors open to "How to Get it Right" - head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/waitlist and pop in your email address now.   FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know how to ask for what you want in your renovation or building project? And be sure you’re getting what you paid for?  One of the most frequently asked questions, or challenges that homeowners share with me is  “I have no idea where to start”.   Also, many homeowners tell me also that there are 3 big fears or areas of concern around renovating and building – and these may sound familiar to you. These fears are …  how much the project will cost, and whether the budget will blow out  how long the project will take, and how much of their own time it will take up  how much stress the project will cause them  Are these fears that you have about your project?  In all my experience of working with homeowners who are renovating or building their home, there’s one thing I see REALLY work for them. Both in dealing with those fears, and in helping them get started really effectively and efficiently.   And it’s this: They know how to ask for what they want.   Why is this important? Well, when you know how to ask for what you want with your reno or new home, you:  don’t waste money on getting advice from the wrong people or starting the process in the wrong way  don’t waste time on design, or consultations for your project that aren’t on budget, possible for your home or area, or a good fit for you and your family  get started with the right team for you, who support you, keep you informed and help you manage your risk – and stress as a result  Now, let me be clear – knowing how to ask for what you want does not mean you have to:  solve every problem for your project  design the whole thing yourself  get it all quoted and costed all by yourself  pick every item, material, fixture and finish on your own  However, knowing how to ask for what you want DOES mean you start your project with some prior knowledge. Knowledge which will help you   be a super savvy and informed homeowner and client  be able to interview your potential team and not get taken for a ride  communicate with that team effectively from the get-go  not waste money  not waste time  make those first steps the best steps for you and your project – so you get started efficiently and minimise stress along the way. Knowing how to ask for what you want is one of the very early things you can do to have confidence in your project, and feel more in control – rather than beholden to and blindly trusting everyone you’re speaking to.   Trust is really important with those you bring on board – but it should be informed trust, backed by due diligence, not blind trust based on hope and crossed fingers. Listen to the episode now.  The  doors to my 6 week  online program, "How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home" will be opening soon.   This online program is a supercharged way to get the education and information you need to understand the process of renovating or building your home. Plus get my help and advice on your project.   I share key lessons I've learnt from over 250 of my projects, many more that I've studied and analysed, and more than 2 decades of industry experience.    All so you can understand the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid, can skip the heartache and drama, and know that your effort, investment and planning will all be worth it in your beautiful finished home. And I'm there, alongside you for your 6 weeks membership to answer your questions and really rocket launch you further along in your project.   To be the first to know when the doors open to "How to Get it Right" - head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/waitlist and pop in your email address now.   FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello! And welcome to 2018 and the first episode this year on the "Get it Right" podcast. And the first episode of Season 5: Mistakes Many Make.  Is renovating or building your home on your agenda for this year?   Well, you know Undercover Architect is packed full of useful information so you can get it right. And what's in store this year is no exception. I have some fantastic content planned for you, and loads of great things to share.   Today's episode is all about helping you save time.   Do you know, time is the only finite resource we really have? It's like that saying - "We all have the same 24 hours as Beyonce". Which actually cracks me up, because I think that 24 hours in the life of Beyonce would look markedly different to 24 hours in my life ... but that's not really the point of the saying is it?   What it's trying to say is that, we all have 24 hours a day ... and how we use them then determines what our days look like, where we get to, the kind of person we are, and what we might accomplish along the way.  Given this is the first episode of 2018 ... I want to help kick your reno or building plans up a gear, and actually get this project done. And doing that starts with HOW, and WHERE you do your research.   In this episode, I share 3 mistakes that many homeowners make as they search online for help when renovating or building.  And I also give you 3 tips to improve your searching, and find information and advice that will move your project forward – and make you more confident and less stressed.  Listen to the podcast now.  Grab your free pdf e-guide “My top 25 online resources when designing building or renovating your home”  Head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/top25 to request your free copy now.  The doors to my 6 week online program, "How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home" will be opening soon. This online program is a supercharged way to get the education and information you need to understand the process of renovating or building your home. Plus get my help and advice on your project.  I share key lessons I've learnt from over 250 of my projects, many more that I've studied and analysed, and more than 2 decades of industry experience.   All so you can understand the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid, can skip the heartache and drama, and know that your effort, investment and planning will all be worth it in your beautiful finished home. And I'm there, alongside you for your 6 weeks membership to answer your questions and really rocket launch you further along in your project.  To be the first to know when the doors open to "How to Get it Right" - head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/waitlist and pop in your email address now.  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I wrap up 2017 on the “Get it Right” podcast, and share what’s coming up in 2018.  I thought it would be worthwhile, so if there’s anything you want to go back and revisit or refresh, this can act as a reference and an index for you.   There’s a LOT of information, ideas and inspiration that gets put out each year in Undercover Architect, so this last episode for 2017 will help you find quickly what will be useful for you.  Believe it or not, this is Episode 59 of the Get it Right podcast. Just over a year ago, the very first episode was sent live, and every week since then, there’s been a fresh episode every Tuesday morning. I’ve been told that only 2% of podcasters get to episode 100, so we’ve still got a little way to go to that benchmark!  Listen to the podcast now to hear more, and also learn what’s coming up in 2018. And head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/waitlist to learn when the doors will be opening to “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home”.  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I get LOADS of questions … some on the blog, some via email, some on social media and lots and lots inside my online courses.   I find inside my online programs that with everyone in a community, asking questions (and getting my answers), it’s incredibly useful in everyone learning far more collectively than they would 1:1. It’s amazing.  And I also regularly run a survey to understand more about you, as a member of the UA Community. If you’ve ever opted in for one of my free PDF guides, you may have seen me ask you “What is your single biggest challenge when it comes to building or renovating your home”.   I ask people to be as specific as possible – and get some fantastic questions or challenges described … which then help me help you more with what I do in Undercover Architect.  You may have these questions as well. Or perhaps these are questions you haven’t got to yet, or haven’t even thought of yet … or may have never thought of.   So, I’ve got 3 questions to share with you – and some detailed responses to help you if you’ve been wanting answers to these questions too.  Question / Challenge 1:  A member of the UA Community is torn between going via project home route or have their new home architecturally designed.  They’d prefer not to have a project home but there’s uncertainty on what their budget can buy them if going through the architect route. And so this is holding them back from making a choice.  Question / Challenge 2:  Another member of the UA Community asked: What’s the difference between building approval and CDC / DA approval or are they the same thing?  Question / Challenge 3:  A member of “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home” asked this: After we have an idea of our design (in app form). Who do we need to consult with next and in what order - the structural engineer, the geotechnical engineer, surveyor or the draftsperson? Obviously, we don't want to go back and forth any more than necessary! And be spending money on fees.  Listen to the podcast now for my answers to these questions, and help for you to take action on your project. And head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/waitlist to learn when the doors will be opening to “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home”.  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.