Get It Right with Undercover Architect

This is Episode 3 of Season 1.    In this episode, we continue on our adventure of uncovering what matters most, and what decisions to prioritise when designing your new or renovated home.   In this episode, we’ll talk about all things EAST.   This will help you get it right if you’re seeking ways to make your home feel great, and also if you have you have an east-facing home.  So what do you need to be aware of with eastern sunlight?   And how should you optimise this to make your home feel great?   This podcast will teach you how to understand morning sun at your home, and manage it effectively year-round.  Let’s dive deeply into:  What eastern sunlight is like  What’s not great about eastern light  How we need to shade and shelter from eastern light  Something you may not know about the sunrise everyday  You’ll understand in detail:  What rooms need to be facing east  What rooms don’t need to be facing east  What to do if you have a view but need to shade from morning sun  Specific solutions to help you with shading   And if you have an east-facing home, you’ll learn:  What your priorities should be if you’re designing a home for an east-facing orientation  What can go wrong in designing for eastern sunlight  What happens when we get this right in our homes  What else you need to know about designing for an east-facing home   There’s a lot of great information crammed into this podcast … you may want to take notes! Listen to the podcast now.  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is Episode 2 of Season 1.   We continue to explore what matters most, and what decisions to prioritise when designing your new or renovated home.    In this episode, we’ll talk about all things NORTH.   This will help you get it right if you’re seeking ways to make your home feel great, and also if you have you have a north-facing home.  So what do you need to be aware of with northern sunlight?   And how should you optimise this to make your home feel great?   Let’s dive deeply into:  What northern sunlight is like  What’s not great about northern light  How we need to shade and shelter from northern light  You’ll understand in detail:  What rooms need to be facing north  What rooms don’t need to be facing north  A trick if you’re trying to stretch your budget and create great living spaces   And if you have a north-facing home, you’ll learn:  What your priorities should be if you’re designing a home for a north-facing orientation  What to do if your home doesn’t face due north (but faces north-east, or north-west, for example)  What can go wrong in designing for northern sunlight  What happens when we get this right in our homes  What else you need to know about designing for a north-facing home   There’s a lot of great information crammed into this podcast … you may want to take notes!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is Episode 1 of Season 1. This season Amelia is going to be taking you through what matters most. What are the most essential choices when designing your home? And in this first episode of the season, Amelia is diving into the very first choice - the most important thing to know - to make your home great. Whatever your dreams, your location or your budget. Today's episode is going to bring immediate clarity to you as you design, renovate or build your home. And Amelia means immediate. It's a big promise isn't it? It's not one she makes lightly! This is largely because of this fact: renovating and building aren't one big decision or choice. They're a series of choices made one after the other. At any point, you may have 2 options, or 20 options, or 200 options. This is the thing Amelia hears regularly - the difficulty that homeowners have in knowing what option to choose in these myriad of options. What if, instead, you could know the most important thing to prioritise? The first choice to make in your design that will make every subsequent choice simpler and streamline your design overall? There are lots of reasons why knowing this most important thing will help you in designing your home: You can design a home that suits your specific location and site You can design a home that supports your well-being You can design a home that costs you less in the future You can design a home that gets its Building Approval more simply You can design a home that’s good for the planet You can avoid wasting space that you’re paying for anyway You can simplify your design choices, and make your project easier, and life less stressful FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Amelia will be helping you answer the last question, which is “What do you, and your family, actually need from your home – now and into the future?” This may seem like a repeat of the first step, but stay with us here … Australia has the largest average home size in the world. Yes, that’s right. Bigger than our USA counterparts. And it’s climbed quickly.  In 1984, the average size of an Australian home was 162.2m2. In 2012-2013 ABS figures, this had jumped to 241.1m2. And our families haven’t got any bigger – in actual fact they’ve got much smaller. We all want more. The world of home ownership is littered with images to seduce us into wanting more and more from our homes. It’s also human condition to strive to improve and achieve. And there’s nothing wrong with that. However, when you really determine what you need to create a home that works for you, chances are you’ll find it’s actually pretty simple. And this is what Amelia knows, from the countless homeowners she speaks to and work with, most homeowners want from their home …  Space to be together. Space to be apart. Lots of natural light. Heat and warmth when you need it, and cooling breezes when you need those. Flexibility, functionality and durability. Comfort Somewhere to be proud of, to show all your hard work And a home that supports you living your best life – because it doesn’t tax you, stress you, or get in the way of you being awesome.  This isn’t about having less – it’s about simplifying. Keeping this front and centre as you move along your journey will help you navigate the noise and distractions. It will lead you to the home that is perfect for you.  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode uncovers question 3: What can your budget afford?  Ugh … money. At some point it was going to get here, wasn’t it?!  Budget is the main thing that concerns homeowners embarking on their project. What will my build or reno cost me? And will it blow out along the way? In the last financial year (2015/2016) Australians spent a record $7.7 billion on home renovations according to the latest ABS figures.  That’s over $150 million a week. The figures for new homes are similar. When most of us tackle a renovation or new build, we have a figure in mind about how much we’d like to spend on our project. So our research and preparation becomes a study in what our money will buy us. How far we can stretch it, and whether it’s enough for the dreams we have for our home. Amelia starts with this advice. Do not ignore your budget. Do not avoid setting one. Doing this work early is one of the most significant things you can do to preserve sanity for your project, and not have it run away from you.  It may sound obvious. However, the countless conversations Amelia has had with homeowners that have got terribly awkward when she's asked “OK, so what is your budget?” shows her the gaping hole in how we plan our projects!! Set a budget early. Of course, it won’t be perfect, or fixed, but don’t let this stop you! Start crunching the numbers and determining rough estimates for your plans. Then you can finesse and firm up as you progress along your journey.  There are many free online calculators you can check out. This is a fave: Home Design Directory And cost guidelines are also useful for new homes: Construction Cost Calculator Flip your thinking … Your budget is actually what is enabling you to undertake this project. Many homeowners see it as a limiter, because it never feels like enough to do all the things they want it to do.  This may sound a little woo woo … but if you see it as a limiter, you’ll be fighting it every step of the way.   Instead, think of it as the tool, the facilitator, of your build or reno. It’s fantastic that you can access these funds to create a home for your family! Don’t be scared to talk about it, and keep tracking it the whole way through. Educate yourself on what things cost, how to stretch your budget, and empower yourself to invest it well.   Amelia is a firm believer that your home can be great, whatever your budget.   How do you get bang for buck? Get professional help Take your time in preparing Be aware of the costs in the things you don’t see Head to the podcast now for more detail on my tips to get bang for buck in your project.  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, let’s talk about question 2. This question is “What are you allowed to do?”  More specifically, it’s “What does your local authority or council say you’re allowed to do?”  Council rules and regulations can seem like a complete minefield to many homeowners.  It can be a complete dampener on your plans if you let it … but Amelia promises you, it doesn’t have to be like this.   There will be planning regulations as well as building regulations, determining what you can and can’t do in your project. Your local council will enforce planning regulations and help control how your suburbs and streets will look. In some councils, if your project meets all their rules, you don’t need any council approval. Or you'll have a fast-track option to get your approval. Some councils will require a Development Application for all types of work. (A Development Application, or DA, is Council’s formal permission to proceed with any work.) The best place to start is your local council’s website. There’s usually fact sheets, or flow charts starting with “Do I need a Development Application?” that will help you get some information for your project. There are also building regulations that govern how your project can be constructed. These operate at a national level, with state variations. Generally, you’ll need a Building Approval to commence construction. This is when your project is formally checked against these building regulations. A Building Certifier (or Private Certifier) can assist you with these approvals. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the consistent questions I receive from homeowners is “Where do I start?”  It doesn’t matter whether you’re building or renovating. Knowing how to start can be confusing and overwhelming.  There is so much information and advice out there. Finding a simple path through it all can be challenging. It doesn’t take much to get overwhelmed. And it doesn’t take too many wrong turns to be in completely the wrong place.  The thing is that ‘wrong place’ is usually an expensive place to be. It can be costly to reverse decisions, and get back on track. It can also force you to have to live with your mistakes, and pay a mortgage on them as well. That's the double-whammy in building and renovating.  In my experience, all projects start the same way. Building, renovating, subdividing, extending … ALL projects. Whatever your dreams. Wherever you are, and whatever your budget is. This way involves answering four questions.  These 4 questions are: 1.     What would you like to do? 2.     What are you allowed to do? 3.     What can your budget afford? 4.     What do you, and your family, actually need from your home now and into the future? Let’s start with Question Number 1: What would you like to do? Often homeowners start by identifying their desires for their home as a shopping list of rooms and spaces. They try to piece their home together like a jigsaw puzzle. Instead, ask yourself “What am I seeking to achieve?” (Because ultimately, this is the guts of the question “What would I like to do?”) What are your big goals for your project?  Is it to create your forever home?  To give your current home a little more room?  To make life simpler, by downsizing? Or another reason? And then ask “Why”? I’ll be honest here. Any project involving renovating or building is a long-term play – it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Your “why” is your sustenance to get you through. You need to know it, hang onto it, believe in it, and hold it high. Write it down. Put it on the fridge. You may keep talking about your home in terms of what you want it to “do”. But it’s also important to think about “why” you want your home to do these things. And why you want to renovate or build in the first place. Your connection to your home is usually quite an emotional one.  Understanding the “why” of your project honours this. It will help set the framework as you move forward. It will also help you navigate the seduction trap that is Pinterest, Interiors Magazines and Makeover TV Programs. Creating your answer to "What do I want to achieve" saves your sanity, as well as your money and time. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Get It Right! I’m Amelia Lee, the architect behind Undercover Architect, and I’m your secret ally. This podcast will help you get it right when designing, building and renovating your home. In this episode, you’ll learn more about what to expect from the podcast, why Undercover Architect began, and what it’s all about. After you’ve had a listen, hit subscribe so you don’t miss any of our weekly episodes. In the first four episodes released, I take you through the first 4 questions that every project – regardless of budget – needs to begin with in order to go well. If you’ve been struggling to get started on your renovation or new home, these first 4 episodes are for you. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.