Get It Right With Undercover Architect

Learn how to avoid 3 expensive mistakes when planning your renovation or new build … and ultimately how to avoid disaster and heartache in your project.   So many homeowners make avoidable mistakes when embarking on their project, so I’ll be taking you through these specific ones I see.  And I’ll also be sharing how we can work together in a really affordable way to simplify your project journey, and help you achieve a great outcome in your future family home.   SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  Before I start today’s podcast, if you’re listening to this between July 31st and August 7th, 2018, it’s really exciting, because right now you can join me in my 6 week online course “How to Get it Right in Your Reno or New Home”.  Hundreds of homeowners have taken this course, and enjoyed how it’s helped them get ready for their renovation or building project.   Listen to the ep

Hello! In this episode, I’m sharing some exciting news with you – especially if you’re a USA-based member of the UA Community - and I’ll also be highlighting some of my learnings and experiences from my recent trip to the USA, and how these ideas can be translated into your home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  Eric Reinholdt of 30X40 Design Workshop and I have created a new online course together. It’s called “The Welcome Home Course” and it will teach you how to confidently remodel or build your future family home – and get it right.   Together, we have over 40 years industry experience in residential design, remodeling and building. In ‘The Welcome Home Course’, we’re diving into what you need to know to successfully design, remodel or build your home, and how to avoid the expensive mistakes, heartache and drama along the way.   There’ll also be other industry experts to suppor

In this episode, Despina Priala of Priala Legal, provides fantastic tips and insight into building and renovating contracts. I think you’ll find it super helpful.  PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in the interview does not constitute legal advice and anyone reading or listening is strongly recommended to seek independent legal advice concerning their contract/transaction.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  Despina Priala has practiced in property and commercial law on the Gold Coast for over 25 years, and has substantial experience in this area with career highlights including her appointment as in-house counsel for Sunland Group (a prestigious Australian property development business).   Despina established Priala Legal in 2007 to provide specialised boutique legal services to developers and other property players within the South East Queensland market.  Despina has some fantastic tips to share w

Want to make your construction process simpler – and you more sane and confident?  Manage Your Build is my online program that will give you key knowledge, tools, cheatsheets and industry insider checklists and tips, plus strategies to save your sanity and budget as well.   This online program can support you, help you avoid expensive mistakes and drama, and put you in the driver's seat, feeling confident during the construction of your new home or renovation.  Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to see more about what's inside the program, and how it can save you stress and money as you navigate the construction of your reno or new home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  In this episode, we talk about the Practical Completion Stage.   This stage represents the completion of your project, and it's also a contractual point which then triggers a series of other activities and processes required

Want to make your construction process simpler – and you more sane and confident?  Manage Your Build is my online program that will give you key knowledge, tools, cheatsheets and industry insider checklists and tips, plus strategies to save your sanity and budget as well.   This online program can support you, help you avoid expensive mistakes and drama, and put you in the driver's seat, feeling confident during the construction of your new home or renovation.  Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to see more about what's inside the program, and how it can save you stress and money as you navigate the construction of your reno or new home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  In this episode, we talk about the Fixit or Interior Fitout Stage.   This, for many homeowners, is the seriously fun part. It's when the interior finishes, fixtures and fittings start to go into your home, and site is a hive

Want to make your construction process simpler – and you more sane and confident?  Manage Your Build is my online program that will give you key knowledge, tools, cheatsheets and industry insider checklists and tips, plus strategies to save your sanity and budget as well.   This online program can support you, help you avoid expensive mistakes and drama, and put you in the driver's seat, feeling confident during the construction of your new home or renovation.  Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to see more about what's inside the program, and how it can save you stress and money as you navigate the construction of your reno or new home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  In this episode, we talk about part 2 of the Lockup or Enclosed Stage.   This continues on from the last episode, and we keep talking about the steps involved in making your home water-tight as we wrap up the exterior of the home

Want to make your construction process simpler – and you more sane and confident?  Manage Your Build is my online program that will give you key knowledge, tools, cheatsheets and industry insider checklists and tips, plus strategies to save your sanity and budget as well.   This online program can support you, help you avoid expensive mistakes and drama, and put you in the driver's seat, feeling confident during the construction of your new home or renovation.  Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to see more about what's inside the program, and how it can save you stress and money as you navigate the construction of your reno or new home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  In this episode, we talk about the next stage of construction, which is the Lockup or Enclosed Stage.   This is where your home gets made water-tight ... in fact all construction is generally racing to this point so that work can occur undercover and you

Want to make your construction process simpler – and you more sane and confident?  Manage Your Build is my online program that will give you key knowledge, tools, cheatsheets and industry insider checklists and tips, plus strategies to save your sanity and budget as well.   This online program can support you, help you avoid expensive mistakes and drama, and put you in the driver's seat, feeling confident during the construction of your new home or renovation.  Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to see more about what's inside the program, and how it can save you stress and money as you navigate the construction of your reno or new home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  In this episode, we talk about the next stage of construction, which is the Frame Stage.   This is where the skeleton of your home gets built ... the frames of the walls, any upper floors, and your roof frame. And there are a load of decisions

Want to make your construction process simpler – and you more sane and confident?  Manage Your Build is my online program that will give you key knowledge, tools, cheatsheets and industry insider checklists and tips, plus strategies to save your sanity and budget as well.   This online program can support you, help you avoid expensive mistakes and drama, and put you in the driver's seat, feeling confident during the construction of your new home or renovation.  Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to see more about what's inside the program, and how it can save you stress and money as you navigate the construction of your reno or new home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  In this episode, we talk about the next stage of construction. This is the Slab or Base Stage. This is where the platform or floor of your home gets built.  I see homeowners struggle with understanding that, at this point, many choices about the fin

Want to make your construction process simpler – and you more sane and confident?  Manage Your Build is my online program that will give you key knowledge, tools, cheatsheets and industry insider checklists and tips, plus strategies to save your sanity and budget as well.   This online program can support you, help you avoid expensive mistakes and drama, and put you in the driver's seat, feeling confident during the construction of your new home or renovation.  Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to see more about what's inside the program, and how it can save you stress and money as you navigate the construction of your reno or new home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  What happens during demolition and site preparation?  “Demolition and Site Preparation” is an important stage in construction, and often the first real activity you see on your building site.   In this episode, we talk about th

Want to make your construction process simpler – and you more sane and confident?  Manage Your Build is my online program that will give you key knowledge, tools, cheatsheets and industry insider checklists and tips, plus strategies to save your sanity and budget as well.   This online program can support you, help you avoid expensive mistakes and drama, and put you in the driver's seat, feeling confident during the construction of your new home or renovation.  Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to see more about what's inside the program, and how it can save you stress and money as you navigate the construction of your reno or new home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  In this episode, we talk about the first stage of any project - paying the deposit. This is where you'll be signing your contract, and making your first payment to lock in your builder, and get the construction process going.  There's lots to k

Want to make your construction process simpler – and you more sane and confident?  Manage Your Build is my online program that will give you key knowledge, tools, cheatsheets and industry insider checklists and tips, plus strategies to save your sanity and budget as well.   This online program can support you, help you avoid expensive mistakes and drama, and put you in the driver's seat, feeling confident during the construction of your new home or renovation.  Head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild to see more about what's inside the program, and how it can save you stress and money as you navigate the construction of your reno or new home.  SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE:  This podcast is called "The Stages of Home Construction". We're diving into the process of home construction for both new builds and renovations, so you can feel informed as your project gets built. We'll be looking at the what, when, who and how of each stage and

This episode introduces a new Project Diary on the Undercover Architect website – the design and construction of a new home in New Zealand.  This is a project I designed for the owners late last year, and so, in this episode, I share how the design process went, and how I worked with these homeowners to create the design for their future forever family home.  So, what’s a Project Diary? Well, it’s where we follow the journey of someone who is building or renovating their home. There are already 2 Project Diaries on the Undercover Architect website.  One is the renovation of a Queenslander cottage, and the other is the construction of a new family home for the Andersons. These project diaries go step by step through their journey … from their design process, their quoting, their selection of a builder and then the construction and completion of the home. It’s really great if you’re planning a project yourself to see how

Got questions about your renovation or new home?  This episode answers 3 questions I receive frequently from the UA Community.  I receive a lot of questions from homeowners. Between comments on the blog, people getting in touch over email or social media, and from the members in my online programs, it’s always great to see what homeowners are curious about, and the help they need.   I’ve selected these 3 questions because I receive them really regularly. These 3 questions are:  What is the best stage to get a quantity surveyor in to do a cost report on your design?  Do I really need a Project Manager on my new build or renovation?  How do I find time to get my reno or building planning started?  Listen to the episode for more info now.   FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Know what to look for in an architect's or designer's quote so you can protect yourself and your project. Request your FREE Guide now … It includes a complete transcript of this podcast, my top 10 tips, plus 3 bonus tips not mentioned anywhere else >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/quotechecklist  This episode is to help you know what to look for in an architect’s or designer’s quote. If you’re receiving fee proposals from potential designers for your project – and infact any consultants you might need on your team, this episode will be great for you.   I’ve seen many architect and designer quotes in my time now, and to be frank, some of them are shocking. They expose both the homeowner and the designer to a huge amount of risk.   And it’s fine when everything goes well, but if there’s any discrepancy or frustration during the project, then it can be very difficult to understand n

Grab the free e-guide “How to Design a Home – 5 Simple Steps to Get Started and Get it Right”.  This guide will take you through how to create a home that works for you – now and always. It’s based on my work with hundreds of clients over more than 2 decades in this industry, and will simplify the design of your future family home. You can get it by heading to >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/homedesign  This episode is all about the designer you choose for your project. If you’ve decided you’re going to work with one, it’s usually the first choice you’ll make.    And I say ‘if’, because I know that many homeowners don’t work directly with a designer. From what I’ve seen, especially in my time in Undercover Architect, many homeowners will draw up their own design on an app, or on paper, and then take it to a builder. The builder may have their own drafting team, and so that homeowner-prepared de

Request your free E-Guide “The View from Upper Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/viewfromupper   Is your main view from the upper floor of your home? And are you needing help with how to design a home to best suit this?   I receive so many questions about how to design a home when your best view is from the upper level. Especially from homeowners who have young families, and are grappling with where to locate the major living areas of the home.  Do your living areas get located on the upper floor where you can make the most of the view, but then accept that they're a storey away from the garden? Or on the lower floor where your living spaces can then have a great indoor / out

Request your free E-Guide “The Dual Access Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/dualaccessblock   What is a dual access block? Well, this is what we call a block that has two frontages – at opposite ends of the home.  This may be via two street frontages, because for some reason there’s been a subdivision that’s left a sliver of land only one block deep. Or it may be because the home faces a park where pedestrians can arrive at the home – but it has street access for car at the other side of it. Or perhaps, it ha

Request your free E-Guide “The Acreage Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/acreageblock   Acreage homes can cover a lot of different types. It can be a single acre in a suburban area where large lots are the norm ... right through to a regional or remote area, where there’s thousands and thousands of acres of a working property, with a home situated on it.  Through Undercover Architect, I’ve had the benefit of working with many regional clients, both here and overseas. And I also live on acreage myself, in the Byron Hinterland.   Over the years, and especially fr

Request your free E-Guide “The Sloping Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/slopingblock   Do you have a sloping block? And do you know how to design your new home or renovation to make the most of it?  So many homeowners get in touch with me because they have a sloping block and none of the inspiration they’re looking at applies for their scenario. They’re confused about how to get a connection with their outdoor areas, about how they’ll not spend a fortune in excavation and retaining, and how to best deal with the sloping terrain.  This can apply whether their block has a gentle slope to it, is like goat country, or is somewhere in between.   And it usually becomes a case of which of these three options you’ll choose ...   do you build or renovate so our home sits elevated above the slope, floating over it  do you excavate the site to create a