Get It Right with Undercover Architect

Hello! This is Episode 365, and in it, I’m sharing the top 5 mistakes I see homeowners make in their renovation or new build projects - without even realising they’re doing it.

These aren’t the obvious, dramatic missteps you hear horror stories about. 

They’re subtle, sneaky habits and beliefs that can quietly derail your progress, blow your budget, or leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure as your project unfolds.

They’re also incredibly common, and totally avoidable once you know what to look for.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcas...

Hello! This is Episode 364, and in it, HOME Method member, Shauna, is back with Part 2 of our conversation about building her new family home.

In this episode, we dive deeper into the long-term view Shauna took with this home, and how that shaped her decisions around budget, investment, and design. And you’ll hear how she tested her thinking along the way, continually asking herself if her choices were still delivering a better result than the alternatives.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/364]

Hello! This is Episode 363, and in it, I’m chatting with HOME Method member, Shauna, who has recently completed her new family home. 

Shauna is a sustainability practitioner by profession. So, what does someone who works in sustainability do when creating their long-term family home? 

Well, you’ll hear how she approached her new build with intention, clear objectives, and a pragmatic approach that balanced the realities of her budget and site with her overall goals and wishlist in her newly built home.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downlo...

Hello! This is Episode 362, and in it, I’m sharing what to do if you’re not using the PAC Process - or Paid As Consultant Process - but still want to ensure you don’t get massively disappointed when your project gets priced before you start construction.

Perhaps you still want to competitively tender your project? Or you’ve found out about the PAC Process too far into your project? Or your architect or designer isn’t interested in doing it at all, or has another method they’re suggesting to you?

This is something I...

Hello! This is Episode 361, and in it, I’m answering the questions I didn’t get to during our recent live webinars.

I hope these answers are interesting to hear, and perhaps help you feel more equipped and confident in navigating your own project.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/361.]

Whenever I host a live session, I’m always blown away by the type and curiosity of the questions that come through. They show me just how thoughtful, considered, and committed you ar...

Hello! This is Episode 360, and I’m back with Part 2 of my conversation with builder, Anthony Hickey, from Melbourne-based Two Tone Construction. Anthony recently completed a renovation project with HOME Method members, Tanya and Paul, and as he said in Part 1, they’ve redefined his benchmark for his ideal client!

In this episode, Anthony and I talk about how to set up effective communication between a builder and a client, especially when you’re a client who has invested in getting educated and informed, and you’re wondering how a builder might welcome your input and involvement in your...

Hello! This is Episode 359, and I’m super excited to bring this conversation to you.

For some time on the podcast, we’ve been hearing the stories of HOME Method members in all different parts of their projects. Some right at the beginning, some mid-way through and keeping us updated over their project timeline, and some who have moved into their finished newly built or renovated home.

I’ve been getting so much great feedback from you about these episodes. About how much you’re loving these stories, as well as the people and homes in them...

Hello! This is Episode 358, and in it, I’m sharing something a little different.

Over the years of running my signature online program, HOME Method, we’ve welcomed hundreds of homeowners who are navigating all kinds of new builds and renovations. 

And when someone joins, we ask them a few questions - not just to get to know them, but to better understand how they’re feeling, what they’re hoping for, and where they need support.

In today’s episode, I want to share some of those answers with you.

[For all res...

Hello! This is Episode 357, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Ellen, about her new build and the construction process of her family home in Ballarat, Victoria. It’s been under construction for around 7 months.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/357]

If you missed Part 1 of this conversation, head back to Episode 356 so you can catch up on what we’ve discussed. You can find that at www.undercoverarchitect.com/356.

Remember too, that Ellen originally appeared on the po...

Hello! This is Episode 356, and in it, HOME Method member Ellen is back to give us an update on the construction of her new home in Ballarat, Victoria.

Ellen and her partner are doing a knockdown-rebuild, and creating a single-storey home for their family, which includes Ellen and her partner, and their two teenage kids.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/356]

Ellen was on the podcast in Episodes 336 and 337 discussing her project journey up to commencement of construction. If you haven’t...

Hello! This is Episode 355, and I’m back with Part 2 of the latest project update with HOME Method members, Louise and Zane, who are renovating their Melbourne Californian Bungalow.

They’re early in their design phase, and whilst they have a floor plan design that’s starting to tick the boxes on their wishes and wants, it’s still sneaking up over their budget. 

This is a great insight into the early design stages of a project, how you juggle competing demands and priorities, as well as trying to ensure you’re capturing all the details so...

Hello! This is Episode 354, and in it, we’re getting an update from HOME Method members, Louise and Zane, about their renovation project. 

If you’re curious about what the early parts of a project experience are like as you choose your team and commence work with them, this is going to be super helpful information for you.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/354]

As with Ben that we had on the podcast over the last couple of weeks, Louise and Zane a...

Hello! This is Episode 353, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Ben, about the renovation and extension of his and his partner’s 1920’s Californian Bungalow in Melbourne.

As we jump into Part 2, I talk more with Ben about their budget, and how they’ve worked with it over these design changes and the timeline, as well as the way Ben and Mike are now viewing their investment and what they want to get from it.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.unde...

Hello! This is Episode 352, and in it, I’m talking with HOME Method member, Ben. He and his partner, Mike, are designing the renovation and extension of their Melbourne Californian Bungalow.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Ben and Mike came up with their renovation and extension design, and some of the challenges they had along the way. They followed a more traditional route of tendering the design, only to discover that the cost to deliver exceeded their budget, which meant they had two choices.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free...

Hello! This is Episode 351, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Tatiana, about her new build in regional Queensland on a site with a specific Council Buffer Zone they’re having to contend with.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/351]

If you missed Part 1 of our conversation, make sure you head back to Episode 350 to catch up before you dive into Part 2. You can listen or read the transcript at www.undercoverarchitect.com/350.

In this episode, I talk...

Hello! This is Episode 350, and in it, I’m talking with HOME Method member, Tatiana. She lives with her partner and three boys in regional Queensland, and is getting ready to design and build their new home.

We meet Tatiana at the very beginning of her journey. Their project faces challenges, including a tight budget, council restrictions due to a nearby water treatment plant, and managing sun exposure for the local climate.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/350]

Having experienced a pr...

Hello! This is Episode 349, and in it, I’m going to discuss a topic that is, I believe, often the promoted ‘thing’ out there through glossy mags and social media: ‘How to create a luxurious home’. 

And because it seems to be promoted so heavily, by inference, it seems that it’s supposed to be one of the goals when creating your ideal home.

However, I have found that the definition of ‘luxury’ can have MANY connotations. Not always positive either. 

And it can be so relative and subjective in how...

Hello! This is Episode 348, and I’m back with HOME Method member, Michael as we continue the conversation about the construction of his new home in Western Australia - a home that he and his wife intend to retire to and enjoy a relaxing lifestyle that makes the most of the beautiful location.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/348]

If you missed Part 1 of this conversation, head back to Episode 347 to listen first before diving into this one, as it’ll make a lot...

Hello! This is Episode 347, and Michael is back to give us the latest update on his new build project in Western Australia (which is currently under construction).

Michael first came on the podcast in July 2024, in Episodes 323 and 324, and took us through the early phases of his project, including working with his designer and resolving the overall design, materials and details for his future home.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/347]

Michael and his wife are building a home that’s in...

Hello! This is Episode 346, and in it, I’m continuing my conversation with electrician, Brendan Lang, from Get Off Gas.

We finished Episode 345 Brendan sharing insights about his own home renovation, and how he tackled it. Brendan has opened his home for Sustainable House Day and uses it as a fantastic demonstration of how to improve an existing home through electrification and energy efficiency upgrades.

In this episode, Brendan talks more about how he renovated his home, including retrofitting insulation to its roof and walls. 

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a f...

Hello! This is Episode 345, and in it, I’m talking with Brendan Lang from Get Off Gas.

Brendan is an electrician and is joining me to talk about how we can get off gas in our existing homes, and when renovating or building our homes, and choose to electrify our homes instead.

I believe we should be getting off gas, improving the energy efficiency of our homes and reducing their energy consumption overall. And then supplying that energy via renewable sources such as localised solar systems, or through green power from the grid.

[Fo...

Hello! This is Episode 344, and in it, I’m celebrating the 8th birthday of the Undercover Architect podcast.

I can’t quite believe it’s been 8 years that I’ve been doing this. And given it’s been a while since I’ve done a solo episode, I thought I would take this episode to share some updates with you about home design, building and renovating, what we’re seeing in Undercover Architect, and life in general.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/344]

And, in...

Hello! This is Episode 343, and I’m back with Cindy, HOME Method member, designer and Thermal Performance Assessor, giving us an update on her new build.

We’re talking about her Smart Home System design, selection and specification, as she shares the details of including this in her new build project.

And we also discuss how she’s worked with her build team to ensure the sustainable details - even those they may have never done before - are being correctly included and built in her home.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcas...

Hello! This is Episode 342, and in it, I’m talking with HOME Method member, Cindy.

Cindy is a HOME Method member, and she’s also a designer and Thermal Performance Assessor, who has designed her own new home which is currently under construction.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/342]

Cindy was on the podcast about 5 months ago in Episodes 321 and 322, giving us her first update on her project, and sharing her design phase and early construction experience.

She’s back t...

Hello! This is Episode 341, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Sophie, about her Perth-based renovation of a 2 bedroom Californian bungalow into a beautiful home for her and her family.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/341]

If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of my conversation with Sophie, be sure to head to Episode 340 to catch up now. You can find it at www.undercoverarchitect.com/340 and there’s a full transcript there as well.

In this episod...

Hello! This is Episode 340, and in it, I’m talking with homeowner and HOME Method member, Sophie, about the renovation of her Californian bungalow in Perth, Western Australia.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/340]

Sophie and her partner finished their renovation project in April 2023, just 6 weeks before they welcomed their first child, a baby girl, into the world, and brought her home to their newly created renovation. 

There’s nothing like a baby’s due date to put pressure on project deadlin...

Hello! This is Episode 339, and I’m continuing my conversation with Jan and Landon about their new build in Sydney’s north on an amazing site that’s been in Landon’s family for many years.

In fact, it’s where Landon grew up, and after 39 years of living together in another part of Sydney, Jan and Landon are selling up, and moving to this location they both love and have a strong connection with, to build a new, Passive House home.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to ww...

Hello! This is Episode 338, and in it, I’m speaking with Jan and Landon about the new home they’re planning to build on an amazing site in Sydney’s north.

Jan and Landon are a super interesting couple with a really interesting project. For starters, they’re both 73 years old as they embark on this ambitious project of building a new home.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/336]

They’re selling their home of 39 years, and they’re moving to a different...

Hello! This is Episode 337 and in it, I continue my conversation with HOME Method member, Ellen. 

Their new build project is underway in Ballarat, Victoria, and it’s for herself, her partner and their two teenage kids.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/337]

If you missed Part 1 of my conversation, be sure to head back to Episode 336 and catch up there. In that episode, Ellen shares how they found their home, made the decision to do a knockdown rebuild, and their des...

Hello! This is Episode 336 and in it, you’re going to meet HOME Method member, Ellen. She and her partner are building a new home in Ballarat, Victoria and have a really interesting project journey to share.

Ellen and her partner bought their property with the view to do a knock-down rebuild. However, as it can, life got in the way, and time passed, with their project taking longer than expected.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/336]

Ellen shares more about th...

Hello! This is Episode 335, and in it, I’m continuing my conversation with Andy Pace from The Green Design Center in Wisconsin, USA, where we dive into the most impactful decisions in a new build when creating a healthy home.

We also discuss improving indoor air quality, how to support your health and well-being through your project choices and decisions, and the process Andy uses to audit the integrity of the products he stocks at The Green Design Center.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.un...

Hello! This is Episode 334, and in it, I’m talking with Andy Pace from the Green Design Center in Wisconsin, USA.

Andy is joining me to talk about his role as a Healthy Home Concierge and Founder of The Green Design Center, and how he helps and works with homeowners in all locations, to not only supply healthy and sustainable building products and materials, but also provide advice through consultancy, on what’s required to achieve a healthy outcome for both existing and new homes.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, down...

Hello! This is Episode 333, and in it, I’m sharing information about an amazing company that’s Australia’s leader in textile recovery and recycling.

UPPAREL, based in Melbourne, Victoria, is a BCorp Certified company, and is an award-winning leader in textile recovery and recycling, providing convenient solutions to textile waste for both consumers and businesses.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/333].

UPPAREL first came onto my radar when previous podcast guest, Joost Bakker, shared some of their incredible products on social...

Hello! This is Episode 332, and I’m back with HOME Method member, Elizabeth, and discussing the renovation of her brick home in a Bushfire BAL Rated Flame Zone area.

In this episode, we talk more about the investigations Elizabeth will be doing as she dives into her renovation project, and my suggestions on how to keep working to her ideal project timeline. 

We also talk through some of the renovation decisions she’s making based on the home being in a BAL Flame Zone area. 

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free...

Hello! This is Episode 331, and I’m looking forward to introducing you to HOME Method member, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth has been one of our long-time members, having joined HOME Method, or an earlier iteration of the program, almost 5 years ago in 2019.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/331]

In the world of online businesses, that’s a long time … but for me as an architect having worked in this industry since 1994, it doesn’t feel that long!!

Elizabeth’s story is a really i...

Hello! This is Episode 330. In it, I continue my conversation with Angela, a Tasmanian HOME Method member, currently kicking off the design phase of her project.

She and her partner have decided that, instead of doing the knock-down rebuild of their home as was originally planned, they are undertaking a more efficient and lower cost renovation of the existing home.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/330]

If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of my conversation with Angela and how they ar...

Hello! This is Episode 329. In it, you’re going to meet Angela. She and her partner own a block of land with an existing home on it in Tasmania, and after purchasing the home, they started their project journey with the plan to demolish the home and build a new one - otherwise known as a ‘Knock Down Rebuild’ or KDRB!

However, once they lived in the home for a little while, their ideas changed. And what was to be a knock-down rebuild project of a new home, has morphed into a planned renovation of the existing home. ...

Hello! This is Episode 328, and it’s part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, Janet, about the pre-build and build phases of her project. 

Janet and her partner Paul, have been building a new home in Brisbane on a tricky site, and it’s almost finished! And this is our chance to hear how the construction process has gone.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/328]

If you haven’t listened to the first part of my conversation with Janet in Episode...

Hello! This is Episode 327, and I’ve brought Janet back to talk more about her project of building a new home on a challenging block for her family in Brisbane, Queensland. 

We’re talking all about how they selected their builder, tendered their project, made their selections and got ready for construction.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/327]

We first met Janet back in Episode 319 and Episode 320, where Janet shared how she and her partner Paul, and their 3 children, started on their...

Hello! This is Episode 326, and it’s Part 2 of my conversation with HOME Method member, June, about their new build of their retirement home in the West Australian coastal town of Green Head. Whilst living remotely from the site - 3.5 hours away.

[For all resources mentioned in this podcast and a free, downloadable PDF transcript, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com/326]

If you haven’t listened to Part 1, be sure to head back to Episode 325, where you’ll hear June discuss how they thought about ageing in place in their design, and the decisions they made for th...