Planning a renovation or new home and inspired by reality TV, YouTube and social media? You may already be aware that real life renovating and building is not the same as reality TV. But how different is it? And are you REALLY aware of how damaging and misleading it can be to your journey? I’m nervous about this season of episodes … but I feel this conversation is important and timely. And I feel that there’s an alternative way to creating a great home that feels great, when we choose to KEEP IT REAL. SHOW NOTES: In this season of the podcast, I share openly and frankly what I’m seeing happen to homeowners who embark on their renovation and new home projects. And why reality TV, Youtube and social media ‘inspiration’ can be damaging and misleading in so many ways. In this episode, I talk about ... Why I’m nervous about being so frank and open with you about reality TV and real life renovating and building Why I feel this conversation is so important at this time What I’m seeing happen for homeowners who are misled and miseducated by industry experts What blindsides homeowners time and time again - and causes huge stress and anguish What is actually tied up in creating our home (and that we don’t anticipate) Why a magazine-worthy home can be a damaging goal for many Some personal stories of what home can really mean as a place of connection and memory-making How great design isn’t about glamour or stylishness And what I know endures beyond the success metrics we create for our homes and ourselves In the 20 plus years I’ve been helping homeowners design, build and renovate their family homes, (and the projects of my own I’ve also done), I’ve had a front-row seat to what real life renovating and building is like. And I’ve also seen how keeping it real is the best way you can prepare yourself for your project … and stay true and authentic to what will ultimately best suit you and your family, and serve you over the long term. Join me, as I share with you the way to keep it real, and create a you-worthy home. Listen to the episode now. This episode is brought to you by my online course “Manage Your Build”. Are you planning to build your new home or renovation? Do you fear it will be a stress-filled ride of budget blow-outs, compromises and dramas? MANAGE YOUR BUILD provides you with industry-insider knowledge, checklists and strategies to save you time, money and your own sanity when building your new home or renovation. A collaboration between Amelia Lee, Undercover Architect, and Duayne Pearce, of D Pearce Constructions, Manage Your Build shares know-how, expertise and experience from over 45 years in residential design, building and renovation. This online course will prepare you for your construction phase so you can know you're actually getting what you're paying for, and avoid the heartache and drama of a horror build. It gives you the clarity, confidence and information you need to start your project on the right foot - and navigate throughout each stage of construction. Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to learn more and join us. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE.

Nervous about building or renovating? Want to manage your project well? You may be surprised to hear many say it’s like having children. This is why. A mum posted this in a Renovating Facebook group … Today I realised how much doing a renovation is like having children. It takes way more time and commitment than you ever thought it would. You receive constant conflicting advice and everyone thinks they know best. You’re woken in the night with the sudden thought that you’ve chosen completely the wrong tile and your bathroom will be disaster. You leave for work with knots of anxiety wondering if you’ve left your home in the care of the right builders. Now I realise why I’m feeling so bloody stressed! … I knew she’d nailed it. SHOW NOTES: In this episode, I talk about the unexpected blindside in renovating and building: the emotional piece. Many expect that it’ll be a stressful process due to it being outside the normal comfort zone. However, very few anticipate what it’s like to: Be so emotionally invested in the outcome Manage decision overwhelm Deal with difficult conversations, conflict and confrontations Require long-term stamina Stay true to what is important and valuable to you With over 20 years of doing working in this industry, I see homeowners deal with stress and the unknowns. Your home (and the new build or renovation of it) is not only one of your biggest assets and investments … but most underestimate the emotional piece. There’s an unexpected attachment we have to “home”, the identity and status, future hopes and dreams for our life and family. And the sense of accomplishment and achievement our homes represent. It’s a HUGE amount of pressure to get it right ... with little or no prior experience and a huge leap of faith. And loads of well-meaning but often totally misguided advice about what you “must” have or do to make your home (and you) complete. My recommendation? Take care of yourself, and keep asking questions. I find when women ask lots of questions, they start to feel more informed and empowered as a result. And they let their team know they’re invested and keen to be involved and get a great result. In this episode, I dive into these issues in more detail, and provide tips and strategies for you to manage yourself, and your project, well. Join me, as I share with you the way to keep it real, and create a you-worthy home. Listen to the episode now. This episode is brought to you by my online course “Manage Your Build”. Are you planning to build your new home or renovation? Do you fear it will be a stress-filled ride of budget blow-outs, compromises and dramas? MANAGE YOUR BUILD provides you with industry-insider knowledge, checklists and strategies to save you time, money and your own sanity when building your new home or renovation. A collaboration between Amelia Lee, Undercover Architect, and Duayne Pearce, of D Pearce Constructions, Manage Your Build shares know-how, expertise and experience from over 45 years in residential design, building and renovation. This online course will prepare you for your construction phase so you can know you're actually getting what you're paying for, and avoid the heartache and drama of a horror build. It gives you the clarity, confidence and information you need to start your project on the right foot - and navigate throughout each stage of construction. Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to learn more and join us. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE.

SEASON 9 - KEEPING IT REAL EPISODE 03 - Anyone can renovate or build their home (apparently) They say anyone can build or renovate their home - can’t they? Then why does it go SO wrong for so many. Well-meaning reality TV renovating and building mentors and online experts will tell you “Anyone can do this”. “We didn’t know what we were doing either when we started. Look at us now! You don’t need to be a professional. We’re just mums / people like you. And we figured it out.” And this can be really misleading for homeowners taking on the design, renovation or new build of their own family home. SHOW NOTES: Scratch below the surface of these reality TV and online experts and you’ll find a tribe of professionals and consultants who support and guide them on their projects. Who help ensure they meet council requirements, pass building inspections, that their design actually works, and that their project will be durable, legal and livable. You’ll also find financial safety nets, and the ability to dedicate time, focus and energy into their projects that the average homeowner simply doesn’t have available. There’s a big difference between industry experts and industry professionals. Liability, learning, support networks and access to knowledge. Expectations as well. As a homeowner, you’ll be renovating or building your family home and wanting to get it right the first time. You don’t have the luxury, room or time to ‘learn on the job’. Or another job, another project, someone else’s house, to get it right on. When you don’t know what you don’t know, you can find you waste time and money on the gaps in your knowledge. And when industry experts online and on TV don’t know what they don’t know (because they’ve learnt on their own projects, trial by error and done a handful only), big mistakes can get made as well. Now - please understand - I’m very aware that being an industry professional does not make you immune to human error and unexpected challenges. However, being an industry professional does mean you have a network and context to draw on in order to manage and mitigate risk - rather than the newbie approach of winging it. Renovating and building isn’t easy. Anyone can do it, but only with the right support. It definitely can be simplified. And when you get it right - it is SO WORTH THE EFFORT. Learn how to really protect yourself in your project, and support yourself so you get it right the first time. Listen to the episode now. This episode is brought to you by my online course “Manage Your Build”. Are you planning to build your new home or renovation? Do you fear it will be a stress-filled ride of budget blowouts, compromises and dramas? MANAGE YOUR BUILD provides you with industry-insider knowledge, checklists and strategies to save you time, money and your own sanity when building your new home or renovation. A collaboration between Amelia Lee, Undercover Architect, and Duayne Pearce, of D Pearce Constructions, Manage Your Build shares know-how, expertise and experience from over 45 years in residential design, building and renovation. This online course will prepare you for your construction phase so you can know you're actually getting what you're paying for, and avoid the heartache and drama of a horror build. It gives you the clarity, confidence and information you need to start your project on the right foot - and navigate throughout each stage of construction. Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to learn more and join us. FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST, CLICK HERE.  

What style is my house? And my preferred taste? Do you find yourself asking this question when renovating or building? Everyone wants to know “What style is my house?” But naming your style can be dangerous and limiting. SHOW NOTES: One of the things I see that’s really prevalent in the world of reality TV and online building and renovating is this desire to name the style you’re seeking for your project (and future home). It’s a common question others will ask you too. “What style are you doing? … Hamptons is SO popular right now!” With names like Scandi, Plantation, Industrial, French Provincial, Coastal, there’s a huge range of descriptions for an apparent choice of style, look, finishes, colours and fabrics. And you’ll see many online renovators and builders teach you to ‘pull together your vision’ … or create your vision board or scrapbook to show others the look you want for your home. They recommend it as a great way to get clear on what you want, and also explain it to others. Whilst I do believe that images are a brilliant way to explain your preferences to those on your team, I have this warning … The names of these styles all have origins in specific times, cultures and locations. And they were created for specific reasons. Sometimes it was related to climate, material availability, building technology and trade skills. Sometimes it was the next-stage development of an existing style. Sometimes it was a complete rejection of the status quo or traditional way of doing things. Sometimes it was socio-economic. When you look back through architectural, design and art history, the style names we’re grabbing and applying to how we want our home to ‘look’, are usually based in meaningful history and motivations at the time. When you seek to name the style of your future home, without truly understanding the historical origins of that style or its specific characteristics, this can be confusing for your project and design team. And you can seriously limit your project as others interpret what you want and don’t want. And if you’re basing your choice of style on a series of images you’ve grabbed from a range of houses that actually aren’t that style at all … well, the confusion continues. Styles aren’t simply names of detailing, fabric and colour choices. I know homeowners feel it works for them to name their style, but what worries me is that it can (because I’ve seen it happen) create inauthentic designs that are a veneer over terrible planning and functionality. It’s also worth understanding that a style name and a vision board is not a brief. A brief is the main communication tool you need for your project - whoever you’re working with, and wherever you’re building or renovating. And some of the best briefs I’ve received don’t ever mention a style. They describe a feeling. Appropriating cultures and styles from elsewhere that don’t have suitability for your local area can cause issues with the performance of your home, and also making it difficult to get planning approval from your local council. More importantly, it means you can miss an incredible opportunity to express YOUR style. A style that is specific to its time, location and climate … and suits you and your family authentically. In this episode, I talk about what are the problems with naming your style, and how to instead think about your wishes for your home so they can actually be delivered by your team. If you want a home that is functional, and feels complete, authentic and whole, then listen to the episode now. This episode is brought to you by my online course “Manage Your Build”. Are you planning to build your new home or renovation? Do you fear it will be a stress-filled ride of budget blowouts, compromises and dramas? MANAGE YOUR BUILD provides you with industry-insider knowledge, checklists and strategies to save you time, money and your own sanity when building your new home or renovation. A collaboration between Amelia Lee, Undercover Architect, and Duayne Pearce, of D Pearce Constructions, Manage Your Build shares know-how, expertise and experience from over 45 years in residential design, building and renovation. This online course will prepare you for your construction phase so you can know you're actually getting what you're paying for, and avoid the heartache and drama of a horror build. It gives you the clarity, confidence and information you need to start your project on the right foot - and navigate throughout each stage of construction. Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to learn more and join us.

The most significant differences between real life renovating and building and reality TV and online versions is COST and TIME. Why does it seem so much cheaper and faster to renovate or build in the television or online world? SHOW NOTES: I’ve been working with homeowners for almost 25 years now, and one thing has been constant. Their expectations of what it will cost, and how long it will take, are vastly different to real life renovating and building. You’ll be told by well-meaning friends when you announce you’re planning to renovate or build … “You know what they say? It’ll cost you twice as much and take twice as long as you plan it to.” However, in my experience … homeowners commence the process with a budget that’s 50% - 75% of where it needs to match their brief (their needs, wants, wishes and desires for their home). And they don’t understand how long the whole process will take, and that it can sometimes be 2 to 3 years from start to finish. Why this big mismatch between expectations and reality? Well, I believe this is the most significant difference between real life renovating and building, and what is presented on reality TV and online versions. Listen to the episode now, as I help you be more aware of these differences. And how you can manage your expectations more realistically to save cost, time AND stress on your project. This episode is brought to you by my online course “Manage Your Build”. Are you planning to build your new home or renovation? Do you fear it will be a stress-filled ride of budget blowouts, compromises and dramas? MANAGE YOUR BUILD provides you with industry-insider knowledge, checklists and strategies to save you time, money and your own sanity when building your new home or renovation. A collaboration between Amelia Lee, Undercover Architect, and Duayne Pearce, of D Pearce Constructions, Manage Your Build shares know-how, expertise and experience from over 45 years in residential design, building and renovation. This online course will prepare you for your construction phase so you can know you're actually getting what you're paying for, and avoid the heartache and drama of a horror build. It gives you the clarity, confidence and information you need to start your project on the right foot - and navigate throughout each stage of construction. Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to learn more and join us.

If you’re just wanting to get your renovation or new home built, the real life process may be disappointing for you. Why? Reality TV and online renovating / building are ALL about the build … and this is a huge departure from the time, investment and team required to make your project happen. The real life process involves a lot more than just the construction phase. SHOW NOTES: There are actually 4 phases to any project. Whether you’re building or renovating, wherever you’re located, and whatever your budget. These 4 phases are: #1 Before you begin #2 Getting your design right #3 Before you build #4 Getting your project built Reality TV and online renovating and building are all about phase #4. Because this is the exciting part. It makes good content. It creates engaging, dramatic footage. And it’s fun to see a dream take shape in floors, rooms and buildings on a site. So many homeowners focus their attention and effort on racing to the construction phase. It’s all about the build. Fast-tracking the design. Going directly to a builder with their own floor plan. A huge sense of urgency to make.it.happen. Because that’s what we see on TV and online … dramatic countdowns to insane deadlines, and exhausted but elated renovators and home builders loving what they’ve created (insert high-fiving here). In reality TV and online, it makes great content. In real life … it’s a recipe for a stressful, expensive and not-so-great build. For not getting the choices you want in your home. For blowing your budget. For blowing your timeline. And for missing opportunities to create the right home for you in a managed, strategic and on-budget way. So what will really get your project built? In this episode, I share key things you need to know about every phase of your renovation or building project. I also give tips to help you get it right so that construction is low-stress, runs smoothly, and you get what you actually want for your home. This episode is brought to you by my online course “Manage Your Build”. Are you planning to build your new home or renovation? Do you fear it will be a stress-filled ride of budget blowouts, compromises and dramas? MANAGE YOUR BUILD provides you with industry-insider knowledge, checklists and strategies to save you time, money and your own sanity when building your new home or renovation. A collaboration between Amelia Lee, Undercover Architect, and Duayne Pearce, of D Pearce Constructions, Manage Your Build shares know-how, expertise and experience from over 45 years in residential design, building and renovation. This online course will prepare you for your construction phase so you can know you're actually getting what you're paying for, and avoid the heartache and drama of a horror build. It gives you the clarity, confidence and information you need to start your project on the right foot - and navigate throughout each stage of construction. Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to learn more and join us.  

Renovating or building your forever family home is entirely different to flipping a home for profit - but not in all the ways you think. Many homeowners seek advice and guidance from reality TV and online renovating or building experts who are flipping homes for profit. It can be a misleading way to seek help for your forever family home. Flipping and forever are very different mindsets. When you’re creating your forever family home, the significance of what you’re doing can be overwhelming. SHOW NOTES: If flipping the home, there’s a certain freedom that comes from knowing you won’t be the one living with the consequences of your decisions. Decisions don’t seem so consequential - not for you anyway. This is entirely different to the exercise of building or renovating your forever family home. I see homeowners unable to be detached or objective about the outcomes they’re choosing for their forever family home. In a previous episode, I talked about the emotional baggage we bring to the process of creating our forever family home. Whether building or renovating, we will attach a huge amount to the realisation of our home dreams. There’s memories, status, future hopes and dreams, current achievement, identity … the list goes on. And those factors can mean we are VERY attached to the outcomes we’re creating in our projects. As a result, every decision can feel BIG. Like it’s the thing that will make or break our hopes and dreams. From a bathroom tile, to the size of our living space, all choices can overwhelm and consume us with their significance. This is entirely different to the exercise of flipping for profit. With profit as your objective, decisions have a compass, a goal to achieve. It can bring a clarity we lack in the emotional process of building or renovating a forever family home. Even when online or reality TV building or renovating experts are doing their own homes, they approach it with a different mindset to the average homeowner. I see this play out in my own experience, as well as what I see happening in the industry. As a homeowner, you mostly likely want this to be the first and last time you ever tackle a renovation or building project. Operating outside of your comfort zone, making such a big financial investment, and feeling under pressure … well, who would sign up to that again, hey? Homeowners instead face every decision they make with the weight of regret. Will this be the wrong choice for our family? Will I come to dislike this in the future? Will my house look dated over time? Will this be a terrible frustration we get annoyed by? Will people think I’m foolish because I didn’t get this right? For some reason, we believe that we should be good at this … that it’s something that should come naturally to us. However, it’s not the case. And when we’re looking to those who are flipping for profit as our advisors, we can be seriously misled in our own journeys. Give yourself permission for this to feel like a big deal. This is your forever family home you are building or renovating. So decisions will feel big, and you’ll worry about regretting your choices. Listen to the podcast as I help you navigate this, and share where to get support from so you can find the process enjoyable and empowering. This episode is brought to you by my online course “Manage Your Build”. Are you planning to build your new home or renovation? Do you fear it will be a stress-filled ride of budget blowouts, compromises and dramas? MANAGE YOUR BUILD provides you with industry-insider knowledge, checklists and strategies to save you time, money and your own sanity when building your new home or renovation. A collaboration between Amelia Lee, Undercover Architect, and Duayne Pearce, of D Pearce Constructions, Manage Your Build shares know-how, expertise and experience from over 45 years in residential design, building and renovation. This online course will prepare you for your construction phase so you can know you're actually getting what you're paying for, and avoid the heartache and drama of a horror build. It gives you the clarity, confidence and information you need to start your project on the right foot - and navigate throughout each stage of construction. Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to learn more and join us.

Are you chasing the after photo? Styling and staging may be seducing you to make the wrong choices for your home design. As you browse the internet, look at glossy magazines and spend hours on Pinterest, it’s easy to fall in love (and aspire to achieve) the images you see of renovation and building projects. But it’s not all about the ‘after’ photo. SHOW NOTES: The way we view renovations and new homes when we look online, or on reality TV, is very carefully crafted. Heavily curated homes, with the ‘right’ amount of furniture, artwork, cushions, rugs, and throws, make for beautiful photographs we begin to lust after and collect as inspiration for our own home. It can be easy to think … “I just need to achieve that ‘look’ and my home will be perfect. However, in my experience, styling and staging are not what make a home work. It’s not how a great home design is actually achieved. And it can seduce you into chasing the ‘after’ photo, and ending up with a home that’s disappointing and lacks soul. Far too often I see homeowners start down the path of creating a home that is truly, uniquely theirs … and get lost in the on-trend, stylish and lust-worthy photos. They lose confidence in their own style, their own desires. And they create a cookie-cutter version of whatever is trending on Pinterest right now. And the worst of it? Because the ‘look’ is usually high-end, they find knock-offs and low-cost substitutes to create it. Knowing they’re not durable. Knowing they’ll break down in a few years. With any luck, they’ll be out of fashion by then, and it won’t matter too much. STOP. You … and your home … deserve better than this. Don’t go chasing that ‘after’ photo at the cost of living sustainably, flexibly and authentically. Seek your way to keep it real, and create a home that works for you, and your family. A home that is “YOU-WORTHY”. This episode is brought to you by my online course “Manage Your Build”. Are you planning to build your new home or renovation? Do you fear it will be a stress-filled ride of budget blowouts, compromises and dramas? MANAGE YOUR BUILD provides you with industry-insider knowledge, checklists and strategies to save you time, money and your own sanity when building your new home or renovation. A collaboration between Amelia Lee, Undercover Architect, and Duayne Pearce, of D Pearce Constructions, Manage Your Build shares know-how, expertise and experience from over 45 years in residential design, building and renovation. This online course will prepare you for your construction phase so you can know you're actually getting what you're paying for, and avoid the heartache and drama of a horror build. It gives you the clarity, confidence and information you need to start your project on the right foot - and navigate throughout each stage of construction. Head to https://undercoverarchitect.com/manageyourbuild/ to learn more and join us.