Cherie Barber has spent more than three decades renovating property and after more than 250 projects, there isn’t much she hasn’t encountered on site. 

In Part 1 of her conversation with Home Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Elle Lovelock, Cherie gets candid about what renovating really costs today, how to tell whether a quote stacks up and why the cheapest tradie isn’t necessarily the one you want. 

Plus, she shares how she keeps disagreements from blowing up on site, the experiences that shaped her relentless work ethic and introduces Tinnie, the humanoid robot joining her latest renovation, The Farmhouse, as a very unconventional assistant. 

This episode covers: 

• Cherie Barber’s rules for choosing and managing tradies 
• Fixed-price quotes vs hourly rates 
• Why she always gets three quotes 
• How to handle disagreements on a renovation site 
• The work ethic behind more than 250 renovations 
• The Farmhouse, Cherie’s major new Western Sydney project 
• Meet Tinnie, the humanoid robot working alongside her tradies 
• What AI and robotics could mean for the future of renovating 

You can find Cherie on Instagram here.  

Read about Tinnie, Cherie’s humanoid robot here.  

Check out Cherie’s 7 Top Renovating Tips here  

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Credits: 

Host: Elle Lovelock 

Guest: Cherie Barber 

Edited by: Leah Porges 

Head of Vodcasting: Rachel Fountain 

With thanks to our wonderful Home Beautiful team. 

The Edit is a production of Home Beautiful and Are Media.