Get It Right with Undercover Architect

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 c...

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 p...

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...

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...

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 commun...

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....

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,...

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...

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 tra...

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...

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, d...

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 v...

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 tender...

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,...

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 s...

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.   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.un...

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 hom...

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 effici...

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 consum...

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 i...

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...

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...

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 Sop...

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...