Stories from Site - Renovation Podcast

This week we chat with Lauren, a first-time renovator whose partner's electrician skills are coming in handy as they tackle updating their 1970s home.  As we catch up with her midway through her renovation journey, having just completed the kitchen extension and gearing up for the rest of her home, Lauren reflects on the accomplishments achieved so far. Check out Lauren and Ash's project...

In this inspiring episode, we delve into the remarkable self-build journey of Ade, an architectural designer and project manager, who transformed a dilapidated barn into a dream home for his family in the picturesque Kent countryside.  We discuss his drive to uncover hidden opportunities, his commitment to maintaining the highest standards throughout the conversion process, and the challenges of p...

In this episode, we sit down with Bo Fetum, an experienced interior designer who had to make some tough decisions when faced with skyrocketing renovation costs. She shares her insights on how to pivot a project successfully and create beautiful, engaging spaces without breaking the bank. Check out Bo Fetum's Instagram account @bo.fentum.design   Try the HomeNotes App; Web: homenotes.co Insta:...

This week we talk to Gemma who renovated an old school building on Anglesey whilst living in Manchester. We talk to her about managing a remote renovation, the pros and cons of working directly with a larger contractor,  and the differences in renovating a holiday home as a business.  You can stay in Gemma's renovation - check out her listing at https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/Anglese...

In this episode, we talked to Barbara about the journey of falling in love with a fixer-upper home, as well as the challenges of handling costs in a labour-only building contract, and the joys of undertaking DIY projects during maternity leave. Check out Barbara's panelling in action on Instagram and TikTok @thebabshouse .  Try the HomeNotes App; Web: homenotes.co Insta: @wearehomenotes Check...

This week we talk to Claire and Dan who renovated a 1950’s bungalow in Poole.  With construction costs rising, they reduced the scope of their project, lived on site through the build and managed the project themselves - hiring the different trades they needed on day rates.  We discuss their ambition to keep the process a positive one, and how they organised their home to meet the needs of their f...

In this bonus episode, Amy and Jane round up their key takeaways and top tips shared by the renovators in our third series of the Stories from Site podcast. They discuss the common themes that emerged, such as tight budgets and the need for inventive solutions to make renovations affordable. And share their top tips from the series, including the use of shared accounts for managing finances, budge...

This week we speak to Camilla whose renovation journey started during lockdown when she and her husband realised they needed more space for their growing family. After an initial dream of finding a period property, they fell in love with a 1960s property which needed a complete renovation. We talk to her about envisioning her finished project, and her process of project managing the works with her...

This week we talk to ‘Don’t Move Improve’ winner Nic who, together with his partner, self-built a garden studio and extension to their 1 bedroom flat. We talk to him about his decision to take on a self-build project, the process they went through and what he would do differently next time. You can see more of Nic's project on his website https://nichowett.co.uk/ Check out our FREE webinars h...

This week we talk to Tamzin who explains why, after renovating previous properties, she chose not to take on a big renovation for her current home. We discuss the joy of getting creative in your home, being savvy with up-cycling interiors and her process of turning a blank canvas into something special. You can find Tamzin's project on Instagram @at_the_mcgillens   Try the HomeNotes App; Web:...

This week we talk to Hannah who is mid-way through renovating her thatched cottage in the countryside.  We discuss the downsides of renovating an old property.   The difficulties of finding contractors and how she manages the logistics of DIY renovating around life and kids. You can see Hannah's project and work in progress on her website here and on Instagram at @theottohouse . Try the HomeN...

A serendipitous chain of events led Siobhan and Joe to quickly move from a finished flat straight into a building site with development potential. Over the next 6 years, they worked together in their spare time to renovate a ’60s house and build a new property in the adjacent garden plot.  Joe, who is an architect by trade used his skills to input into the project and Siobhan took advantage of mat...

This week we talked to Sharn about DIY renovating her Victorian property room by room.  We discuss how both her and her partner skilled themselves up and the process of managing a project in multiple stages.  Plus the power of making renovation transparent and accessible through social media. You can find Sharn and her project here on Instagram and Tik Tok .  Try the HomeNotes App; Web: homenotes....

In this bonus episode, Amy and Jane round up their key takeaways and top tips shared by the renovators in our second series of the Stories from Site podcast. Check out our FREE webinars here >>

This week we talk with Temi and Eugene about their process of creating the perfect home to suit their family life both now and in the future.   In this episode, packed with top tips, they share their method of meticulous research and planning, how they knew their contractor was the one, and how great communication, both between themselves and with their contractor ensured their vision came to frui...

We're so glad to share this story with you this week as it's one that we were involved with and means a lot to us personally. We talked with Alex, a client from the early years of our architecture practice, who despite undertaking a lot of preparation work to ensure the project ran smoothly, faced their contractors becoming insolvent, just six weeks before completion.   We talked with hi...

This week we chat with Christian and Faye, an architect and garden designer who became each other's clients when they decided to renovate a studio flat with a generous garden. Using their own professional skills. The two project managed the works, and got hands-on in the build to reduce costs. The project became a case study on how to retrofit a small flat to make it more energy efficient whi...

This week we talked with Jess, whose renovation of her one-bedroom garden flat became a springboard for her creative studio, King Celia Studio . Having found that she either didn't have the budget for or couldn't find the interior fittings she wanted, Jess said about making them herself. The result is a playful and considered space. We talk with her about the process of creating a bold b...

This week we talked to Stewart, who together with his wife Fiona, relocated to make a home in which to enjoy their retirement. When they reached out to Paul and Alan of HEM Architects, it was then that their real retrofit journey began. In this episode, we talk about Stewart's role in the project. The benefits of living in a home with a properly designed internal environment and the real valu...

This week we talked to Katie who started a loft extension of her Victorian terrace house, only for her main contractor to disappear after taking her roof off, leaving her exposed to the winter weather. With the help of a stellar team of carpenters who stepped up to complete the project, Katie took up the lead in the renovation to ensure the vision she had started with got realised.  We talk with h...

In this bonus episode, Amy and Jane round up their takeaways and lessons leant from the first-ever series of Stories from Site. Check out our FREE webinars here >>

This week we're talking to Sandra, who renovated a forever home for her retirement after downsizing. Sandra had a really clear vision for the space she wanted to create and used her professional skills coupled with some additional training to create a stylish and sociable home for this next stage in her life. In our chat, she shares her strategies for keeping her project on track and on budge...

This week we chat with Jess, who along with her partner Darius embarked on an 18-month process of completing the interior of their project themselves. What started out as a necessity due to budget constraints became an expression of Jess's passion for interiors and design showing if you can't get someone to do it for you, then you can do it for yourself instead! We talked to her about he...

In this week's episode, we talked to Elesa and Steve who found a rundown house that needed a complete back-to-brick renovation. We chat about how they successfully pieced together a range of professionals to offer advice where needed and benefited from a great match with their contractor who was there to guide them through the process. But maybe it is also their great positive attitude that i...

Today we're chatting to Lydia about the extension and renovation of her one bedroom flat in London. Lydia is an architect and ceramicist with her own practice Fettle Studio. Together with her partner architect, Dan Ruddick, they wanted to wholeheartedly get involved in the build process. The pair arranged with their contractors to self-finish their works and complete the final parts of the pr...