Builders Beyond Borders

Energy ratings are climbing, the National Construction Code keeps changing, and building a home that ticks every box is costing more than most people realise. But where is that money actually going, and are homeowners getting their money's worth? In this episode, Dean from DJH Builders in Tasmania and Paul from Independent Building Solutions in Canberra talk through what's really driving up the co...

Found the perfect bath on Pinterest or a light fitting on Google? Before you hit buy, there are a few things your builder wants you to know. In this episode, Dean and Shannon from DJH Builders in Launceston, Tasmania, are joined by Paul Kennedy from Independent Building Solutions in Canberra to talk about what really happens when homeowners source their own building products online. From a bath th...

Following on from last episode's chat about building in the country, Paul Kennedy from Independent Building Solutions in Canberra is joined again by Hugh from New Realm Homes in Melbourne and Wayne from Preston Builders in Warracknabeal, Victoria, to dig into two things every rural buyer needs to understand before they build: water and bushfire. The boys look back at how far things have come since...

Is building in the country worth it? Paul Kennedy from Independent Building Solutions in Canberra sits down with Hugh from New Realm Homes in Melbourne and Wayne from Preston Builders in Warracknabeal, Victoria, to share the good and the challenging sides of building outside the city. There's plenty to love about a rural build, with room to move, a more relaxed pace on site and clients who keep th...

Your builder is juggling your home, a dozen other clients, subbies, suppliers and a family of their own. So who's checking in on them? We recorded this one on R U OK? Day. Hugh from New Realm Homes sits down with Andy Kearns from Perway Construction Services and Paul Kennedy from Independent Building Solutions for one of our most honest conversations yet. Building or renovating is one of the most...

You've filled out the enquiry form, you're excited, and you've put your ideal start date as three weeks time. We get this one a lot. Shannon from DJH Builders in Tassie is joined by Paul from Independent Building Solutions in Canberra and Hugh from New Realm Homes in Melbourne to walk you through what actually happens between your first enquiry and the day we break ground. We cover the plans you n...

Thinking about taking on your own build or reno to save a few grand? Before you do, this one's worth a listen. In this episode, we sit down with Paul from Independent Building Solutions in Canberra, Shannon from DJH Builders in Tassie, and Hugh from New Realm Homes in Melbourne to talk through the real cost of going owner builder. We share the jobs we've been called in to fix, the compliance heada...

When you hire a builder who runs the business alongside their partner, you're getting something different to a big corporate team or a one-man band. In this episode, Andy from Perway Construction in WA sits down with Shannon from DJH Builders in Tassie to unpack what that dynamic actually looks like behind the scenes, and why it works so well for the homeowners they build for. Shannon shares how s...

Renovations rarely run to the timeline homeowners have in their head, and in this episode Shannon Hodgetts (DJH Builders), Matt Auld (Matthew Auld Builder) and Andy Kearns (Perway Construction) unpack exactly why. We get into what really happens when walls come off and old practices are exposed, why a 10 to 15% contingency is the honest baseline (and why 20% is smarter), and how weather, subbie de...

In this episode of Builders Beyond Borders, we sit down to unpack one of the biggest disconnects we see in the industry: the gap between what homeowners think their build or renovation will cost, and what it actually costs to bring their project to life. Hugh is joined by Andy and Louise from Perway Construction Services in Western Australia, and we get into the reality of what's happening on the...

In this episode we sit down to talk about something that's been a game changer for our building businesses: having a business coach in your corner as a builder. We talk about our  years inside Builders Business Blackbelt, a coaching group built specifically for residential builders across Australia. We get honest about what pushed us to reach out in the first place. For Matt, it was staring down t...

Every building project will face challenges. Unexpected site conditions. Delays. Variations. Mistakes. Supply issues. The difference isn't whether something goes wrong—it's how your builder responds when it does. In this episode of Builders Beyond Borders, Hugh, Andy, and Dean have an honest conversation about one of the most overlooked parts of the building journey: the difficult conversations. T...

Builder burnout doesn't just affect the builder. In this episode we sit down with Mick Hawes from Builders Business Blackbelt, o unpack why so many good, capable builders end up overloaded and undercharged, and what that actually costs the homeowners they're working with. From free quoting to poor communication systems, we dig into what's really happening behind the scenes in the building industry...

This one's different. We put the tools down and have the conversation most blokes in the building game never have. We talk about what happens when builders do the inner work. Andy opens up about getting sober, the seminars and men's weekends that turned things around for him, and why the man behind the build matters when a client is trusting you with the biggest investment of their life. Paul shar...

Ever felt like you've signed up for a build or reno and suddenly you're way out of your depth? You're not alone, and you're not the problem. In this episode of Builders Beyond Borders, we sit down to pull back the curtain on what really happens once a project gets going, and why so many homeowners feel like they've walked in blind. Between us we've seen it all: the decision fatigue, the budget sho...

When you're choosing a builder, you'll ask about price, timelines, references and maybe their last few jobs. But here's a question almost no homeowner thinks to ask: is your builder still learning? In this episode, Louise from Perway Construction Services, Paul from Independent Building Solutions and Hugh from New Realm Homes get into why a builder who's constantly improving is one of the best sig...

What goes through a builder's mind when a major storm rolls in? Most homeowners assume the stress ends once the keys are handed over, but experienced builders often carry a different kind of responsibility. In this episode, Dean Hodgetts and Matt Auld share a candid conversation about building in extreme weather conditions, the decisions made behind the scenes to protect homes, and why quality bui...

Most homeowners assume a builder saying no means they're too busy, too expensive, or just not interested. But here's the thing the best builders know: saying no is often a sign you've found the right one. Good builders don't say yes to everything, and in this episode we get into exactly why that matters for you. Louise from Perway Construction Services (WA) sits down with Paul from Independent Bui...

Can you actually afford to build right now? It's the question on everyone's mind, and in this episode the team tackles it head on. With interest rate rises, economic uncertainty and prices that have shot up over the last few years, plenty of homeowners are wondering if they've missed the boat or whether they should just wait it out.   We cover why inquiries have dropped off, why prices aren't goin...

Ever asked a builder "how much per square metre?" and copped a long pause? There's a reason for that. In this episode, Dean and Shannon from DJH Builders, Hugh from New Realm Homes, and Matt from Warrnambool sit down to unpack why square metre rates have quietly disappeared from builder advertising, and why relying on them to budget your new home or reno will lead you down the garden path. They ta...

Ever wondered what actually happens during site inspections on your build? Or whether you're allowed to just pop down to your own house whenever you feel like it? Paul Kennedy from Independent Building Solutions in Canberra and Hugh from New Realm Homes in Melbourne pull back the curtain on the meetings, inspections and site visits that happen during a build. From mandatory council inspections to...

Thinking about transforming your home but stuck on whether to renovate the place you love or knock it down and start fresh? You're not alone. It's one of the most common questions Australian builders get asked, and the answer is rarely as simple as homeowners hope. In this episode, Paul Kennedy from Independent Building Solutions (Canberra) sits down with Hugh from New Realm Homes (Melbourne) to u...

In this episode of Builders Beyond Borders, Paul and Hugh tackle one of the most pressing concerns for homeowners right now: rising construction costs, fixed price contracts, and why the best builders are taking their time before starting your project. With fuel prices fluctuating wildly, PVC piping up nearly 40%, and concrete suppliers issuing multiple price hike letters in a matter of weeks, the...

What does it really take to build a business that lasts? In this episode, Shannon and Paul sit down with a very special guest, Paul Purdon, founder of Fair Dinkum Builds and a man who has spent over 50 years in the building industry. Paul joins us through our shared business coaching community, Builders Business Black Belt, and brings with him a lifetime of hard-won lessons about leadership, resil...

Most homeowners assume their home is covered during a renovation. Most of the time, it's not. In this episode, Louise from Perway Construction Services shares a real situation that unfolded on a live renovation project, where a homeowner's insurer declined to cover their existing home during construction. What followed was a complicated web of risk, cost, and liability that neither the builder nor...