It's easy to design whatever you want - as long as you’ve got no budget! While some homeowners have the luxury of seeing every detail of their vision come to life, most of us will need to make compromises to align with our financial parameters.   Today, I’m joined by Shah de Saxe, an incredible interior designer who has extensive experience in residential design. She’s currently halfway through her own renovation project in Peregian Beach in Queensland, and we’re lucky to have her join us to share her insights on designing a beautiful home on a budget.   Balancing Quality and Cost De ..read more

I’m super excited to get into today's topic, because it's one that I've been talking about a lot with our community. It also seems to be something that we as whole are struggling with.   In this episode, I’m giving you an overview of feasibilities and the best method to accurately assess your building costs and profitability.   Why Feasibility Studies Matter So, why do we need a feasibility study? Whether it's your own home or you’re working on a for-profit project, you need to understand the numbers. This means knowing what your build will actually cost, what you can afford and then ..read more

As women, we often won’t talk about finance or loans and how to navigate them when looking to start a build - it even seems a little taboo!   However, understanding how it all works is crucial in completing a successful renovation or home build. Today, Leah Ziskos from Entourage Finance is back to chat all about understanding construction finance and where to begin when looking at the different options available.   Seeking Advice Early On From equity withdrawals to construction loans, it’s important to be armed with the knowledge on how you can best finance your project. Not only wil ..read more

In this episode, I’m joined by Matthew from Elevate Building Group to talk about value management in building projects. His top tip? To engage with a builder early on in your project. Through the conversation, we discuss how a builder can save you time and money while ensuring the end result aligns with your vision. Engaging a Builder Early: First things first: why should you bring a builder on board early in the game? Having a builder involved from the start means you've got someone who knows the ropes, can spot potential issues before they become expensive headaches, and help you stay on bud ..read more

Communication is so important in construction. I know we’ve said it before, but it can’t be overstated. Communication is absolutely vital. Today I’m joined by Bek Bishop, a construction powerhouse, to discuss our experiences navigating relationships in the building process. We talk about the ways your relationship with a client will affect the project at every step from start to finish. Most importantly we want to emphasise the importance of communication, trust, and understanding between a homeowner and a builder. The Role of Communication: Nothing is more important in building strong relatio ..read more

In today’s episode, I’m in conversation with Matthew Carland, the founder of Carland Constructions. Known for his expertise in the domain of passive houses, Matthew brings to the table a wealth of knowledge that’s not just about construction, but about uncovering the true costs of building sustainably.   Let’s face it - the cost of building has been on a constant rise. And to make the building process even more complex, homeowners’ expectations seemed to have followed suit. In Australia, we’re building bigger homes per square metre than anywhere in the world, in what appears to be an atte ..read more

Almost everyone would say that financial freedom is a goal for them, and in recent years property has emerged as a key path to achieving it. Today I sit down with Tom Haigh, an Australian property expert and host of The Australian Property Show, to share the power of property in building your financial future. Contrary to traditional financial planning that veers towards shares and managed funds, Tom advocates for the power of property as an investment. He believes that property, especially in the Australian market, can completely transform someone's financial fate.   What’s the right tim ..read more

Many of our talented BuildHers have successfully completed owner builds using the blended builder method. And some have done so in collaboration with Loxton Built, a team of builders exceptional at creating collaborative experiences for those taking on home builds.   Today, I’m chatting with one of Loxton Built’s directors, James Ind, who gives us some valuable insights on the blended builder model from the perspective of a builder.    While there are a lot of intricacies within a blended build, James believes that clear communication from start to finish is the most crucial asp ..read more

The world of home building is an intricate one, with various methods available that cater to the different needs of homeowners. Last week, we spoke with one of our amazing DevelopHers Samone, who took us through her successful experience with volume building. Today, we’re chatting with Janine Armstrong, the General Manager of Marketing at Carlisle Homes, to explore the efficiency, customisation options and care factor that define the volume building experience at Carlisle Homes. Volume building is a method that focuses on repeating house plans to optimise efficiency and streamline the construc ..read more

Building a new home is an exciting yet daunting process. With so many options available, it can be challenging to decide on the right path to take. One option is to take the path of volume building, and if you’re considering this for your new home you’re in luck!  In today’s episode, we chat with DevelopHer Samone Shepherdson about her experience with volume building. She shares valuable insights into the process, the decision-making factors, and the advantages of choosing volume building over other options. So, what were the biggest benefits that influenced Samone to choose volume buildi ..read more