Get It Right with Undercover Architect
If we haven’t met before, I’m Amelia Lee, the architect behind Undercover Architect: an online business to help and teach homeowners like you how to get it right when designing, building and renovating your home. Undercover Architect is all about giving you access to the industry knowledge and insights you need to avoid the mistakes and dramas that can cost you thousands, tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars. And it’s about levelling the playing field, so that the world of renovating and building doesn’t seem so mysterious, and you can be the active driver in your project, navigating it with know-how and confidence. Undercover Architect helps and teaches homeowners through this podcast, the website, and online courses and programs, including my flagship program, HOME Method. I truly believe that when you know the questions to ask, the steps to take and the best way to create a home that works, feels great, and that you feel great in, you can enjoy the process of building and renovating, as well as the home you move into at the end of this ambitious journey. Consider Undercover Architect your secret ally: whoever you’re working with, and whatever your location, your budget or your dreams. For more, head to www.undercoverarchitect.com
Episodes
Hello! This is Episode 365, and in it, I’m sharing the top 5 mistakes I see homeowners make in their renovation or new build projects - without even realising they’re doing it.
These aren’t the obvious, dramatic missteps you hear horror stories about.
They’re subtle, sneaky habits and beliefs that can quietly derail your progress, blow your budget, or leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure as your pr...
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 choices were still delivering a bett...
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 pragmatic approach that balanced the...
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 project? Or your architect or desig...
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 host a live session, I’m alway...
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 communication between a builder and a cli...
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.
I’ve been getting so much gre...
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, what they’re hoping for, and...
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 this conversation, head back to Epis...
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 transcript, head to www.undercoverarch...
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 a great insight into the early des...
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, downloadable PDF transcript, head to...
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 viewing their investment and what th...
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 tendering the design, only to discover th...
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, make sure you head back to Episode 3...
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 sun exposure for the local climate.
...
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.
However, I have found that the definit...
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.undercoverarchitect.com/348]
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 home.
[For all resources mentioned in ...
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 efficiency upgr...
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