How To Renovate

EP40 Five Pillar Process To A Successful Renovation – Deep Dive

• Tash South • Season 1 • Episode 40

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In this episode of How to Renovate, for the first time, I’m breaking down my Five Pillar Process, the structure I’ve developed over my many years of renovating, and I one I follow now for every renovation I take on, whether its one of my own, or one for a client.

This Five Pillar Process is also the framework that guides many of the podcast episodes, and what my online renovation course, RenoVersity is structured within. 
The five pillars are:
Planning
Preparation
People
Practical Management
Perfecting
And inside this episode, I go through what each pillar cover and why it’s integral to a successful renovation.

 My focus is on giving you the tools to manage your project without the stress and budget over-runs – from planning to hiring the right contractor.
I’ll chat through the details of hiring professionals, emphasising the importance of research, clear communication, and trusting your instincts. 

Effective project management doesn't stop at planning, it extends to being present on-site, knowing the process and managing your budget and team well.

Don’t forget to grab some freebies to help navigate the complexities of your home renovation with confidence and ease.

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Hi I'm your host, Tash South I'm an Interior Designer and Renovation Consultant.
Each episode of How To Renovate is short, but brimming with practical advice to help you manage your renovation project with confidence and success.

Grab some more renovation advice & free resources and become part of the South Place Studio Renovation Community at
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

Everything I teach about renovation falls within my Five Pillar Process for A Successful Renovation, to learn more about the process, head to
https://www.southplacestudio.com/pillars


Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:

Instagram: @southplacestudio

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Speaker 1:

Hello, hello everybody, and welcome back to the how to Renovate podcast. It's Tash here. I hope you're all well, having a good week. I hope the new year is treating you well. So far it's been a busy start to 2025 for me and I hope that you are all getting well into the year and feeling motivated and fresh and ready for this new year ahead of us.

Speaker 1:

In this episode, what I would like to do is talk to you about my five pillar process. So I don't know if you're aware, but my brand new online course called Reniversity is currently open for enrolment and the whole course is set on this five pillar process which I've developed over my many, many years of renovating this podcast. Most of the episodes are also set on this five pillar process and as I talk about individual subjects in the podcast, you'll see that I quite often mention which pillar that content falls under. So the information in the course is very much the same way. It falls under this five pillar framework, this five pillar process of these five things which I think are crucial to a successful renovation. So in this episode, I wanted to go a little bit deeper into each pillar and just tell you a bit more about each one and how. If you, if you concentrate on the information in each pillar, how, when you combine everything together, your renovation will run a lot more smoothly, you will save a lot more time, you will save a lot more money and you'll come out with a much more successful renovation at the end, one that has run as close as possible to your time frame, to your budget, and also that has, most importantly, I think, given you a much less stressful experience, because renovating can be quite stressful.

Speaker 1:

I think that's almost why I have work in this world. It's because people find it very overwhelming, they find it very stressful. They want someone which would be me to generally take on some of that stress and some of that worry and do some of that planning for them so that their renovation will run more smoothly. But, of course, I want to show you how you can do this yourself so that you can manage your own renovations more confidently, even if you have all the professionals involved, even if you have a designer, an architect, obviously a contractor as well, even if you have all those people involved.

Speaker 1:

If you know this information, it will really help you just be in control of a project a lot more. Having that knowledge will really give you the confidence, that sense of calm, that sense of knowing what's coming and just really not getting so overwhelmed and stressed out, because it is something that most people don't quite know how to manage and don't know how to do. And why should they? Everyone, we've all got our own jobs, our own careers. You do, and for some people like me, this is a whole another job to manage all of this and make sure it comes out with a successful project at the end. But not everybody can afford to hire somebody like me. So I want to give you this knowledge and this information so that, when you come to do your renovation, you are in a position where you will have the knowledge, you will have some idea of what to expect, you will have knowledge of the process, you will have some content, you'll have something to come back to, so, by which I mean this podcast you can come back here, you can re-listen to some episodes, you can pick and choose the ones that are going to help you, you can go to my various freebies on the website where you can download content on your renovation. So all of these things I want to give to you so that you can manage your renovation better and it can just be a much more enjoyable experience for you where you're not worried, you're not stressed out, you know where to come if you need information and you can manage it better, whether it's design or budget or layout or managing your people. So that's why I do the work I do here.

Speaker 1:

This podcast I at the moment carry out completely for free. I'm not paid for it at all. I don't have any sponsors. I don't know if you've noticed there's no advertising at all on the podcast. I'm not saying that those things won't come Hopefully they will but at the moment I am putting this all out completely for free, on my time, to give you the knowledge and the advice for free, so that you can have a better home at the end of all of it. Because I think that's what matters is to have better homes that work for us, that function for us. And who wants to spend tens of thousands of pounds and months and months, even years of their time carrying out a renovation where you might be working with people who you don't get on with, like the contractor or the architect, or you might have disasters within your project and not know how to deal with them who wants to do all that and come at the at the end still with a project and a home that you're not happy with? So I just feel it's so important that you need to have the information, you need to have the knowledge to help you get to that end and get to that home, and just to make it all feel worthwhile, because it is a big thing.

Speaker 1:

Okay, enough rambling from me, let's get into the episode. So let's cover my five pillar process, which this podcast is mostly set on. Obviously, I have interview episodes in between and I have some special episodes in between, but mostly all of the information I give out on the podcast is set within this five pillar process. And then also my online renovation course called Reniversity is also set within this five pillar process. So everything I teach about renovations are set within this five pillar process to a successful renovation. Let's get into it. Okay, everybody pillar one.

Speaker 1:

So pillar one is planning, and if you've been listening for a while, you will know that I get really, really boring about this. I'm always talking about plan, plan, plan. So obviously I was going to start with pillar one, planning. So now, just to make this completely clear when I talk about planning. I'm not talking about planning permissions and going to your council and getting permission for what you want to build. I am talking about planning your project. So plan your project like a project manager. That is what I'm talking about.

Speaker 1:

So pillar one is all about this. It's gathering all the information you might need to set yourself off for a really, really smooth start into the next step of your renovation. So this pillar is all about finding the inspiration to set out the vision for your dream home. It's about meticulously studying your needs, your family's needs, to find out exactly what you want from this renovation. After all, you're spending so much time, so much money on it. You must must spend the time now to make sure that you get what you want at the end. So this pillar is all about nailing down those floor plans, those mood boards and, of course, very importantly, your big picture budget. So that's the overall budget, the overall amount of money you have to spend to dedicate towards your home renovation. Obviously, the breaking down of that comes later on, but of course you can't start a renovation without knowing how much money you can actually dedicate to it.

Speaker 1:

So also in this pillar and in the course, I have this lesson called dreaming, and dreaming is all about just taking the time to visualize your dream home, how you want to live in it, what you want to do there, how many people you want to have over for dinner, any special elements you want to have into your home. So it's just that time that you really just start off with thinking about if I could have everything, what would that be? And it just gives you a chance to kind of not stress about the budget, not stress about anything else, but just think about how you want to live. Now I recorded an episode on dreaming way back in episode nine. So if you want to hear a lot more about what this step in this pillar involves, go back and listen to episode nine, because it will talk you through how you can visualize your new home. It gives you some ideas of how you can kind of work through the thought process on this step. So do go back that's episode nine if you want to learn more about dreaming.

Speaker 1:

Also in this pillar we want to set out the vision for the new home. So we want to think about the layout, the space planning and kind of how that all works together. And also under planning I like to start thinking at this stage about those all important rooms, like your kitchen design, your bathroom design. I think starting to think about those things now, at the start of the process, in pillar one, rather than down the line, really sets you up for success because from the start you'll have an idea, a vision of what you want those rooms to look like, how you want them to function, what you need to store in those rooms and in this pillar as well, I like to go into those, those very important rooms that have a lot going on in them, like the kitchens, the bathrooms, where there's lots of cabinetry, lots of functionality. So right at the start I always think about those rooms, think about planning them, think about floor plans, think about storage. So at this point already in pillar one, I'm thinking about those things.

Speaker 1:

And then, of course, your style boards as well I mentioned. So I always say nothing, nothing. Nothing gives me a better idea of what a client wants from their home than a style board. So obviously this is for aesthetics and what they want their home to look like, but it also actually gives me a really good idea of kind of materials they might want to include and the overall look and feel, or maybe the openness or the light, for example, the size of windows, if they've put images of big windows or rooms with lots of light, or rooms that are painted white, if those are a recurring theme in the pictures, in their mood boards or their style boards, and that gives me a really good idea of what they might like for their project. So I always say starboards might seem a little bit frivolous, but done properly, these can really be a great resource, such a useful tool which will carry you from the start of your project right through to the finish when you're doing that final styling. Okay, everyone.

Speaker 1:

Moving on to pillar two. So pillar two is preparation. So this pillar is all about starting to prepare for that planning application process. So if you're doing a major renovation or any sort of extension, it's very likely you will need planning permission from your council. So this pillar is all about preparing as much as possible for that. It's about gathering the information you need. It's about learning about the planning process, researching and seeing what you need to provide to submit your application, or researching what your neighbours have done or what you may be allowed or not allowed to do within your area where you live. So this pillar is all about that. It's all about kind of gathering the information, gathering the knowledge and preparing for your planning application process.

Speaker 1:

I don't know if you can hear that, but it's quite ironic that there's a major building project going on right next to my house where I'm recording this podcast today. Where I'm recording this podcast, so I'm trying to filter out the background drilling and grinding noises but it's quite funny that I'm talking about building with a big building project going on right next door. Anyway, let's get back into the episode. So under this pillar I also include the party wall process, so that's about how your build will affect your neighbours if it's a shared boundary. So all of those things need to be considered under this pillar. Also, under this pillar is the architect's role. So in this pillar you really should try and understand the planning process and the sequence of things that happen within that planning process and then also your architect's role within that process. So that's really good information to know for this next stage. It's kind of how all of those go together, the process you'll need to go through for the planning, because that in itself is a process that is good to understand and good to know if you're embarking on a renovation project.

Speaker 1:

So under this pillar I also include the prospective budget and the prospective schedule of works. So at this stage it's really just good to have an understanding of what those are. It doesn't mean to say you have to know exactly how to do them or how to put one together, but just to understand that that is a major part of preparation for your build is to understand what those documents are. So the prospective budget is basically a line item quotation, almost. So it's this big document where every single line is broken down. So every single item that needs to be done within your project is broken down into a line and then your contractor can put a cost next to it. So it's amazing, for if you can start putting one together and hand it over to your contractor to quote against, that is an amazing way to get a very accurate quote, and your architect can help you with this as well if you're using an architect on your project.

Speaker 1:

But just to give you a really quick example, let's say you're doing a bathroom. You'd put a header of works to be done in the bathroom. You'd then break that down so you'd have a line for demolition of whatever needed taken done in the bathroom. You'd then break that down so you'd have a line for demolition of whatever needed taken out in the bathroom. The contractor would then give you a quote for that demolition. Next up it would be perhaps something like rubbish removal. So now they've demoed they need to get the rubbish off site. They would put a quote against that. Then you need to restart rebuilding the room so you could say install new plumbing, install new pipe work, move shower.

Speaker 1:

Each of those could have their own line within the prospective budget or shadow of works and the contractor would put a cost against that and so on and so on. So what those are is they just really really detailed, broken down line by line items of the cost of your project. So at this stage it's really just good to know what that is, how it will work, because as you move on into the process you will see how this document as well can kind of flex and form and change as you're going along. It helps you to keep track, helps you keep track of your budget and also of any changes or any surprises that might come up. So again, this is like the style boards. These are a really, really great document to have when you're doing a renovation, and then also under this pillar and the last thing I'll talk about under this pillar is preparing the full project brief. So when I get to the end of the preparation pillar stage, what I like to have in my hands is a really good brief to move on into the next pillar with.

Speaker 1:

So the next pillar is people. So by the time I move into that pillar, I like to have all the items from pillar one planning and all the items from this pillar pillar two, preparation all together and that forms the project brief which I then hand over to my professionals. So from pillar one, I would have things like preferred layouts, that style board or that mood board, the idea of the big picture budget, to hand over to your professionals so they know what they're working towards. You will have some information and some research yourself on what you've done on your local area planning permissions. You will have some information on your party wall and your neighbours. You would have researched the planning process and the role the architect you're about to perhaps hire would have within that planning process. Or you may have even have taken the initiative to start putting that prospective budget or the schedule of works together, which is that line by line item document that I just talked about. So having all of those things together, along with any ideas for your kitchen, for your bathroom and your preferences on those as well, all of those things together will make a really, really good project. Brief, and, trust me, when you go to your professionals, like your architect if you're using one or your contractor, with all of these things prepared and thought out to the point that you're able to present, I think that they just take you more seriously. They know that you've thought about it, they know that you have some knowledge, they know that perhaps communicating with you will be a little bit easier because right in front of them is your vision and what you thought about and your ideas for your project. So I think just going in with that brief as a pack is a really, really good thing to do.

Speaker 1:

Okay, everybody, moving on to the next pillar, which is pillar three, and this is people. So this is a big one. So in a build project, your team, I would say, is the most important thing, because they're the ones you're going to be working with every day, especially your contractor. You have to make sure I mean to the best extent that you can before the hire that that is the right person for the job. I always say, don't just take it on other people's words. Yes, look for recommendations. Yes, get recommendations from people and find out how they work with people, but there is a lot of work that you need to do yourself to make sure that you're hopefully hiring the right person for the job, and you need to ask lots of questions. You need to look at previous work. You need to go and meet as many of their previous clients as you can and speak to them about what it was like to work with that person. What was the quality of their work, what it was like to communicate with them, what was their timing like? So there's just so many questions that you need to ask and research you need to do before making this hire.

Speaker 1:

I've just heard so many horror stories about people just hiring the wrong people, hiring the wrong architects, hiring the wrong contractor and just being a bit too blasé about it. So I really think spend some time here. It will be worth it if you spend the time to go and speak to those previous clients and look at previous work. Just get as much information as you can look up their company details online. You know, do whatever you need to do in this pillar to make sure you're hiring the right people, and I always say also is to just follow your gut.

Speaker 1:

I have lots of times to speak to people who have carried out renovations before and things have gone wrong with their contractor. They always say, oh, I knew there was something that was bothering me or there was something that didn't seem quite right. So I think when you start to get those feelings, don't ignore them. You know it doesn't mean it's the wrong, but I would say continue to do your research and ask questions and get answers until you might feel that if that feeling will go away. If it doesn't, then obviously that's an issue. I would say try and find someone else. Try and keep interviewing, see if there's someone else out there who might be a better fit. Ok, so let's go into a little bit more about what this pillar covers.

Speaker 1:

So, within the people pillar, I usually try and determine which professionals are needed for that particular project. So by that I mean is it a major renovation? Do we definitely need to have an architect on site, or can the renovation be done without an architect to save the client some money and perhaps use a design and build contractor or you use a very experienced contractor who you can communicate with and who can understand your vision for your home and then carry that out to a good standard. So really your project will determine which people you need to hire. I would say if you're doing anything major like an extension, or you're removing any major part of your building or any major parts or any major walls, structural walls then I always recommend getting an architect on board and then obviously a structural engineer as well. For any major structural changes you will always need a structural engineer. So just examining your project, seeing what needs to be done and then trying to assess which professionals are needed to do those jobs, and then also under this pillar is reviewing quotations.

Speaker 1:

I find this has been, over the many years I've been working as a renovation consultant, has been one of the tricky things I've had to deal with. I won't say the trickiest, but one of the quite difficult things is because contractors especially quote in so many different ways. There are contractors at so many different levels and some of them will quote really professionally, almost with a schedule of works level of quotation where everything is broken down and other contractors will just give you a project quote that's maybe only broken into two or three stages, so you can't compare like for like. So I always think it's really important. And then going back to that pillar two, preparation stage, and why that schedule of works is so important, it's because if you can give that schedule of works within your brief which I just spoke about, if you have that in your brief and everybody who is quoting for your project is getting the same brief and the same documents, then you can ask them to use to quote for your project, which then, of course, down the line, when you start getting all your quotes in, makes it a lot easier to compare like for like, because they are all quoting on the same document and don't worry that that document is not completely right if you've done it yourself, if you've laid out every single line item, because always say, when you provide that document to them, say to them if there's anything I've left out or if you see anything that needs adding, or feel free to add in line items so as you fit. Then they can adapt and they can add things in that perhaps you didn't know needed to be done, because they are, after all, the contractors and the professionals, so they will know more about what needs to be done than you do. But I just think it's such a great start to provide a full brief and that schedule of works to everyone that needs to quote.

Speaker 1:

Architects are a little bit different. They generally quote, I find, in a more similar way. So whenever I get architects quotes back for projects, they're generally laid out in quite a similar fashion. So they're a lot easier to compare like for like because they'll be broken down into the same way, whereas sometimes the contractor quotes are all over the place and it sometimes has taken me days to figure out if I'm comparing like for like, going back and forth to the different contractors, trying to find out what's included, what's excluded, because exclusions are a major, major issue when it comes to renovation projects. So I would say always, always, go back to your contractor. If they haven't provided you with a list of exclusions, ask them for a list of exclusions, because they will perhaps quote for the job and then they won't tell you really obvious things. For example, something I find a lot for some reason, is that contractors don't include skirting boards into their quotes or the installation of skirting boards. So you can imagine if you're having to buy and install skirting boards for a whole house. That could be many, many, many meters of skirting boards plus installation costs on top, and it quite often comes to over two to three thousand pounds. So I would always say check on that list of exclusions. That is really important.

Speaker 1:

And then, lastly, under the section is contracts really really, really important again, because you need to make sure that your contracts are set up, signed before anyone arrives at your home to start any works. So make sure that there's a contract, make sure that the contractor has read it. You've read it, you've gone read it. You've read it. You've gone through it together. You signed it together. If you're using an architect, they are great for helping you facilitate this, so they generally will get everyone together in the same room and get the contract signed by you and the contractor. But if you're not using an architect, just make sure that you have still a contract in place and there are standard contracts online that you can go and download or purchase online and they are really good contracts that most contractors use. Most of the projects I've done even my entire house build was the same contractor contract that you can just download online. So, wherever you're the world, go and see what the standard contract is for contractors, see if you can buy online, download it. If you don't have anyone to sort this out for you, make sure that you have a contract in place before anyone arrives on your doorstep to start smashing things down.

Speaker 1:

Okay, and then moving on to pillar four, everybody. And pillar four is practical management. So this pillar is all about being physically on site. So your builders have arrived, they've started the works, and this pillar is all about you having the confidence to manage what is going on on site, to know what is going on on site, to be understanding the build process of what is happening now, what is happening next, what is happening after that. It's kind of having that knowledge. So you feel comfortable on site, you feel comfortable asking questions, you feel confident that you know the steps, what's coming next, when the different phases should be finishing. So actually, besides the first pillar, which is all about visualising and imagining your dream home, this is my next favourite pillar being on site.

Speaker 1:

I love seeing things transform and just change and how much it changes, and it goes through different phases. Some phases are really quite slow within the build process and some of them are really fast, and so I love seeing that transition from the slow phases to the fast phase and then at the end, just seeing it all come together, when all the materials you've chosen, all the tile and the flooring and the taps, start going in. I just find that really exciting and rewarding. So this is one of my most favourite parts of a renovation process. Of course, within this pillar there's also some difficult things you may have to deal with, but let's get into this pillar a bit more deeply. So within this practical management pillar, it's really really good to know the sequence of the build process. So it's just to know the steps of what happens first.

Speaker 1:

So obviously you have the kind of setup stage where builders are arriving on site, they're setting everything up ready for the renovation to begin, so they might be getting skips outside, they might be getting scaffolding up, so it's all that prep, getting ready to start the process. And then next you may have demolition. So that's obviously when they're just smashing out anything that's not going to be there anymore, maybe taking walls down, ripping everything out, so that would be the demolition process. So then next you might be having structural works like steel beams, put in, extensions, built, that kind of thing, and then after that you might be having a first fix of electrics, of water installs, of the pipework, and then after that, obviously, you've got floors going down, and then after that you've got floors going down, and then then after that you've got floors going down, and then after that you will have all of your materials going in, like tiling, flooring, and then after that you would have your second fix, which is then your taps, bath, sanitary ware, kitchen all of those going in, and then finally you'll have decoration and finishing off. So that's a really really quick overview of the sequence of build process.

Speaker 1:

So this pillar is really kind of familiarising yourself with that, which really just helps you communicate with your contractor. It also helps you know if you're doing any ordering which I'm sure you will be when you need to get things on site by and you need to backdate, so you make sure you're getting things on site when your contractor needs it, because in my many, many years of working in the renovation game I know that contractors don't give you enough time to order the things you need to order. They might just go we need some more tiles tomorrow and you might have a six-week lead time on those tiles. So it's all about just knowing the process when you need to order, and then that also leads into the build program, which is really good to know in this pillar. So a build program is basically just a timetable of when all these different phases happen, and and so it's just setting out from the day that your contractors start until the day that they finish, when all of these things will happen. So first fix plumbing, so demo. First fix plumbing, structural work, second fix, and so on and so on, and then you obviously have an end date that everyone is working towards. So just having that all laid out in some kind of spreadsheet and perhaps colour coded is really good as well, so everyone can see easily when the different phases are and when they're supposed to be completed by. So this stage, this pillar it's really really fantastic to have that built program as well.

Speaker 1:

Also under this pillar is actually managing on site. So by that I mean managing your people, so how you communicate with your contractor, always find a way to communicate with them quite easily. What I like to do is just clear off one method of communication between everybody involved on site. So recently I've used a WhatsApp group. The architect's on there, I would be on there, the client would be on there if I'm not the client on that particular project, and then the main contractor would be on that whatsapp group as well. So it just helps keep everyone on the same page with your project. It lets everyone know when everything is coming. Let's say, for example, you know that your kitchen's been delivered in three weeks time. You can put it on the whatsapp group.

Speaker 1:

This group is also really great for just making your site notes and keeping your minutes for any site visits. So what I like to do is, anytime I have a site visit which usually I would say weekly at minimum after every site visit I would make notes and sometimes I'm just voice recording into my phone. But then, after that meeting's finished and if it's been a meeting with the architect, with a contractor, with either of those two individually or everyone together always make notes. I always copy and paste my notes onto the WhatsApp group and make sure that what everyone needs to do is allocated. For example, I would say contractor name these are your jobs this week. Or this is what we're expecting this week. Architect name this is what we're expecting from you this week. So it's really useful for that as well as just keeping everyone up to date on deliveries, on any other communication that you need to make for your project, on any visits from building control or the council. So I just think it's a really good way is to agree a method of communication with those people on site and then to use that group in that way just to keep track of everything.

Speaker 1:

It's also really good for record keeping. If anything goes wrong you can refer back to it and say but this should have been done on this date, why wasn't it done? Can you please put it right? And then, linking on from that under this pillar is also managing disputes. So this is a really hard one.

Speaker 1:

Disputes do arise sometimes on projects. It can just be part of a renovation where you know everybody's busy, everyone's stressed, everyone's under financial pressure, under time pressure. It's kind of a pressure cooker of different personalities and different deadlines, and so disputes can arise. And so under this pillar I do like to tell people how to think about how they will manage a dispute when it arises. So in in my Reniversity course I actually have a whole lesson on this, on how, on a process of managing disputes and how you can deal with them step by step as you go through to hopefully resolve or come out to the best outcome. So I think just having an idea of how you will manage your dispute is really good. And then also having the contract is very important, because within your contract you should have a section that relates to disputes and how they will be dealt with, and so that's why it's so important to have that contract as well, because if you do come up against any disputes, you can go back to the contract and say well, the contract says this and this is what we need to do, and hopefully that resolves the dispute.

Speaker 1:

But it can be a really tricky situation. Everyone's under so much pressure when it comes to a renovation project. And then finally in this section is the managing the budget overruns. So, like I said, this is my one of my favorite um pillars in the process. But then also, of course, we've got disputes that we possibly have to deal with and we've got budget overruns which we have to deal with, which are not so much fun. So managing budget overruns I mean this is this is a tricky one, because and again, this is where your prospective budget of works comes into play a lot because if you're constantly updating that and keeping track of what things are costing, sometimes you need to update. Perhaps your contractor has given you an idea of cost but he hasn't given you an exact cost of what something might cost when he's actually on site. Or perhaps there's a change and that pushes up the price. So that document again is really useful to have, because you can update that cost next to the line item and then as you go along you can check in on that document and manage where your money is going. So again, I think that's where that document is.

Speaker 1:

It's a crucial part of a renovation process. It helps you with so many things. It just gives you a bird's eye view of your, your finances. And then also you can update, and you can. You can deal with your budget overruns within that document as well, so you can keep track on the bottom line. You can see if it's edging upwards. Perhaps you need to make changes elsewhere, perhaps you need to compromise, perhaps you need to swap something out that was more expensive, maybe you're going to go for a cheaper version to keep your budget on track. So also within this pillar is managing budget overruns, which is obviously really important to get to the end, to get your project finished to a level you want to get it finished to, and then obviously also to avoid overspending on your project.

Speaker 1:

And then finally, moving on to pillar five, which is perfecting in my five pillar process. On to pillar five, which is perfecting in my five pillar process. So in this section and under this pillar, it's basically those final end of project things you need to sort out. So in pillar four, you've been on site, you've managed the entire team, you've got to a point where everything is ready, everything is done and they are vacating your home. Finally, and so pillar five is all about after you've moved in, it's about making sure your snagging is done.

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So snagging is after you've moved into a home, or sometimes even before you've moved in, and you notice any little problems, any little issues that the builders should have done. This could be scuffs on paintwork or little cracks or any electrics not working. Anything like that needs to be listed and the contractor needs to put it right before you issue them their final payment. So there are different ways that snagging can be approached. I won't go into so much detail about the whole process into in this episode, but there are a couple of different ways this is done, but essentially what it is is that the contractor needs to make sure that everything is pretty much perfect by the time they hand over to you and they get their final payment.

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So under this pillar I always include testing. So testing everything, testing all the light switches, all the plug sockets, the plumbing, flush, every toilet, you know, just make sure everything is working as it should. Turn the ovens on all of that stuff. So just make sure everything is working as it should. And then, obviously, any kind of noticeable hairline, cracks or anything that's not perhaps painted properly. So just make a list. In this um pillar it's great to have kind of an ongoing list. So, whether that's on your phone or whether that's on paper, just make a list in this pillar. It's great to have kind of an ongoing list. So, whether that's on your phone or whether that's on paper, just make sure every time we notice something, make a note of it. And then, let's say, by the end of a few days, if you think you've found everything, then send the list to the contractor and they should put that right. And then, under this pillar also is those final checks and making sure that everyone is happy with the build. So this would include building control, whether you've used your council as building control or whether you've hired independent building control.

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Obviously, everything needs to be signed off, needs to be approved. You need to have any safety certificates that you need for gas, for electrics everything needs to be signed off. You need to make sure you're in possession of all the correct paperwork to do with the build project, to do with any services that have been installed, anything that needs any kind of safety regulation. So this stage is just about gathering all that information, making sure everything is in the same place, make sure you store those certificates safely, whether it be online or physical copies, because you will need all of those if you ever come to any issues or you need to have any maintenance or you might be selling the property. You will need to have all those documents. I always just say make sure at the end of the project I know it's all exciting and you're moving back into your new home and people quite often forget to do these final things because they're so excited to get back in but just make sure you're asking for all of those, make sure that you're storing them safely, because that just obviously ends off the project on a good note. Everything's checked off, everything's signed off and you know that you can finally go and enjoy your new home.

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And then also, under perfecting, I actually like to include styling your home under this, but that could be a whole nother podcast episode. But under this pillar, I do love to include some information on styling your new home, selecting furniture, going back to your style board because I think that is almost the best bit about moving into your new home is it's just finally putting your things that mean a lot to you, including your family, into this new place that you've created. So I would include styling into this and I will also be creating some styling lessons, master classes and episodes on this podcast as well. So do keep listening. But that brings us to the end of this episode.

Speaker 1:

Everybody, I hope that was really useful for you. That was quite a lot of information and actually I've given away quite a lot in this episode of what is included in my online renovation course for university. But if you find that this was helpful and you want to go deeper and you really want to get on top of that renovation project and you want all my lessons and resources and cheat sheets and guides and documents that you can swipe and populate yourself to make your renovation a lot more smooth. Then please go and check out Reniversity. You can find out more at southplacestudiocom forward slash Reniversity. But that's it, everybody. That's it for this week and if you would like to support the podcast, like I said at the beginning, I don't have any sponsors yet any advertising, so how you can support me right now is just to follow the podcast, like the episode. Share it with someone who's renovating. I would really really appreciate it. It's bye for now and I'll see you next week.

Speaker 1:

For more information on my five pillar process for successful renovation, you can go directly to southplacestudiocom forward slash pillars, where you'll find an introduction to the process which covers each of the pillars and what they cover. We also have a number of other free renovation resources. Go now to southplacestudiocom forward slash freebies. I have created some amazing freebies for you there. There is one on the process, there is one on planning permission, there is one on kitchen design, there is another one on lighting planning. Go and check those out. There's so much free information there to help you with your renovation.