Hi all, I get quotes filled a lot. I have a methodology because some of the projects I run remotely. Others I'm there on site. The 3P's stay largely the same. If I haven't met the person - I send the plans, the brief and the scope with a little note of what I need priced up. It's just a pack of info which includes my site information etc. Price - have a price that is easily comparable. inclusive or exclusive of tax (let them tell you what it is). Note we don't make decisions purely on price. Professionalism - how professional is this person, do you like the format and style of the quote and the engagement before you sign? Some trades are giving you quotes on the back of an envelope, or worse still... verbally. Others go to the effort of recording you a quote video explaining what problems they'll solve for you and what it will cost. They are clear and may follow up with a written note also. You expect a level of professionalism consistent with how you operate and what you trust. The Third P is the hardest to quantify. It can come down to a gut feel. P is for Personality – Can you work with this person? Do you trust them? Do you feel heard? Could you have a difficult conversation with them if something goes wrong? If the relationship doesn't feel right from the outset, it rarely improves later.

Here's the thing with renovating to change the function of a building in Australia. We changed a residential house to a rooming house. Here's some of the insights taken at the time of the framing inspection. “So, great news. We had our inspection on the frame and that’s all passed. In fact, it was a bit of a non-event really. So, look, we just need to get that compliant. Given that we’re transferring from a class 1A to 1B building, all of the permits and approvals need to be above board. All of our trades need to be registered and obviously licensed for their particular trade. And we’re finding that dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s is actually making the project run more smoothly, which is unheard of.” Keeping a compliance eye on the details through the build helped us refer certificates and confirm compliance when it mattered to our consultants. Not exciting, sexy or fun but saved going back at the end of the day and delays in our approvals to open the doors.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you about energy performance before a renovation: it’s not about stars and ratings. It’s about how you feel in your own home. How warm you are when you get out of bed on a cold July morning in Melbourne. How cool the house stays on a forty-degree February day without the aircon screaming. How the air smells — fresh or flat, clean or faintly damp. How clearly your family breathes in winter. How quiet and stable the temperature is when the weather outside is trying its hardest to get in. A high-performing home isn’t a technical stat or achievement. It’s a daily comfort. 🙋 Solar, battery storage, EV charging provisions, heat pump hot water — these are not separate projects that happen after a renovation is complete. They are decisions that are made most effectively and most affordably during a renovation, at the moment when the infrastructure to support them is most accessible. If you want a healthy home that has clean air, good heating and no mould, your best bet is to get off the gas and electrify where possible. If you want to know more, there are resources to explore what’s available in your state — rebates, incentives, product comparisons. 🫠 A renovation is your single best opportunity to build that comfort in from the beginning. Miss this window and you’re retrofitting for the rest of the time you own the property.

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SHOUT OUT to you in the field - getting it right and having a crack.... And sometimes getting it wrong and still having a crack. I've been getting funny about sharing some O'Shit moments with random strangers. Yet its a safe space and I recently posted on Substack some of those moments. That all said, I'd love to hear your defining moments also. Till then - here's mine: https://open.substack.com/pub/drummondnaomi/p/the-renovation-mistakes-i-made-so?r=3hg720&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true