Planning your renovation or new build in stages?

Discover the hidden risks and how to plan it properly.

Learn the key mistakes to avoid and what to know.

Listen to the episode now.

Hello! This is Episode 397, and in it, I’m going to talk about staging your project. Whether you’re building new or renovating, for a range of reasons, you may be thinking you don’t want to do everything all at once. And so, in this episode I’m going to share the things you need to consider, how to avoid mistakes, and what’s involved in getting it right when staging your project.

This follows on from the last podcast, Episode 396, so if you haven’t listened to that one yet, I’d recommend starting there. 

In that episode, I talked about Feasibility Studies at the start of your project, and how to understand your options and gather enough information before committing to a specific direction in your project. 

The thinking in that episode sets up a lot of what we’re covering in this episode about staging, so it’s also worth listening to.

Staging can be a smart approach in a project. If you can’t do everything at once, or you’re planning to live in your home while work is happening around you, or there are parts of your project that are a few years away, for example a pool, a studio, a second stage of renovation, then staging can definitely be a viable path. 

But staging without a strategic plan is where it can get expensive. And so, I want to make sure you have what you need to approach this in a way that works for you, and doesn’t create problems long-term.

Let’s look at the reasons you might stage your project.

The most obvious can be when you’re planning a significant project, such as a large renovation or a new build, but you need to break it into phases for cash flow or affordability reasons. 

This decision to stage the project can happen when you’re going into it at the start, but it can also happen during a project. Because if costs increase during a project beyond your budget, the most impactful options to meet your budget requirements are: 

1. to reduce the scope and size of the project, or 

2. stage it based on what you can afford now, with the view to saving up for future stages of work.

So, staging can definitely be a way to juggle budget constraints, whilst still working towards an overall goal home-wise.

Another reason I find that people will stage their project, especially when doing a renovation, is because they’re planning to stay in the home while the work is happening around them. Work will occur in stages, they’ll move around within the home as they need to. Of course, this brings its own layer of complexity and sequencing that needs to be thought through carefully.

Another reason for staging can be when you’re considering doing some of the work yourself, or taking on an Owner Builder role for part of the project, and bringing in licensed trades for specific elements. This also has its own important considerations when it comes to staging and approvals, which we’ll get to.

Alternatively, staging may occur because your project has components that are going to happen at different points in time, for lifestyle, timing or financial reasons. A pool down the track. A granny flat or studio in a few years. Further renovation work to parts of the home you’re not touching yet.

Many will approach staging then, as a bunch of smaller projects that are strung together – either done sequentially, sometimes back-to-back, or otherwise spread out with small or large time gaps between them.

And so, this is the first thing I want to mention… and if you take nothing else away from this podcast, take this…

When staging, it’s important that you start with the end in mind, and whatever your project, you create your overall project masterplan first.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW.

RESOURCES

Episode 396 ‘Should I Renovate, Extend, or Knock Down and Rebuild? Feasibility Studies Explained’ https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-should-i-renovate-extend-or-knock-down-rebuild-feasibility-studies-explained/ 

What impacts the timeline for a renovation or new build? >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/what-impacts-the-timeline-for-a-renovation-new-build/ 

How to save money during the design phase >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/how-to-save-money-during-the-design-phase/ 

Learn more about how to get started on your home design, whoever you’re working with >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/happy-home-design

Access the support and guidance you need to be confident and empowered when renovating and building your family home inside my signature online program, HOME METHOD >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/the-home-method/

Learn more about how to interview and select the right builder with the Choose Your  Builder mini-course >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/choose-your-builder 

Want to create a sustainable home when building or renovating? Grab the 44 Ways to Create a Sustainable free e-guide here >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/44-ways