THE ONLINE PROGRAM FOR HOMEOWNERS DESIGNING, BUILDING OR RENOVATING
Get it right in your renovation or new build, from first idea to moving in.
HOME Method steps you through every phase of your project, with architect-designed tools and templates, plus guidance and support for the decisions that last for decades. Whoever you're working with, you'll know what to do and what to ask before each one is locked in.
Ready to join? Jump to enrolment
One-time investment · Lifetime access · Afterpay or Klarna available
8,130+
HOMEOWNERS SUPPORTED
$350M+
PROJECTS ACROSS ARCHITECTURAL CAREER
$1B+
MEMBER PROJECTS UNDERWAY OR COMPLETED
30+ YEARS
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
AWARD WINNING
ARCHITECT + MENTOR
How HOME Method works
An introduction to HOME Method and what it gives you (in under 3 mins).
“It's all been absolutely worth every cent that we have spent in order to feel like we have control, reduced some of that fear and anxiety, giving confidence to know even what decisions to make, and what questions to ask of other people."
ELLEN, HOME METHOD MEMBER
Hi, I’m Amelia.
The architect behind Undercover Architect
REGISTERED ARCHITECT · 30+ YEARS EXPERIENCE · HONOURS + POST-GRAD QUALIFIED · AWARD-WINNING
I've practised privately, sat on the senior design team for a leading developer, and co-owned an award-winning architectural firm. But it was when my husband and I tackled our own renovations (three of them) that I saw a different side of the industry. Without my "architect" title in full view, I was treated as a mum with a baby on her hip, not a professional. I heard things like "We'll just wait for your husband."
I knew how to advocate for myself. But what about everyone who didn't have my training? I kept hearing the same stories. Cost blowouts. Hidden problems. Overwhelming stress. Disappointing results. So much of it could have been avoided with the right knowledge, structure and tools, applied at the right moment. That's why I built HOME Method.
I could tell you that your renovation or new build will be easy. However, I believe that anything this impactful to your life and finances rarely 'feels' easy. I do know though, that with the right Method, your project can be radically simpler, less stressful, and much more likely to deliver a home that makes your everyday life better. And make your investment of effort, money and time far more worthwhile.
Most homeowners start out believing a great result comes down to money, or to landing the right designer or builder. So, they save harder, research every name on the shortlist, ask everyone they know for recommendations, and hope the rest falls into place.
I've been inside more than 250 residential projects over 30+ years, from family homes to large-scale developments, and plenty of the ones that went wrong had money to spare. What they were missing was the roadmap, the right steps in the right order.
There's no shortage of free advice about building and renovating, and you've probably soaked up plenty of it already. But none of it knows your project, or which piece matters at the stage you're in.
Every project, whatever its size or site, moves through the same four phases: Pre-Design, Design, Pre-Build and Build.
Skip or miss a step, and it follows you into the next phase, where it's harder to spot and more expensive to change.
Most people only discover this halfway through, standing on site and wishing someone had shown them sooner.
HOME Method gives you the roadmap from wherever you're starting, with the tools and support to act on it at every step, whoever you're working with.
"One of the things that I found came from investing in the Program was it just drastically reduced my anxiety, it stopped. I felt like I had a bit of control back and enough knowledge to make some good decisions. I felt confident."
BELINDA, HOME METHOD MEMBER
$3,450 AUD · One-time investment · Lifetime access · Afterpay or Klarna available
Inside HOME Method's framework
Every renovation and new build follows the same essential sequence. HOME Method walks you through each phase with the lessons, checklists, templates and guides you need at the moment you need them.
MODULE 01
Pre-Design
Lay the groundwork before you design a single thing, so you don't waste time or money on false starts, or end up with expensive redo's later in your project.
YOU'LL HAVE:
Clarity on your real financial position and what's actually possible
The right team identified, confidently interviewed and engaged on the right terms
A clear grasp of your local rules and approvals
A pre-construction process to help your project develop on budget, whilst protecting the design vision
MODULE 02
Design
Get your home's design right, whoever is designing it. Functional, beautiful, suited to you, your site and your life (informed by experienced, architectural insider know-how).
YOU'LL HAVE:
A design brief that clearly communicates the home you want, intentionally laid out so nothing is missed
A budget you can hold to under real conditions, whatever is happening in the industry
The skills to read, review and assess design documentation with confidence
The knowledge to make useful and data-driven design decisions, and optimise the potential and value in your project
MODULE 03
Pre-Build
Line everything up before your build starts, so the right decisions get made when they can be the cheapest to make, and before they cause blowouts or regrets during construction.
YOU'LL HAVE:
Lighting, electrical and selections planned for function and atmosphere
Drawings and specifications confidently reviewed for accuracy and completeness
Clear and fair contracts agreed before anything is signed
The right level of documentation to support a confident build and clear communication with your team
MODULE 04
Build
Stay in collaboration through construction. Know what to check, when, and what to ask, so when your project is finished, you have peace of mind it'll stand the test of time.
YOU'LL HAVE:
A collaborative process with the right builder you can trust
Control of contracts, variations and communication without your input being overridden or ignored
The confidence to visit site regularly, watching your home come to life and knowing you're getting the build quality you paid for
A clear path through to completion and handover, with comfort that when the builder leaves, your home is built to last
SIMPLIFYING EVERY STEP + DECISION
Your complete project toolkit, designed by an architect
As well as the Modules, HOME Method includes more than 40 industry-tested templates, checklists, and guides, refined for homeowners to help simplify your decisions and help you get it right each step of the way. Here's only a handful of what's included:
ROOM NOTES
Architectural guides on ideal orientation, recommended dimensions, mistakes to avoid and must-have inclusions for every room of your home.
TEAM SELECTION
Interview checklists and research tips for your designer, builder and other collaborators, so you don't miss the questions that matter most.
BRIEF BUILDER
The structured template for writing a comprehensive design brief that gives you clarity on your ideal future home, and communicates it clearly.
BUDGET TOOLS
Budget guides, a detailed spreadsheet template, and calculator tools to help you set, track and protect your budget through every project stage.
SELECTION SCHEDULES
Interior and exterior schedule templates that help you select and document every inclusion, so you finish with the home you imagined, not the one that fell through the cracks.
SPEC TOOLS
A descriptive specification guide, shopping list and template tools to capture every decision and detail in your finished home, from first discussions through to completion.
AUDIT TOOLS
Drawing review checklists, power and lighting checklists, and other critical stage tools, so nothing important gets overlooked as your project unfolds.
BUILD CHECKLISTS
Stage-by-stage checklists for confident construction management, including framing and pre-completion reviews to cover the biggest milestones of your build.
BONUS MODULE · 8 CONSTRUCTION STAGES
Manage Your Build
Walk onto your site at every stage knowing what to look for, check and what to ask, so issues get caught while they're still fixable. Be confident construction is being carried out as it should.
EARLY CONTRACT
Sign with confidence and protect yourself before work begins on site.
DEMO + SITE PREP
Know what should be set up before any tool hits the ground.
SLAB / BASE
Get the foundation right before mistakes are locked in permanently.
FRAME
Spot layout, opening and structural issues before you can no longer make changes.
LOCKUP PART 1
Walk the home as it takes shape and check what's hidden inside walls.
FACADE / LOCKUP PART 2
Confirm finishes, weatherproofing and external detail are landing right.
FITOUT
Manage one of the busiest stages without losing track and avoiding disappointment.
PRACTICAL COMPLETION
Hand over with the correct paperwork and the confidence the home is complete and signed off.
ONGOING GUIDANCE + SUPPORT
HOME Method Community · Q & A Sessions
You don't have to figure it out alone. Inside HOME Method, you're in an online community with other homeowners walking the same path, and you have direct access to Amelia and her team for the questions only an architect can answer.
YOU'LL HAVE:
A private member community of like-minded homeowners designing, building and renovating right alongside you
Regular live Q&A sessions with Amelia, where you can ask in person, post in the group, or submit through the course website
Every Q&A recorded, timestamped, and keyword-searchable, so the answers stay with you for the life of your project
Lifetime access, so you can return when your project moves to its next phase, and keep learning from the community as well
WHAT'S INSIDE HOME METHOD
4
CORE MODULES
30
STEPS
8
BUILD STAGES
40+
TEMPLATES + CHECKLISTS
Live
Q & A SESSIONS
Lifetime
ACCESS + UPDATES
A REAL LESSON FROM INSIDE
Watch the intro to a lesson from Module 1
Before you decide, see how HOME Method's teaching is delivered. This is a brief excerpt from a real lesson in Pre-Design, shared exactly as members experience it inside the program. Step #04 is 'Know Your Team' and is supported by 9 downloadable checklists to enable confident team identification, interviewing, selection and commissioning.
3 MINUTE SAMPLE
(LESSONS RUN BETWEEN 6 AND 20 MINS)
TAUGHT BY AMELIA, SUPPORTED WITH DOWNLOADABLE TOOLS + RESOURCES
ALL LESSONS SUPPLIED AS VIDEO, TRANSCRIPT, AUDIO AND SLIDES
The biggest savings in your project usually won't appear on any invoice
In 30+ years in this industry, I've found the serious money gets saved in design, through decisions that never need undoing. Members can rarely put a figure on those savings, because the mistakes simply never happened, and neither did the stress of fixing it. Sometimes, though, the number is sitting right there in black and white.
WHERE THE VALUE SHOWS UP
ON USING ROOM NOTES
"We've had the Room Notes out beside the plans and have been putting our scaled ruler to good use. It's because of these notes that we confidently asked for changes that have made the design so much better."
FIONA
ON AVOIDING $$$ MISTAKES
"I didn’t think we needed courses. It was only after we almost made that massive mistake with the roof...it struck me that a bit of help would be good...we would have regretted it forever..the cost of the course compared to the cost of making this huge mistake, it's money well spent."
KAREN
ON KNOWING WHAT TO ASK
When a council hiccup meant rethinking the floor structure, Beck understood enough to work through a collaborative redesign with her team. Her floor structure came in $70,000 lower. "Joining HOME Method was the best thing I did before building as I now know exactly what questions to ask."
BECK
ON DIGGING DEEPER IN DESIGN
"I know that digging deeper at design stage has already saved us a lot of money and heartache later." When her window quotes came in, the same approach lowered the quote by almost $38,000 with no drop in quality.
JANIS
ON NAVIGATING UNKNOWNS
"Your course gave me the confidence to move forward...
I was paralysed by unknowns but through this course and the group, I got important information and the community to help me use it."
DEL
ON HOW IT FEELS TO LIVE IN
"I have learned so much from HOME Method. Thanks Amelia for all the little design details you shared that made a huge difference in the overall outcome. We are loving the house. We wanted our house to feel cozy, relaxed and comfortable, all ticked so far."
AGNEZ
Already working with an architect, designer or builder?
If you're worried that learning more will make you 'the difficult client', the professionals architects, designers and builders below see it differently. HOME Method teaches you how the whole process works, so you can engage with your team as a credible collaborator, and make every decision with confidence. You'll also have somewhere impartial to sanity check your thinking as you go, outside your project team and with no stake in the outcome but yours.
FROM PROFESSIONALS IN THE INDUSTRY
SARAH LEBNER, COOEE ARCHITECTURE
"An informed client can more effectively contribute to and collaborate on their project progress in a way that leads to a smooth process, with realistic expectations, and a fulfilling outcome for them and their family. I'm thrilled when a prospective client says they've done Amelia's course, and I'll be honest, I often discount their fees because I know they're so well prepared."
ANTHONY HICKEY, TWO TONE CONSTRUCTION
"The more well-versed our clients are, the smoother the process it is for us. I'm sure there might be builders out there that, through insecurities of their own, they don't feel they want clients to have more information... I can't have all the answers, and if I get to learn from someone who has put the effort in to learn and grow and expand their knowledge, then I'm all for it, and I'm better for it as well, and so is my business."
CHRISTOPHER MEGOWAN, MEGOWAN ARCHITECTURAL
"One of our clients had taken Amelia's course prior to contacting us, and she cannot speak highly enough about it. What's more, she is able to sit at the table with me and the builders and really deeply engage in the process in a way that most first timers struggle to achieve... her knowledge has allowed her to build trust in the process which (when done right) is far more important that it may seem."
BUILDER
"We love the super practical advice offered by Undercover Architect. Such a great source of information for our clients intending to build or going through the process. Very informative and helpful all round for our clients."
BUILDING DESIGNER
"The clients who come to me after doing your training are WAY more informed and empowered, and easier to work with, resulting in better project outcomes, less headaches, less cost overruns, and more fun."
ONE TIME PURCHASE OF $3,450 AUD
[APPROX $2,510 USD]
One-time investment · Lifetime access · Afterpay or Klarna available
"We felt unsure and afraid of making costly mistakes and abandoned the project altogether. You've given me new-found confidence to go ahead with our project."
ANITA, HOME METHOD MEMBER
Real homeowners. Real projects. Real homes.
HOME Method members designing, renovating and building across Australia and around the world. All types of projects, teams, budgets and visions.
ELLEN
NEW BUILD
MONIQUE
NEW BUILD
JACOBA
RENOVATION
PETER
BUILDER / OWNER
LINDA
RENOVATION
ELIZABETH
RENOVATION
TRINA
NEW BUILD
REBEKAH
RENOVATION
SARAH
BUILDER / PROJECT MANAGER
IN MEMBERS' OWN WORDS
ON ADVICE TO OTHERS
"It has been one of the best things I've done. The course has paid for itself. The knowledge I have learnt has paid for itself. And Amelia is very kind and generous in the giving of her knowledge. I would say just to do it, it's not something you'll regret."
ABBEY
ON SIGNING THE CONTRACT
"We signed our contract this week. Very exciting after working on the design and inclusions for 10 months. HOME Method gave me confidence to advocate for our needs."
SKYE
ON USING THE BRIEF BUILDER
"Had an awesome first pre-design meeting last Sunday... Using the Brief Builder was great. I am loving HOME Method and the way it has been shaping my thinking about our project and general design / build understanding."
MORGAN
ON CONFIDENCE
"I've gone from a person who would never even consider building to someone who is confident, excited and really grateful about our forever home-to-be."
GABRIELLE
ON MONEY AND STRESS
"I could not imagine doing it without going through this process and understanding what's possible and these tools. I know it's going to save me money. It's absolutely saving me stress."
NAOMI
ON FINISHING
"We finished. Moved back home yesterday after our 5 month extensive kitchen, bathroom, laundry and clothes room reno. We love it and look forward to living in it for many years."
KAYE
ON COLLABORATION
"We had our first collaborative site meeting. It was brilliant. We talked lots about open communication with all parties. Amelia without your course I don’t think we would have the team we have and it felt so cohesive. I was over the moon."
CLARE
ON PROJECT MANAGING
"It just gave me so much more confidence when I was liaising with so many different people in the industry about all the different aspects. I mean, all the tradies in town, you know, all the hardware stores, all that sort of stuff, they get to know you during the course of a build."
ROWENA
ON FEELING KNOWLEDGEABLE
"It is indeed very empowering when we are equipped and knowledgeable enough to understand the building process and terminology."
MONIQUE
ON SUPPORT
"You are able to answer our questions honestly and frankly, but also while being kind and supportive ... Thank you for everything you do to reassure us that we are doing the right thing, and challenging us gently when we need to reconsider a decision."
JANET
HOME Method in action
Member homes across Australia and beyond. New builds and renovations. Every style, scope and budget. Your home, your way.
Lewis
- All
Tanya
- All
Belinda
- All
Trina
- All
Morgan
- All
Clare
- All
Sophie
- All
Bek
- All
Julie
- All
ONE TIME PURCHASE OF $3,450 AUD
[APPROX $2,510 USD]
One-time investment · Lifetime access · Afterpay or Klarna available
"You cannot renovate or build without first doing this course with UA. The mistakes that you will avoid will save you tens of thousands $$$!"
LISA, HOME METHOD MEMBER
Delivering clarity, confidence and control
Built from what HOME Method members consistently tell us changes for them.
Before HOME Method
Drowning in information from too many places, none of it knowing your project
Anxious about decisions you can't unmake, second-guessing the ones you have
Worried you'll waste money or miss something critical
Hoping the experts get it right, because you don't know what to ask
Lying awake wondering where to start and what comes next
With HOME Method to guide you
A clear pathway. You know what to focus on, when, and what to use
Anxiety drops. Control comes back. Decisions feel grounded
Confidence to ask the difficult questions and push back when something's not right
Your voice stays in every meeting and decision, not lost in someone else's process
You finish with a home that improves your everyday life, and the journey was worth it
Common Questions about HOME Method
ONE TIME PURCHASE OF $3,450 AUD
[APPROX $2,510 USD]
One-time investment · Lifetime access · Afterpay or Klarna available
Photo Credits: MORGAN Architect: Cooee Architecture, Builder: Trend Building Solutions, Photographer: Ben King | CLARE Designer: Harmonic Design Studio, Builder: 35 South Building Company, Photographer: Unknown | BELINDA Architect: Maytree Studios, Builder: qldBUILT | JULIE Builder: Basalt Constructions | TRINA Builder: R Nurey Homes, Inc. | TANYA Designer: Altereco, Builder: Two Tone Constructiion, Photographer: Kip Scott | LEWIS Designer: Hygge Design | SOPHIE Sourced from @californian_reloved | BEK Sourced from @our_home_jumbullah | All other credits unknown.
With over 30 years industry experience, Amelia Lee founded Undercover Architect in 2014 as an award-winning online resource to help and teach you how to get it right when designing, building or renovating your home. You are the key to unlocking what’s possible for your home. Undercover Architect is your secret ally