Member Stories
with Undercover Architect
Curious about what it's like to work with Undercover Architect inside HOME Method and other online UA courses, as you design, build or renovate your home? Learn more from these Member Stories.
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"So we really enjoyed how Amelia enabled us to confidently talk to the different trades we had involved, and get the people on board our team that not only matched our design vision, but also our communication style. I think our biggest struggle was decision making, and how much we needed to do.
And Amelia’s tools really helped with us being able to front end load some of our decision making, so that we weren’t doing it while the project was happening. And we wouldn’t have to have those time pressures."
"Amelia has given us very helpful information. Just simple things like, what different people do along the line. What their responsibilities are, and whether or not you need to have that person as part of a team or not ...
And what Amelia said, just gave me the confidence to feel like, not like, I'm an employer and you need to do what I want, but that I am contracting you for service and therefore I can be very clear about what our needs are and what we want."
"Absolutely worthwhile doing the course!!! The podcasts are fantastic and the course is even better - informative, interesting, entertaining and can save you heartache and money!!!"
"This has been a fantastic course. I have been singing your praises and ideas to anyone who will listen - your skills and experience - warmth and patience have made this course."
I can’t thank you enough for your careful thought and valuable time.
The more Greg and I look at the plans you upgraded the more we see how much money you are saving us — but more importantly how much more livable the house is! You truly have a gift!
"We've done some renovations in the past- and made the odd mistake! Now that we are working towards a new build to enjoy in retirement we felt the need to be much better prepared and informed, so we signed up for Undercover Architect's HOME Method.
There is so much information available in the podcasts alone, but the extra resources provide us with so much reassurance and direction and the Facebook group is an excellent support. I can't speak highly enough of the feeling we are going into this, at times, overwhelming process with our eyes open, thanks to Undercover Architect's Amelia!"
"The course has been fantastic.
Well done for putting together such an interesting and logical package.
It’s already helping us heaps."
"Doing your course meant that yesterday when the build team turned up I felt excited as opposed to panic - so thank you!
Even the first site meeting this morning dealing with all the issues that old buildings reveal was great."
What am I doing differently? Everything. Everything! The way that I interact with my building designer and the questions that I ask him now, and I guess the standard that I hold him to and the builders that we interview.
And when they explain things to me, I don't just take their word for it ... I just feel like the collaboration there between the builders, or whoever the professionals might be, is much more prominent, because I feel informed. I feel like I've got more control over our renovation and how it's going to end up.
"I would say it is worth every cent. I mean, a house is going to cost you a significant amount of money. And the cost of doing her courses is such a small, it's less than a percent of the cost of building the house.
And I think the knowledge you gain gives you the confidence to build the family home that you want and to be able to engage the professionals that you need."
"As you get lead through all of the intricacies of the design and building phases of a project, if you’re not in the design or building industry yourself, you realise how much you need to know, so that you’ve got control and power over your project and to get it right. So it’s really invaluable. We’ve loved it."
"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. That is 100% because of you Amelia. I can’t ever express my gratitude, but wanted to at least email you and thank you.”
"I'm really grateful to come here, and get a much more in depth idea on all these little details ... which I get in the course from Amelia, in a very practical ... And you think oh, well… I wonder about this, and you look it up and there it is.
She's thought of everything, really thought of everything. There's nothing she's left out and it improves, it improves as time goes by. So I feel really good about this course."
"I don't think I would have had such open engagement and such positive engagement with my builder and architect unless I’d done this course. Amelia really sets out the fact that both parties have obligations to each other, and to keep the communications open.
And I think it just enhances the work that you do. And it makes you more cognisant of what you need to know going in."
"You know, it was like a miniscule amount of the total budget. But it just made such a difference in terms of the budget coming in on time.
Like we moved in a day after the scheduled finish date. So, you know, we were really, really pleased with that."
"Certainly, I feel a lot more empowered to take charge of the process ... I'm very confident that I'll have a better outcome.
And I'm also very confident that that quality build will save me time, or save me money, more than anything, in the upkeep of the house too ... So I think all, all around, it's going to be a more efficient use of my time and money, and a much more enjoyable outcome."
"We were spending so much money on so many things. It felt like, as if it was worth the investment to educate myself, apart from anything else, just so that, you know, I could. Because one of the things that I found came out of investing in it and learning, was it just drastically reduced my anxiety. It stopped.
I felt like, as if I had a bit of control back and enough knowledge to make some good decisions. That was a massive part of feeling good about what happened. And the choices that we made, I felt confident."
"The builder that I have engaged for our house is blown away by the knowledge that I have ... he's like, “I don't normally get clients like you asking those questions. I don't think a client would know this."
I really feel like I can hold people responsible. So within the tradie group itself, and within my group itself, I know that they're accountable for certain things that they have to deliver."
"I can't tell you how much doing the course just took my stress levels right down. There is no barrier to you understanding what's going on. You know, it is possible to talk about it in plain English, and have a sensible conversation and get the outcome that you want.
I just think the money is minor, compared to how much you could easily waste just choosing the wrong thing."
"Cannot recommend this highly enough. Amelia (aka Undercover Architect) is super hands on, generous, up to date, passionate and has created this incredible platform, information, community & support for all the right reasons.
Couldn't have done it without her and the wealth of resources, tips and community ... we're not there yet but it gives me so much hope to hear and see others' completed projects."
"Amelia shares her wealth of knowledge with so much generosity. She wants home owners to be better informed about how to achieve their building/renovating dreams.
Her podcast is super informative and her online courses are absolutely worth the investment."
"My husband and I started looking at renovating our house a couple of years getting proposals from architects and builders. We felt unsure and afraid of making costly mistakes and abandoned the project altogether. Knowing what I know now, I couldn't imagine embarking on a project without all the knowledge and wisdom that Amelia has so generously and honestly shared. Her passion, professionalism, resources and methods are so admirable. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much Amelia. You've given me new-found confidence to go ahead with our project."
"We are very grateful to have been able to take your course. We now have the confidence to get started on our journey to creating a wonderful home to our family."
"Thankyou Amelia, you kept us sane and have already helped us through so much to get to this point."
"Amelia is in a league / class of her own when it comes to demystifying the process and providing guidance in plain jargon free, yet highly informed English. One of our other clients (independent of us) had taken Amelia’s course prior to contacting us and she cannot speak highly enough about it. What’s more, she (our client) 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."
"The podcasts, the courses, the interviews are a treasure trove of resources. I'm ever so thankful to the person who first pointed them out to me. Our project is now with the architect and we are so much wiser than when we built our first home. Highly recommended."
Undercover Architect has a range of online courses and programs to help and teach you when designing, building or renovating your family home.
From the flagship, full step-by-step online program, HOME Method ... through to DIY programs and short, mini-courses, there's something to help you. Whoever you're working with, and whatever your dreams, your location or your budget.
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