Get it Right with Undercover Architect
The podcast all about creating your ideal home.
Get started on designing your future home ... and get it right! Request your free 5 Step E-Guide now.
New home or renovation on the cards? Chances are you’re worried about what it will cost, if you can afford it, and how you’ll avoid a budget blowout. You’re also probably nervous about how much time it will take, and how it’s going to fit into your already busy life. And obviously you don’t want to stuff it all up, and end up with a home you wish you did differently.
This podcast will help and teach you how to get it right when designing, renovating or building your ideal home. Whoever you’re working with, and whatever your dreams, your location or your budget.
IN TOP 5 AUSTRALIAN DESIGN PODCASTS
400+
EPISODES
AND 13+
SEASONS
3 MILLION+ DOWNLOADS ACROSS 191 COUNTRIES
FINALIST IN AUSTRALIAN PODCAST AWARDS
LATEST PODCAST EPISODES
44 Ways #23: Choose Appropriate Insulation
Want to know how to choose appropriate insulation for your home when renovating or building new? More insulation isn’t automatically better, but there are ways to determine what to invest in for ...
START LISTENING TODAY
SEARCH ALL EPISODES
Looking for an episode or season based on a specific topic? Use the SEARCH tool below to search ALL of our podcast episodes and seasons.
Want to know how to choose appropriate insulation for your home when renovating or building new? More insulation isn’t automatically better, but there are ways to determine what to invest in for the best outcome. Learn what to specify for your ceiling, walls and floor, and what to ask your...
Wondering how to choose the right building wrap for your walls and roof so moisture is properly managed? Discover why foil sarking is to be avoided in modern airtight, well-insulated homes, and what vapour permeable membranes do differently. Also, learn what the four classes of vapour control membrane mean, and...
Wondering how to choose the right windows and doors to support and improve your home’s thermal performance? Discover the two numbers, U value and SHGC, that tell you how well a window system will really perform. Learn what to specify and what to ask your team, so your windows work...
Confused about thermal mass, where it belongs in your home renovation or new build, and how to use it to maintain even indoor temperatures year-round? Learn about the specific conditions to consider so it works to improve your home’s comfort. And see how underslab insulation, orientation and floor finish all...
So you want to build a healthy, sustainable and energy efficient home that ‘breathes’? Discover why homes don’t need to breathe, but the people inside them do, and how to design and build air tightness and ventilation as a system. Learn what it means to build tight and ventilate right,...
Wondering how to measure your home’s carbon footprint, and where the biggest reductions can be made in your sustainable home? Discover why embodied carbon can outweigh operational carbon in a modern all-electric home, and what to do about it during design. Learn the tools, material choices and conversations to have...
Wondering if the walls, roof and floors of your future home will actually manage moisture safely long-term? Discover what a WUFI analysis tells you about condensation and mould risk inside your building envelope, before construction. Learn the questions to ask your designer, architect or builder to make sure your airtight,...
Wondering what other tools you can use to model your home’s performance, beyond the compliance check required in your area? Discover what PHPP (Passive House Planning Package) can add before you commit to construction of your renovation or new build. Learn how to layer multiple modelling approaches during design, so...
Wondering how to use energy modelling to inform your home’s design, rather than just tick a compliance box? Discover why bringing energy assessment into the design phase, not after documentation, will clarify and simplify sustainability design decisions. Learn the questions to ask your designer and energy assessor so the star...
Wondering how renewable energy can make your future home more sustainable? Discover why reducing your home’s energy needs first is what makes your renewable energy dollars stretch further. Learn also how to sequence your decisions before adding renewable energy to your new build or renovation, so you can supply a...
Wondering which hot water system is genuinely the most efficient choice for your home? Discover why heat pump hot water units are increasingly the best recommendation, and why some plumbers still try to talk homeowners out of them. And learn how the location of your hot water unit and your...
Are you wondering if you can capture and reuse the water that falls on your home, rather than sending it to the stormwater drain? Discover what rainwater harvesting, greywater and blackwater systems actually involve in a residential project. Listen to the episode now. Hello! This is Episode 412, and Way...
HOME Method member conversations
These are conversations with HOME Method members, sharing what it's actually like to navigate a renovation or new build. The wins, the wobbles, the moments of doubt and the breakthroughs. Listen to hear from those who've been exactly where you are.
Season 15: 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home
Season 15 is all about helping you create a sustainable home. Across the 44 episodes, this season will help you (whatever stage you're at) build practical knowledge you can apply directly to your new build or renovation. Whether you're feeling curious, confused, or overwhelmed about what a sustainable home actually means, you'll learn what matters most and why it matters for your project. Plus, I'll share the specific ways you can incorporate sustainability, one decision at a time. Listen to create your sustainable home.
Season 14: National Construction Code (NCC)
The National Construction Code sets the minimum standard for every home built or renovated in Australia, but most homeowners never hear about it until something goes wrong. Across the episodes in Season 14, you'll learn what the NCC is, what changed in the 2022 update, and what it means for your project in plain language. Whether you're just starting to plan or already mid-design, you'll come away knowing the right questions to ask your team. Listen to get across the NCC.
Season 13: Your next best steps
Season 13 is all about helping you take action. Across the episodes, this season will help you (whatever stage you’re at) take your next best steps. Whether you need to get your project started, or back on track, you’ll learn how to avoid the mistakes many make along their project journey. Plus, I’ll share the goals to aim for at each stage, and the clear action steps to achieve. Listen to learn your next best steps.
SPECIAL EPISODES
Episode [#184] | How to Choose the Right Builder - 3 things to know
This is a special episode where I’ll be sharing how to choose the right builder and some of the mistakes I see homeowners make when it comes to selecting the builder.
Episode [#185] The 4 keys to a successful, enjoyable project - and home
There’s 4 things, 4 keys, that make designing, building and renovating your family home do-able, enjoyable, worthwhile, and save you time, money and stress along the way.
Season 12: Rebuild + Build Better
Season 12 will help you learn how to rebuild after bushfires, and build better homes wherever you are located (and what every type of build or renovation you're undertaking). We're diving into a range of topics related to rebuilding after bushfires, building or renovating in bushfire prone areas, and more generally, designing and building more resilient homes. Listen now to learn how to rebuild and build better.
SPECIAL EPISODE: How to design a home without an architect
Want to design a home without using an architect? Learn the 3 things to include in your home design process, so you can get it right (especially if you're not using an architect). Listen to this special episode now.
HOLIDAY Q & A: Questions from the UA Community
This season is a special one. In it, I answer questions submitted by members of the UA Community. There’s everything from skylights, to prefab, to biophilic design, to working out budgets. Tune in to hear my answers.
Episode 01 [#145] | Q & A: Are SIPs any good? And what kitchen trends are on their way out?
Episode 02 [#146] | Q & A: Key things to know about Prefab, and designing a south-facing home
Episode 03 [#147] | Q & A: Understanding biophilic design. And high level windows that work
Episode 04 [#148] | Q & A: Do we renovate or sell?
Episode 05 [#149] | Q & A: What will your home design cost to build? And Velux skylights
Season 11: Interior Design Basics
In Season 11, we’re diving into Interior Design Basics. Materials, finishes, fixtures, design ideas, how to choose, how to get help and what decisions really matter in the creation of your future home’s interior design. My co-host for much of this season is Interior Designer and Author, Frances Cosway of White Pebble Interiors, plus other fantastic industry suppliers and professionals also join us.
SPECIAL EPISODE: Create a home you love - on any budget
When renovating or building, what are the 7 ingredients to creating a home you love - on any budget?
This is a special episode where I talk about what I know actually makes the difference in a family home ... and creates one that works, feels great, and serves you over the long term.
Season 10: Industry Insider Insights
Season 10 features a range of clever and talented industry professionals from both Australia and the USA. It’s jam-packed with different types of industry insider insights. And with various areas of expertise, all my guests have one thing in common: they are super generous with their advice and knowledge. Listen to learn from those inside the industry.
Season 09: Keeping it Real
This is Season 9. We all love a good before-and-after story, but what's out there in the TV and online world (packaged up with glamour and styling) can be really misleading for the first-time renovator or builder. This season will help you manage not only the fantastic dreams that you have for your home, but your expectations and your goals around creating it as well.
Season 08: A simple guide to a sustainable home
Creating a sustainable home means one that is energy efficient, functional, low tox, environmentally friendly and supports your health and well-being. In Season 8, these episodes share key ways to create your sustainable new home or renovation. Plus we feature a Passive House (or Passivhaus), sharing the advice and insights of each of the team members and client.
Season Interlude: Learnings from my USA trip
A collection of episodes that highlight some architectural features of a trip to the USA, that will help any renovation, new build or landscape design.
Season 07: The stages of home construction
My co-host for Season 7 is builder Duayne Pearce, D Pearce Constructions. Duayne and I step you through each stage of construction, helping you avoid expensive and stressful mistakes in your project. This season also gives you a small taste of my flagship online program, the "HOME Method"
Season Interlude: Working with your designer + other project insights
This season gives answers to some of my most frequently asked questions. And we introduce a new project - a family home being built in New Zealand.
Season 06: Designing for difficult sites
Not every block of land is flat and rectangular. And yet so much of the advice out there only works if your land is like this. Season 6 takes you through a range of difficult blocks or site types, and gives design tips and strategies so you can get your design right, whether you're renovating or building new.
Season 05: Mistakes many make
With over 25 years industry experience, in over 250 projects (including 3 renovations of my own), there are consistent errors I see many homeowners make as they build or renovate their homes. Season 5 shares the mistakes that many make, that can have a significant impact on your time, money and stress.
Season 04: Know your team
There are many professionals who can support you when designing, building or renovating your home. Season 4 outlines the key roles and shares the WHO, the WHAT, the WHEN and the WHY of each of your project team. Together, my guests have over 150 years industry experience in home design, building and renovating.
Season Interlude: Your most important tool (communication)
Some of the biggest issues in designing, building and renovating result from communication issues. This shorter Season Interlude (in-between Season!) helps you learn how to ensure communication on your project is clear, well-managed and enables you to have a successful, low-stress experience.
Season 03: How to set (and stay on) your budget
One of the biggest fears that homeowners have about their renovation or new build revolves around budget. Can they afford to do what they want to do? And how will they prevent it from blowing out and financially crippling them? Season 13 gives key budget tips, cost-saving strategies and mistakes to avoid (and for even more info, check out my mini-course "Set + Stick to Your Budget").
Season 02: How to design a home
Season 2 takes you - room-by-room - through how to design a home. It focuses on the 5 'Fs' of great design: Functionality, Flexibility, Furnishability, Flow and Feel. These are must-listen episodes before briefing your designer, architect, builder, or diving into your own home design.
Season 01: What matters most
Great design isn't anymore expensive than terrible design. The episodes in Season 1 will help you learn what matters most to make your home work, and feel great. This is essential listening for anyone embarking on buying, designing, building or renovating. Learn the decisions that matter most in these episodes.
Launch Season: Get Started
Many homeowners tell me that, when thinking about renovating or building, they have no idea where to start. In my experience, every project (regardless of location, budget or size) begins with the same four questions. These episodes will guide you through answering them.
Episode 00 [#1] | Welcome to the new Undercover Architect Podcast: Get it Right
Episode 01 [#2] | Get Started: What would you like to do?
Episode 02 [#3] | Get Started: What are you allowed to do?
Episode 03 [#4] | Get Started: What can your renovation or building budget afford?
Episode 04 [#5] | Get Started: What do you and your family need from your home (now and in the future)
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