Building With BuildHer

Dianne Kovacevic and her husband Dave spent years getting ready before they bought a single site. He refused a limited builder's licence and spent a year on slabs and foundations to earn the unlimited one. She completed a diploma in contract drafting and estimation. Only then did they go looking for land.

What followed was four townhouses in Heidelberg Heights and an education that came with invoices attached. Two and a half years fighting the council, including VCAT. A construction loan pulled after unconditional approval, because they were owner builders, a question they had asked in writing before they started. Development contributions of $58,000, a levy of roughly $20,000, and civil works that have run anywhere from $16,000 to $46,000 across their projects. Then COVID, a finished project they could not lease, and money borrowed from Dianne's parents to get it done.

They still made more than $1.3 million on it.

Dianne also talks about the design decision she has never repeated: double garages in the two middle units, which took space out of the living areas and showed up directly in the sale prices. The front unit set an area record at $1,065,000. The middle two sold for $850,000 and $895,000.

She became a mortgage broker after Dave got sick and the family lost its income, and her business now sits squarely in construction and renovation lending. If you have only ever taken out a home loan, this conversation is worth your time.

Dianne is at DK Capital Lending. You can reach her on [email protected] or 0478 842 895.

Read the full write up on the BuildHer blog: buildhercollective.com.au/blog

Want to learn how to renovate and develop for profit? Explore DevelopHer.

Connect with BuildHer Collective at buildhercollective.com.au or on Instagram @buildhercollective.

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Elise Weavers is back for renovation number three: a single fronted Melbourne terrace on 370 square metres, nearly done and already home. In this episode, Elise and Rebeka unpack the three levers Elise pulls to control cost on every project: the size of the build, the materials she chooses, and the labour that puts it all together.

They dig into why every square metre you add costs you, how eight floor plans became one, and how tall raked ceilings and compression and release make a modest footprint feel generous. Elise shares why she clads with James Hardie Stria (fire rating, a slim profile on the boundary, and her builder partner Sam can install it himself), how she squeezed a dining table, bedside tables and a coffee table out of one slab of kitchen stone, and why a polytech kitchen was the smart trade off. Plus the labour decisions that save thousands: prefab trusses and wall frames, choosing methods that suit your team, and knowing whether your builder is a site manager or a builder carpenter.

If you are renovating in a rising cost market, this one is a masterclass in spending where it counts.

Connect with BuildHer Collective at https://buildhercollective.com.au or on Instagram @buildhercollective

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Most of us think a feasibility is a spreadsheet. It isn't. It's a decision-making tool, and the thinking behind the numbers is what tells you what to put in them.

In this solo episode Rebeka takes you behind the scenes as she helps her two boys, Liam and Ben, assess a live site for their first project: where the value is hidden, what to look for, and how to decide if a deal is a go, a no-go, a rework, or a find-out-more.

She gets into why a stuck, uncertain market can be one of the best times to buy, why both Claude and ChatGPT said no to this site and why you can't let a robot make the call, the difference between feeling risk and calculating it, and a real deal at deal level: the $800k buy, the $1.6m to $1.8m end, a $150k to $350k profit range, and the one tree that could decide the whole thing.

The question she comes back to every time: if this was your money, would you still do the deal?

Want the feasibility spreadsheet? Comment FEASO on Instagram or DM us feaso and we'll send it over.

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We'd all like to believe we make property decisions with a calculator. The truth is messier. Doubt, second-guessing, and a market that never sits still all get a vote.

In this episode Rebeka sits down with Louise Woodcroft to talk about what it actually takes to make the hard calls in property and renovation: when to trust the numbers, when to back yourself through the doubt, and how to keep moving when everything feels uncertain.

In this conversation they get into emotion vs logic and spotting which one is really driving your next decision, working through the doubt and second-guessing that show up in every renovation, why a solid feasibility study is your steadiest friend when your nerves aren't, cosmetic flips and where the real value sits in a traditional renovation, moving fast and staying competitive when you're buying in a softer market, and the real power of having the right support around you when the journey gets hard.

Whether you're weighing up your first project or your fifth, this one's a reminder that the numbers and your nerve both matter, and you can learn to back both.

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Everyone's either terrified of AI or shouting that you're behind. This episode is neither. Rebeka sits down with Rhiannon Lee - founder of Oleander and Finch and one of the design industry's clearest voices on AI - for the most honest conversation we've had about using these tools without losing yourself in them.

If you've ever opened ChatGPT to save half an hour and lost half a day, this one's for you.

In this episode:

• Why nobody is the expert - and why that's good news, not bad
• ChatGPT goes wide, Claude goes deep: how Rhiannon actually uses each one
• The real reason some people get magic out of AI and others get bland mush (hint: it's your foundations, not your tool)
• Where AI quietly becomes dangerous - the confident subdivision advice that could cost hundreds of thousands
• Why a hallucination isn't a lie, it's a plausible answer that isn't real
• Staying the creative director: the part of your work that never gets outsourced
• The automation trap, and why two good posts beat twenty bland ones
• Keeping your business off the tool - own your foundations in a platform that's yours

A line worth sitting with: "You're the creative director. Creativity sits under your role and it doesn't get outsourced." - Rhiannon Lee

Rough timestamps:

• 00:00 - Nobody's the expert: cutting the AI noise
• 03:44 - The tools Rhiannon actually uses (and how)
• 12:00 - Where AI gives dangerous answers
• 15:35 - Image generation: concept, not detail
• 21:27 - The pendulum swinging back to human voices
• 33:10 - You're the conductor, not the cast
• 43:36 - Keep it off the tool: own your foundations
• 53:00 - Where to find Rhiannon

About our guest: Rhiannon Lee is the founder and designer behind Oleander and Finch, and a sought-after mentor helping creatives build the systems behind their businesses. Her program Studio Build runs over six weeks, with the next round starting 7 July.

• Instagram: @oleander_and_finch
• Website: oleanderandfinch.com

Ready to back yourself? If this episode lit something up, come and see how BuildHer Collective helps women build, renovate and develop with confidence. Explore DevelopHer at buildhercollective.com.au.

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We spend so much time obsessing over layouts, floorplans, stone selections and budgets… but what if the thing that actually stops people in their tracks is something far less obvious?

In this episode of Building With BuildHer, Rebeka sits down with Cat Brown from Arch Melbourne to unpack the power of styling, colour and thoughtful finishes - and why creating emotional connection can help propel sales results.

Known for Arch Melbourne’s distinctive styling approach (think layered textures, statement furniture, unexpected colour moments and homes that feel anything but cookie-cutter), Cat shares why styling goes far beyond making things “look pretty”. It is about shaping perception, creating mood and helping buyers picture a better version of life within a home.

Rebeka and Cat dive into why developers often overcapitalise in some areas (hello built-in joinery everywhere) while overlooking the details that create real impact, how thoughtful styling can soften newer builds and make them feel warm and lived-in, and why neutral does not always need to mean safe—or worse… grey.

They also unpack why furniture planning should happen earlier than most people think, how styling influences photography and buyer engagement, why “scroll-stopping” moments matter in a world where buyers first meet your property online, and the role colour, texture and art play in making homes memorable.

Whether you renovate, build or develop property for profit, this episode is a reminder that beautiful homes are not built through finishes alone - they are built through feeling.

And buyers remember how a home made them feel.

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What happens when a highly organised project manager, three young kids, and a slightly terrifying leap-of-faith moment collide? You get one very impressive first property flip.

In this episode of Building With BuildHer, Rebeka sits down with DevelopHer Lauren McKenna to unpack her first renovation project - a full gut renovation of a dated unit in Ormond that she delivered in just eight weeks… while on maternity leave with three children underfoot.

But this conversation goes far deeper than paint colours and floorplans.

Lauren shares the very real transition from a demanding career in commercial project management into property development, the confidence shift that came from backing herself, and why she ultimately decided to walk away from the “safe” path to build something on her own terms. 

You will also hear the behind-the-scenes reality of buying into a block opportunity with multiple owners, managing large-scale external renovations through body corporate politics, juggling competing personalities, and navigating the unexpected chaos of multiple investors renovating and selling at the same time. Think: part renovation project, part The Block antics.

There are so many valuable takeaways in this episode for anyone renovating, building or developing for profit, including:

• why speed and decision-making matter just as much as design
• the importance of running multiple renovation scenarios before committing to one approach
• how to separate emotional attachment from commercial reality
• what to know before buying into a block-style development opportunity
• and why the best projects are not always the most expensive or dramatic ones

Lauren also speaks candidly about boundaries, burnout, confidence, and the surprising emotional side of stepping into development for yourself for the first time. And perhaps most importantly, this episode is a reminder that you do not need to “have it all figured out” before you start. Purchasing this project within just weeks of joining BuildHer Collective, Lauren proves that sometimes confidence is built by doing. 

A great listen for anyone craving more flexibility, more ownership over their time, and proof that there is more than one way to build a life, and a business, in property.

Head to our website to take a look at photos of Lauren's brilliant Ormond project:
https://buildhercollective.com.au/podcast/ep11-the-flip-that-gave-lauren-the-confidence-to-quit-her-job/

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If you’ve ever wondered whether you can actually turn a profit in this market, this episode is your proof that you can.

We're joined by DevelopHer Zerin who has just wrapped up her second project in under 12 months, delivering a 54% ROI (yes, you read that right) - and she breaks down exactly how she’s doing it.

What’s really interesting about this conversation is the shift. Zerin didn’t start as a numbers person - she came in design-first, focused on creating beautiful homes. But what she’s learnt (and what this episode unpacks so well) is that real success comes from balancing beauty with discipline.

From walking away from projects that don’t stack up (even when they look so good on paper), to understanding where to spend and where no one will ever notice you didn’t - this is a masterclass in thinking like a developer, not just a renovator.

We also get into the magic of creating homes that feel right - the kind buyers connect with instantly - and why cohesion, simplicity, and a few well-placed “hero moments” can completely change your result.

Zerin’s approach is calm, clear, and becoming more and more confident - no overthinking, no overcomplicating with emotion… just smart decisions, made consistently.

If you’re serious about building or renovating for profit - this is one you’ll want to listen to all the way through.

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Think AI is the shortcut to smarter property development? It is… just not in the way you might expect.

In this episode, Rebeka walks through how she is using AI in real time across projects, from scanning markets and spotting opportunities, to testing ideas and streamlining day-to-day operations. It's powerful, no doubt, but it's not the whole picture. Because while AI can point you in the right direction, it cannot interpret the human side of property the emotion, the nuance, the “why this works here but not there.”

What unfolds is a practical, no-fluff conversation about using AI as a support act, not the lead. You will come away with a clearer understanding of where it genuinely adds value, where it falls short, and how to use it to move faster without losing your footing. It's also a good reminder that your understanding of the numbers, your instinct, and your ability to read people and place still matter more than any tool.

Because while AI can help you learn more and quicker, it's still your role to make sense of it and turn it into something that actually stacks up in the real world.

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If you have ever thought a broker was just there to tell you “how much you can borrow”… this episode might just change the way you think about playing the property game.

In this conversation, we cover the real role of a loan broker when you are renovating, building or developing for profit - and why treating finance as a strategy (not a transaction) can be the difference between sitting on the sidelines and actually getting deals done. Because here is the truth: not all lenders are created equal, not all brokers think like developers, and the way you structure your finance matters just as much as the deal itself.

We walk through how to approach brokers with intention, why starting with “how much can I borrow?” is often the wrong question, and how to flip the script - find the deal first, then reverse-engineer the finance to make it work. We also touch on different strategies such as equity release, LVR, development finance, construction loans, and why sometimes access to cash matters far more than chasing the lowest interest rate.

And perhaps most importantly, we unpack the mindset shift from feeling risk to actually calculating it - because so many women are far closer to their next project than they realise… they just have not been shown how to leverage what they already have.

Think of this episode as your behind-the-scenes guide to the money side of property - the part no one really teaches, but everyone needs. Because the women who build wealth in property are not just good at design or numbers… they know how to make money move.

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