-- Thanks to our sponsor Ettitude for sponsoring this episode. You can grab $25 off your first order using our code BUILDHER at checkout.--

Today we are joined by the lovely Jen Clark, founder of Hosting With Heart, a hugely successful podcast and recently launched directory website featuring a growing collection of holiday properties managed by socially-conscious, ethically-minded hosts from Australia and New Zealand.

With big Online Travel Agents (OTAs) like Airbnb dominating the market and now the default choice for holiday rentals, we explore how this new landscape obscures the costs to the end user (or property owner). Jen explains that it’s not as simple as bunging your property on an OTA site and making a quick buck. You are responsible for admin, customer service, cleaning, amenities, utilities and gardening, and often the costs are not clear. Jen explains the commission that OTAs generally take, what this means for the host and the strange complexity of service fees.

It’s for these reasons that Jen encourages anyone considering hosting a property, to take the time to understand the costs involved and how to stand out in a saturated market.

Not only are costs obscured, but finding those standout properties, that take a holistic approach and consider elements like accessibility and sustainability are really lacking (and hard to find!) in the saturated markets of OTAs.

It’s for this reason that Jen decided to launch Hosting with Heart. The aim of this online directory, podcast and resource hub is to change the landscape of hosting in Australia, making it both more accessible and sustainable.

Jen shares the reasons why she sees the need for a platform like this now, the horrifying statistics around the accessibility of holiday properties in Australia and how taking a holistic approach helps to leverage your property in a crowded market.

I love Jen’s approach - she is pragmatic about the business side of hosting while being passionate about the things that really matter in holiday properties - for both hosts and guests. If you’re considering hosting, or you’re interested in how to improve your property and approach, this conversation is absolute gold. Dive in!

LINKS:

Connect with Jen Clark:

Website: https://hostingwithheart.net.au/

Instagram: @hostingwithheart

Podcast: https://hostingwithheart.net.au/podcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hostingwithheart/

Get 30 days access of Build Like a BuildHer for just $1

• Buy our book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating
• BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/
• BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective
• BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build
• Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

-- Thanks to our sponsor Ettitude for sponsoring this episode. You can grab $25 off your first order using our code BUILDHER at checkout.--

There’s been a lot of change in the market in recent years so today I’m talking about what we’re seeing in the building industry for 2023 and beyond. 

Over the past few years, things have changed rapidly. During covid there was an influx of people thinking about their homes, and deciding to build and renovate, which meant that architects, design teams and builders were completely booked up. Then, combing high demand and material shortages, everyone in the industry was pushed to the limit and we saw a lot of fear, stress and panic playing out. 

Now, things have stabilised somewhat and we’re starting to see the industry calm down. Even with rising inflation and interest rates to consider, this may just be the best time for you to jump in and take advantage of the market. I share some statistics from building and construction approvals across Australia and talk about what this means for the building industry and for those of you with a project on the horizon. 

The market is always going to ebb and flow and I talk about how the building industry is situated compared to how it’s been in the last few years. If you’re looking to build or renovate within a relatively short timeframe, now is the time to get moving. 

Make sure you take advantage of our trial offer to join the Build Like a BuildHer course to really get a clear vision of what you want and have a fun and supportive community around you from the get go!

LINKS:

Trial the Build Like a BuildHer self paced online program for just $1

• Buy our book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating
• BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/
• BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective
• BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build
• Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the podcast we are joined by Sally Faughey, who has transitioned her career from a TV producer to interior styling and renovations.

As a TV producer, Sally always loved interiors and shares how her eye was always drawn to the sets, backgrounds and how a scene was created.

But it wasn’t until she was renovating her own home and helping friends do their own that she realised how passionate she was about it. After following her heart, showcasing what she loved, and getting some great feedback, Sally realised that she could help others do the same! So Sally Says was born.

Sally wears all the hats and has her fingers in all the pies, but her favourite hat to wear is helping people. Sally is passionate about making other people feel confident enough to make decisions they love and navigate their own thought processes to make a home that represents them and their families.

We learn about Sally’s process that she takes to understand her client’s style and how she helps clients represent this in their homes. Sally always shares her top tips for working with an interior designer and some wise words on trends.

We also discuss the steep learning curve of a home renovation, and an interior designer/project manager can be a really helpful asset through the design, managing trades, rectifying issues and being there for making sure the floor tiles don’t end up on the walls!

Sally explains how she helps with renovations and project management from the first idea through to the end of the project - she is like a best friend for your build! We also chat about the art of colour and pattern matching and why a pop of colour is not always the best choice.

LINKS:

Connect with Sally:

Website: https://www.sosallysaid.com/

Instagram: @sosallysaid

• Buy our book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating
• BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/
• BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective
• BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build
• Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m talking today to Taeler Jordan, one of our amazing DevelopHers whose journey has been an inspiration to many women in the BuildHer community. 

As a qualified architect, Taeler has been working in the industry for 10 years but recently took the plunge into developing for profit full time, while also starting her family. This is a dream for so many people who want the lifestyle and freedom that renovating for profit can bring so we’re talking today about Taeler’s developing journey and a recap of her most recent project. 

We talk about how Taeler transformed a drab 70’s home into a beautiful light filled space with so much vibe. With just one move, she opened up the entire floorplan, drastically increasing the footprint, which made her project profitable and absolutely worth it. 

Taeler talks through some of the details of her design and how she leaned on her architectural skills to bring the project to life. We all have skills in different areas, and that’s why you need to find a project that enables you to bring your unique skillset to the table.

We also talk about how Taeler pooled resources from the BuildHer community, helping her to make smart and budget wise decisions, creating flexible spaces and turning her project into a beautiful architecturally designed home. 

Watching Taeler’s project come to life has been so fun and we talk about the amazing benefits of working in collaboration with a community of likeminded women. If you want to make renovating for profit your thing, give us a call! We love making your renovation dreams happen.

LINKS:

• Buy our book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating
• BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/
• BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective
• BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build
• Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“We’re taking a well deserved break for a couple of weeks to soak up the festive season. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you some of the listener favourites from the back catalogue.

These conversations were ones that really stood out to us and are jam packed full of value. If you haven't had a chance to listen to this one previously, or you're new here at BuildHer, enjoy!

We will be back with fresh new episodes for 2023 in a couple of weeks!”

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Have you ever looked at your garden and thought “where do I start”? Or how do I create an impressive landscape with a limited budget?

In this episode, we are talking with Darin Bradbury from Mint Pool and Landscape Design about all things garden and landscape. Mint Pool and Landscape Design is a company in Victoria that specializes in creating modern contemporary designs that seamlessly bring together indoor and outdoor living.

Darin discusses how it is important to consult with and/or hire a garden designer early in the building project to aid in cost-effectiveness. He speaks about the practicalities of building pools, of creating intimate and private spaces with plants, and what to really focus on when you have a limited budget.

We encourage you to listen to this episode and hear Darin’s passion when discussing garden and pool design and his excitement may rub off on you in your own projects.

LINKS:

Mint Pool and Landscape Design: https://mintdesign.net.au/

Buy our book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating

BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/

BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective

BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build

Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“We’re taking a well deserved break for a couple of weeks to soak up the festive season. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you some of the listener favourites from the back catalogue.

These conversations were ones that really stood out to us and are jam packed full of value. If you haven't had a chance to listen to this one previously, or you're new here at BuildHer, enjoy!

We will be back with fresh new episodes for 2023 in a couple of weeks!”

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Crafting beautiful, unique and bespoke interior designs transforms the living space and changes the way a home feels from the moment you walk through the door. A truly skilled interior architect will curate a house that reflects the personality of the owner and doesn’t merely just follow the current trend. 

In this episode, Rebeka is having a conversation with Georgia Ezra. Georgia is the founder of Studio Ezra, an amazing interior architecture firm that provides personalised service to clients to create homes and spaces that really excite and speak to them. Her incredible talent has overflowed to also running ‘Tiles of Ezra’ and her own podcast - ‘Step up your home with Georgia Ezra’.  

We chat about how Georgia feels so passionately about not following trends. She encourages everyone to look at what sparks joy in your life and makes you feel really excited. There is no such thing as right and wrong when it comes to design and everyone should trust and embrace their gut feelings. 

Georgia expertly guides her clients through the process of building and renovating their homes to consider every aspect of interior architecture. Each feature needs to be built in unison with the idea of the final vision, the furniture, the lifestyle and the way people will use the space. We talk about how difficult it can be for clients to disagree with their builders and contractors when making decisions about their vision. Interior architects like Georgia and her team at Studio Ezra can have all of those awkward conversations for you and have the knowledge to exhaust every option. 

Georgia’s designs are so amazingly playful, creative and unique. She carefully curates designs and architecture that speak to your soul. Head over to her Instagram page or website and check out her truly inspiring portfolio for more.

LINKS:

• Website: Studio Ezra 
• Instagram: @studio_ezra
• Podcast: ‎Step Up Your Home with Georgia Ezra on Apple Podcasts
• Buy our new book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating
• BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/
• BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective
• BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build
• Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“We’re taking a well deserved break for a couple of weeks to soak up the festive season. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you some of the listener favourites from the back catalogue.

These conversations were ones that really stood out to us and are jam packed full of value. If you haven't had a chance to listen to this one previously, or you're new here at BuildHer, enjoy!

We will be back with fresh new episodes for 2023 in a couple of weeks!”

_________________________________________

You may find it hard to believe that you can achieve your property development goals without any money and with zero experience but that is exactly what this next guest has accomplished.

Rebeka is chatting with the unstoppable Laura Percy who advises and develops property for a living. Laura began with a pipe dream and no experience. Through hard work and a tremendous amount of effort, she cultivated her career in property development and went on to create and co-found the Kingbella Group - an incredibly successful property development company.

Using enormous courage and a kickass attitude, Laura began by negotiating an off-market sale through a real estate agent with zero money down. She then secured the finance through a joint venture partnership with investment partners. Through a lot of hard work, research, time and effort she has now gone on to secure a $30 million deal!

In this episode, Laura shares how her mindset has played such an important role in her success and has given her the drive to focus her energy on her goals and where she wants to be.

Laura will also be sharing her amazing story in depth in the DevelopHer’s Inner Circle. If you are feeling motivated and inspired by her journey, click the link and sign up.

LINKS:

• Kingbella Group: Kingbella Group | Bespoke Property Development

• Buy our new book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating

• BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/

• BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective

• BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build

• Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“We’re taking a well deserved break for a couple of weeks to soak up the festive season. In the mean time, we wanted to share with you some of the listener favourites from the back catalogue.

These conversations were ones that really stood out to us and are jam packed full of value. If you haven't had a chance to listen to this one previously, or you're new here at BuildHer, enjoy!

We will be back with fresh new episodes for 2023 in a couple of weeks!”

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Have you ever wondered how interior designers come up with all of their amazing ideas? 

In today’s episode, Rebeka is talking with Nicole Rosenberg from Liberty Interiors. We are so grateful to have Nicole on the show, her warmth and passion shine through in our conversation. Her designs are beautifully inspired, vibrant and really set her apart in the industry.

But we can hear you asking where all of her ideas come from? What happens if you’re just staring at an empty wall with an even emptier mind? We’re so lucky today as she’s going to give us a tremendous treat by walking us through how she comes up with her designs and the processes she implements to ensure her clients love them. 

Soak in the inspiration and create your own mood board for your next project today!

LINKS:

Website: Liberty Interiors

Instagram: @liberty.interiors

Join our Renovating and Building for Profit event here 

• James Street Project: https://www.buildhercollective.com.au/jamesst/
• Buy our new book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating
• BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/
• BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective
• BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build
• Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a lot of trepidation at the moment around interest rates, building prices and everything that's happening out there but I, for one, am feeling very excited about what’s coming up for 2023!

We’re in an industry that is constantly moving and changing so I wanted to look today at a number of things I’m seeing across the industry from a design perspective, the building industry as a whole and some of the biggest takeaways from our recent sustainability series. 

Designers and developers are always looking forward. There will always be new trends but as a consumer, what’s important is that you understand what you love and why you love it. Now more than ever, there is so much available for us to create spaces that really embody the essence of who we are. Don’t buy into fads for the sake of it - make your home a place where you and your family can truly feel at home. 

From a design perspective, we’re seeing the integration of green and landscape through the home. People are craving the sense of space and freedom of the outdoors, and this is coming through in terms of materials, colours and textures used throughout the home. 

I talk about the shift away from stark whites into more natural materials, colours and textures. There’s certainly a sense of creating more warmth, more moody and dramatic spaces, and not being afraid to play with colour and artwork in a bold way. One thing I also love is the focus on recycling and upcycling, not necessarily buying off the catalogue but finding bespoke and unique elements that you love. 

From a dollar perspective, we’re seeing a stabilisation of pricing in the building industry. I talk about how the uncertainty of the last few years has impacted the building cycle for designers, architects, and builders and why NOW is the time to renovate for profit. 

We have so many exciting projects coming up next year which I can’t wait to talk to you about very soon. In the meantime, have an amazing festive season!

LINKS:

Join our Renovating and Building for Profit event here 

• Buy our new book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating
• BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/
• BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective
• BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build
• Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve bought and sold a lot of houses over the years and the decision to buy or sell has always been based on the needs and values of the family. After travelling for a number of months, we quickly realised that home is where you are. It’s more about designing the life that we want - and sometimes, plans change.

Some of you might know that we put our family home on the market while we were overseas. James Street in Northcote was originally going to be our forever family home. We designed it in a style we both loved with stunning fixtures throughout - we adored that home! So in this episode I’m talking about why we decided to sell, how the plans kept changing and the lessons learned from this process. 

I talk about choosing the right real estate agent in your area and why it’s so important to build a good rapport with whoever you decide on. Selling can be a really emotional time, so finding someone you trust who understands your family’s needs is critical. I also discuss the different selling options and why we opted for expressions of interest with James Street and how this ended in a great result. 

I also share some practical tips that work well when selling houses including styling, landscaping, and what to look out for in terms of the market. You can check out what we did on this specific project here!

Often we get so busy focusing on the next step that we forget to zoom out and think about the big picture planning. Having a family home isn’t just about the beautiful design and details, it’s about making it work for the people who live in it. Life happens, and it’s important to remember what really matters to you. 

LINKS:

Join our Renovating and Building for Profit event here 

• James Street Project: https://www.buildhercollective.com.au/jamesst/
• Buy our new book: BuildHer, A practical guide to building and renovating
• BuildHer Website: https://buildhercollective.com.au/
• BuildHer Instagram: @buildhercollective
• BuildHer Facebook: Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build
• Register for a call: https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.