Five renovation lessons from last night's The Block: Fans v Faves
Everyone tuning in to last night's The Block: Fans v Faves would have noticed that stress levels were high as the couples were surprised with the expectation of their floorplan to be turned in with around 24 hours notice.
However, some groups were more panicked than others. It seems there are some tried and tested skills that will keep even the most novice renovators in a better position.
We turn to the beautiful Dux cinema in Melbourne's Albert Park that Property Observer previously reported on, as the location of the latest challenge. Favourites, "Alisa and Lysandra" and "Brad and Dale" and fans "Chantelle and Steve" and "Kyal and Kara" have their work cut out on converting this space, while camping in the building, in 10 weeks.
You can catch up on episodes online.
Here are the five lessons we learned from tuning in last night:
Renovators should always look to plan ahead if they want to get the best results.
1) Plan ahead
With ten weeks and an intense project to complete, there's no excuse for not planning ahead for this season's Blockheads. Similarly, renovators should always look to plan ahead if they want to get the best results.
The more you can have written down, prepared and scheduled, the better.
2) Communicate with your team (and choose them wisely)
In last night's episode, we saw some fairly excellent examples of teams working well together, as well as some easily-avoided situations where time was lost due to poor communication.
Our current favourite builder, Super Luke, is left without direction by Chantelle and Luke. While he does his best, they need to make decisions and precious time is being lost.
Similarly, when the surprise floor problem appears for Alisa and Lysandra, they become angry at their tradespeople. There's usually a better way than anger.
Pick your team wisely and keep channels of conversation consistently open.
Pick your team wisely and keep channels of conversation consistently open. Ensure to outline your expectations, the extent of the job (there was more than one surprised builder on The Block last night) and what to do if they're unsure.
3) Don't be afraid to spend time where it counts
Kyal, as a trained carpenter, decided to take on the task of making the stud walls - prompting all sorts of jokes about studs, both walls and otherwise, in the Twittersphere. Fair enough, however he is also tasked with finding the right tradespeople for the other jobs.
While he seemed to do a great job with the stud walls, it undoubtably took far longer than if he had focused on that task after or before starting on phoning around. Focus on one thing at a time, and be sure to prioritise tasks.
Similarly, when it comes to prioritising - don't feel that you need to do everything in groups. Sometimes, the most effective thing to do is split up. Too often, no one is left on site to collect deliveries (we certainly saw this last night from Kyal and Kara). A quick summit to discuss the style needed, and trusting your renovation partner, is surely a far quicker way to get the job done.
We definitely give a thumbs up to Kyal for getting his sleeves rolled up and using his skills. DIYing doesn't suit anyone, but it can certainly save you money when done well.
4) Adapt and evolve
What happens when you discover that your feature, a staircase leading up to a small office, is not going to be possible? Make a void instead. Kitchen Queens Alisa and Lysandra showed strength by adaptating at the last minute when their plans need to be changed.
Similarly, being able to evolve your ideas to the space you're in is certainly a skill that most renovators should be able to cultivate. We point to the particularly popular 'barn door' created by Chantelle and Steve.
Bad weather, particularly when you don't have a ceiling, is also going to be absolutely critical to negotiate.
5) Have a vision
When faced with an empty space, particularly like this where the ceilings, walls and floors are all open for any design, you need to be quick to come up with ideas. You will also need to be able to envision how the space will work very quickly. Vision here is absolutely crucial.
You will also need to be able to envision how the space will work very quickly.
Whether it's a pool, a cinema, or underfloor heating, or any of the other exciting aspects we're seeing the teams installing, the overall plan is just as important as the individual aspects. Those watching last night also suggested ideas such as a spa for the common space.
Remembering to be practical but to add the "wow factor" (another term we heard a lot) is going to be crucial.
What tips do you have from watching last night's The Block Fans v Faves?