Anonymous by design. Not because there is anything to hide — because the product is the experience and the system, not the person behind it.
Despite 25 years in financial services and being a qualified project manager, I still underestimated what it would take to manage a renovation.
Not once. Repeatedly.
The funding ran short. Twice. The timelines drifted. Trades depended on other trades nobody had mentioned. One decision created a chain of consequences across three other trades before I’d had my second cup of tea.
If it was that difficult despite my background in finance and project management, it can happen to anyone.
That realisation is why this company exists.
I tracked every euro on a system I built from scratch, because nothing on the market reflected how a real renovation actually works. Not the aspiration. The reality.
We managed a full internal renovation and a complete extension over 21 months — two phases, two children in the house throughout. We reached the limits of our funding, reassessed, adapted, secured additional finance where appropriate, delayed decisions where necessary, and kept moving forward. Never missed a single contractor payment.
Managing the project ourselves saved approximately €43,000 in main contractor fees, but the bigger lesson wasn’t the saving — it was how much organisation, planning and decision-making it required. Every trade coordinated, briefed, scheduled and paid. Every scope change tracked. Every overrun accounted for.
The system I built during that process is what you are looking at now. Not a template downloaded from the internet and relabelled. A control system tested under real financial pressure, on a real project, with real consequences.
6 months. Replumbing, rewiring, all rooms, two bathrooms. Two children in the house. One outdoor tap. One working toilet.
Funds depleted. Stopped strategically. Made the house warm, comfortable and liveable. Waited. Planned the next phase.
9 months. Foundations to roof level to complete fit out. New kitchen, pantry, utility. Self-managed every trade.
Every contractor paid. Every euro tracked. And a system that didn’t exist before we needed it.
Navigate Your Money Pit wasn’t created to document our renovation. It was created so other homeowners don’t have to build their own system while trying to build their home.
If this system helps you make better decisions, avoid expensive mistakes and stay in control of your own project, then everything we learned was worth it.
This is just the beginning. My ambition is to keep improving the tools, resources and insights available to homeowners, so every new project begins with more knowledge and less uncertainty.
Before you hire your first contractor, sign your first contract or start work on site — take 20 minutes to read this guide. Free. No catch.
Download the free Starter Guide
Navigate Your Money Pit