Katie Rees - Your Project Partner

02/09/2026

Is the competitive tender dead?

Not necessarily. But the way it's been run for years — design first, price last, hope for the best — is.

Waiting until the end of documentation to confirm pricing is proving too risky. It's a big part of why four in five projects are stalling or being shelved at tender stage.

Progressive is the shift. Progressive pricing checks. Progressive relationship-building. That's what ensures there are no nasty surprises at the end, because there's been a conversation all the way through.

There's more than one way to do it. But whichever way you choose, the tender — competitive or negotiated — can't be the moment the numbers first meet reality.

20/08/2026

Before Your Project Partner, I was practicing as a registered building designer. And it was projects like this one that showed me what real collaboration looks and feels like.

The clients gathered their team early. Quality Built Pty Ltd as the preferred builder, in from the early stages and there right through construction. Me (Katie Rees Design at the time) as the building designer. Caitlin from Project 5 Interior Design shaping the inside.

Everyone in the room. Everyone knowing their part. A home that shows it.

When everyone gets on the same page early — the homeowner, the design team and the build team — everything works better.

It's projects like this that have urged me to develop Your Project Partner and communicate ways to make this happen early. Together is better.

15/08/2026

I hope you'll come and say hi at the Melbourne Home Show.

I'm presenting on Saturday 22 August at 1:30pm. It's called Your Home Build Playbook — how to take control of your project before it takes control of you.

At the start of any project, there's a play. And the most dangerous thing you can do is not know which one you're bringing.

I'll walk through the six main plays homeowners bring to their projects and the pros and cons of each — so you can pick the one that best suits you, your people, and the way you want to work.

For homeowners, this is where you start.
For designers and builders, there's something in it for you too — understanding the plays you're already experiencing in the industry, and where you might want to do things a little differently.

Free entry. Come along. I'd love to see you there.

14/08/2026

That's the promise of Your Home Build Playbook — how to take control of your project before it takes control of you.

Think of it like an American football playbook. Different plays , depending on the situation, the players, and the game they're trying to win.

Building's the same. There's more than one way to get from an idea to moving in — and it's important to know which play is right for you and your project.

I'm walking through the six main plays at the Melbourne Home Show. Saturday 22 August, 1:30pm. Free entry.

The presentation is framed for homeowners — but the plays matter for everyone at the table. Designers, builders, consultants, suppliers, trades. If you contribute to a home build, it's worth thinking about how you fit into each play.

Come and say hi.

07/08/2026

A little shout-out to Roberson Construction — my valued partner in Wagga. These images you see here are all from their library of past projects. You'll appreciate the diversity of their work, each home designed and built to suit the individual brief of each valued client.
People sometimes ask what our partnership actually means. Here it is, simply:

We care about the same thing — homeowners getting it right. We just help at different stages of the process. I help homeowners prepare to build. So they can predict what it'll cost and how it'll unfold, right from the very first decisions. Roberson build beautiful family homes. They've been a leading builder in Wagga for over 25 years, with real care for the people they build for.

Same values. Different specialities. One result. Incredible homes for a deserving families.

So, when you inquire with Roberson, you get both of us — working to help you take control of your project from the very first decision.

Thank you, Brad, Danielle and the whole team. I bloody love working with you all!

30/07/2026

Building is a team sport- Not a relay race.

The homeowner, the design team and the build team all have their part to play to ensure the win.

The projects that succeed aren't the ones with the biggest budgets or the best individuals — they're the ones where the homeowner, design team and builder are aligned early. Here's why building is a team sport, and how the earliest decisions decide the outcome.

29/07/2026

When it comes to building or renovating, not all decisions are created equal.

Three big ones decide the outcome:

WHAT — is what you're asking for aligned with what you're investing? If not, the project is in trouble before it begins.

HOW — which play are you running? There are six I see, and I've watched every one succeed and every one fail. It's not that one is better. It's that one is better suited to your project.

WHO — the right team, all working toward the same outcome.

Get the big decisions right, and the smaller ones — the tiles, the colours, the tapware — become the reward.

20/07/2026

Architect vs Building Designer.

The difference starts with education and registration. That's the entry point.

What happens after is less measurable. Experience. Tenacity. A hunger to keep learning and do better.
Every project deserves the right design team — sometimes that will be an architect. Other times it will be a building designer.

It's more to do with the person or the people and their suitability to any given project, more so than just their education or registration.

09/07/2026

Early Builder Involvement? Yay or Nay?

Yay — when it's done properly.

That means finding the right builder to invite in early. Not just any builder. The right one.

For the homeowner, it's a chance to know the builder before you're locked in.
For the builder, it's not a guarantee of the project. It's the chance to show you're the right one for it.

Done well, it's a game changer.

03/07/2026

"As safe as houses" has carried us a long way. But after the 2026–27 budget, the more accurate phrase might be as safe as home. Your primary residence wasn't touched — the main residence exemption stays. If you've got funds you can access without excessive pressure, your own home is still one of the steadier places to put them. The catch is planning: know what you want, and what it'll genuinely cost, before you start investing in design and building.

The 2026–27 federal budget shifted plenty for property investors — but your family home stayed untouched. Here's why your own place still holds steady, and how to invest in it without the blowout.