{"podcast":{"title":"Mindful Builder","slug":"mindful-builder-6841919","podcast_index_feed_id":6841919,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/mindful-builder/","website_url":"https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/00f468ee-32ce-4128-8bd8-e9350c2985bb/XizDXVIMb3hN1TASz3PU94Sv.jpg","author":"Matthew Carland and Hamish White","episode_count":141,"summary":"Join Matt from Carland Constructions and Hamish from Sanctum Homes in a podcast discussing sustainable building practices and passive house concepts. They also talk to experts from all avenues of the building industry to share their knowledge and insights on what the industry looks like today. Further to this, Matt and Hamish are building a platform through the podcast to discuss mental health issues that arise in the building industry. The industry can be quite negative at times and there is a great deal of stigma around what it means to be a \"tradie\". Matt and Hamish are here to shine a light of positivity on the industry and share relatable topics that will help you in your own building or construction business.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-28T04:19:14.694440+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/mindful-builder-6841919"},"episode":{"title":"The Building Project That'll Ruin You Financially","slug":"the-building-project-that-ll-ruin-you-financially","published_at":"2026-09-06T17:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/mindful-builder-6841919/the-building-project-that-ll-ruin-you-financially","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/mindful-builder-6841919","url":"https://mindful-builder.captivate.fm","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/1958aefd-f7a4-44ff-959e-b150cb8fd253.mp3","summary":"“Budget does not mean your build cost.” Matt drops that early, and it should be printed on every set of concept plans. In this episode of The Mindful Builder Podcast, Matt and Hamish sit down with Brad McEwan from Sanford Buildco for a blunt chat about project feasibility and why so many custom home builds in Australia blow out financially. If you’re a homeowner, builder, or designer trying to avoid budget shock, this one will save you a lot of pain. We talk about the gap between a client’s budget and the reality of what the design actually costs, plus the hidden “other costs” that show up before you even start building. Think site works, services, reports, permits, access, and all the stuff that never makes it into the Instagram floor plan tour. Brad also breaks down how “small” choices like garages, alfrescos, tiles, and finishes can swing the price wildly depending on what you pick and how it’s installed. If you’ve ever wondered how to pressure test a budget early, what a feasibility estimate is actually for, or what to ask a builder before you spend big on documentation, we cover it in plain language. Keywords: project feasibility, construction budget, build cost vs budget, custom home build Australia, building costs 2026, cost overruns, variations, architect budget, builder advice, pre construction process. CHAPTER MARKERS 00:00 Intro 00:00:32 Budget vs build cost 00:01:00 The “other costs” that hit before site 00:02:00 Matching budget to design reality 00:04:00 Square metre rates and early stress testing 00:05:08 Garages, alfrescos, and scope creep 00:16:29 What’s excluded (and why it matters) 00:29:25 Feasibility is a viability check, not a contract price 00:35:39 The hard conversation now vs the variation later Our Sponsors: Pro Clima - https://mindful-builder.…","meta_description":"“Budget does not mean your build cost.” Matt drops that early, and it should be printed on every set of concept plans. In this episode of The Mindful Buil…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2110,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mindful-builder-6841919/episodes/the-building-project-that-ll-ruin-you-financially/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/mindful-builder-6841919/the-building-project-that-ll-ruin-you-financially.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}