Find, check and book the right trades for your renovation.
A step-by-step guide and printable sheets for homeowners running their own renovation
If you’re about to collect quotes for your renovation, this toolkit shows you how to find, check and book the right trades. I’ll walk you through how to research and phone trades, run a trade day, ask for quotes with a due date and follow up, and turn your quotes into a budget. The guide and printable sheets keep every name, number and next step in one place, so first-time renovators can stay organised from the first call to the final quote.
$49
Who it’s for
This toolkit is for homeowners who are running their own renovation, or a big part of it, and want to feel organised and in control. It suits first-time renovators who aren’t sure where to start, anyone who has been let down by a tradie who didn’t turn up, and anyone about to collect quotes. If you already have a builder but still want to join the conversations and book your own trades or suppliers, it will help you do that with confidence.
What’s inside
You’ll receive my step-by-step guide to working with trades and suppliers, from your first bit of research through to receiving quotes, plus a one-page trade day timeline so you can see the whole process at a glance. The printable sheets keep everything in one place: a contact sheet for each trade your inviting to chat with, a run sheet showing who arrives and when, and an item sheet for what you want done and what your next steps are.
What you’ll learn
I’ll show you where to find trades, what to check and how to make those check before you pick up the phone. I’ll share why a call works better than a message, and my best methods to getting trades to turn up. You’ll learn how to run a trade day, how much time to allocate to each trade and the best methods to book and confirm the schedule. Finally, you’ll learn how to ask for quotes with a due date, request licences and insurance, follow up, and turn your quotes into a budget.
Good renovations run on good communication, and this toolkit shows you how to get it right from the start. Use it with the Renovation Budget Tracker and you’ll know who you’re working with and what it will all cost.
Pairs well with the Renovation Budget Tracker $79
You don’t need all the answers before you start. You just need a clear process and the right people around you, and this toolkit gives you both.
The Working with Trades Toolkit has been created by Kathryn Trentini, interior designer with 15 years of residential renovation experience.
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No. It’s written for beginners and first-time renovators.
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Yes. It helps you stay part of the conversations and organise any trades or suppliers you book yourself.
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The process works anywhere in Australia. Licensing and insurance rules differ by state, so always check with your state’s regulator.
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No. It’s general information, not legal or financial advice.
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This toolkit is for finding and managing people. The Tracker is for pricing your project. They work well together.
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PDF. You can read them on screen or print them out.
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You can use the text box native to the PDF viewer to mark up the sheets. Alternatively, you can go old-school and print them off and write on them by hand.
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No. Any free PDF reader will open them.
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It’s for your own renovation project. Please don’t share or resell it.
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All prices shown are $AUD and include GST. Our products are digital downloads delivered straight after payment. We don’t offer refunds if you simply change your mind or no longer need the product once the files have been delivered. If a file is faulty, can’t be opened, or isn’t as described on the product page, please contact us at trentini@trentini.com.au. We’ll fix it, replace it or refund you, as required under the Australian Consumer Law. Refunds are made to your original payment method. Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.