Certify It
Protect Your Home, Finalise with Confidence
Get the knowledge and structure to close out your project properly, safeguard your investment, and create a complete home manual.
"The final stage of any project is often the most overlooked, but getting it right is essential. Certify It helps you protect your investment, tie up loose ends, and set your home up for long-term success."
— Oliver Steele-Perkins
Who It’s For
Certify It is for homeowners, renovators and self-builders who are:
Nearing the end of their project and want to close it out properly
Unsure what’s required for certification, warranties, and handover
Looking to understand the final steps and sequencing before completion
Keen to avoid loose ends that could cause issues later
Wanting a complete Homeowner Manual with all documentation in one place
Already on our learning pathway and ready for a structured finish to their project
If you're heading towards completion — or want to understand what the finish line really involves — Certify It is for you.
What You’ll
Access and Learn
with Certify It
Final sign-off isn’t just a formality, it’s what protects your home, your investment, and your peace of mind. This phase brings everything together, ensuring the paperwork is complete, accounts are settled, and you’re ready to move in and enjoy your home knowing that all the paperwork is up together.
On this website, you’ll find key insights related to this phase, giving you a sense of the expert support available inside the learning pathway. You’ll also have access to a live group session to ask questions and work through anything you’re unsure of.
Certify It is supported by the Essentials Workspace, where you can track sign-offs, gather your documents, and manage the final account with ease.
Step 1
Final Sign-Off & Certification
What you need in place to legally and formally complete your project.
Building Control: Final inspection and full sign-off
Structural Warranty Provider: Final checks and confirmation
Collating Completion Certificates and Test Results (e.g. GasSafe, Electrics, Air Tightness)
Step 2
Financial Close-Out
Settling the final account and protecting your position post-completion.
Final Accounts: Verifying work completed vs. payments made
Retentions: When and how to release funds
Navigating disputes or snagging-linked delays in final payment
Step 3
Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Pack
Making life easier in your new home by keeping everything in one place.
What your House Pack should include: certificates, warranties, manuals, finishes schedule
Templates to help you organise and present your project documentation
Why this matters for re-sale, future works, and insurance
Step 4
Defects Period & 12-Month Review
Managing post-completion issues with professionalism and clarity.
Understanding the defects liability period and what to expect
How to log and manage issues that arise after moving in
Scheduling the 12-month review
“Oliver worked with us on a major rebuild of an historic house in Berkshire … broke down the component elements in a way that was easy for us as the client to understand and follow.”
“Certify It is built on decades of experience closing out residential projects the right way. From managing final accounts to chasing certificates, I’ve seen what gets missed when the finish line is rushed, and how costly that can be. This phase ensures nothing is left outstanding, giving you a clean, confident handover.”
Why Certify It?
Many homeowners reach the end of their build without a clear process for sign-off, final accounts, or organising documentation, leaving loose ends that can cause future problems.
Certify It ensures you finish strong, with everything wrapped up professionally and nothing overlooked. It gives you the structure and support to:
✔ Protect your investment – Ensure warranties, certificates, and approvals are in place
✔ Avoid future headaches – Get your documents, manuals, and paperwork fully organised
✔ Close the books – Track retention, settle the final account, and manage defects properly
✔ Move forward with confidence – Know that your home is compliant, covered, and ready to live in
Essentials Workspace
Included with the Certify It Learning Pathway is access to the Essentials Workspace, your online project space where you can manage your journey from start to finish.
The Workspace keeps everything in one place, helping you stay organised, apply what you’re learning, and connect with trusted professionals when you need them.
Close your build the Right Way - Organised, Documented, and Fully Signed Off
Use the Essentials Workspace to bring structure to the final phase of your project and complete it professionally.
Sign-Off Tracking Template – Keep tabs on final approvals, certificates, and tests with a clear, editable checklist
O&M Pack Builder – A guided framework showing what to include and how to assemble your house pack for easy reference
Smart File Structure – A ready-to-use digital filing system so all your documents, warranties, and records stay organised and accessible
Live Support with Oliver
Project Support Call to Finalise your Build
Ask questions, get advice, and learn from others on the same journey, without going it alone.
Managing your own building project can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
As part of the Homebuilding Essentials Certify It Pathway, you’ll be invited to join Oliver for a live session designed to give you clear answers and shared learning in a relaxed, supportive group setting.
Whether you're working from the design and budgeting phase, managing a build, or preparing to wrap up your project, these calls are your opportunity to:
Bring questions from your own project
Listen in on what others are asking
Get honest, practical advice based on 20+ years of experience
You’ll likely find that someone else’s question answers yours too, and that a bit of shared insight can go a long way toward avoiding costly mistakes.
What to Expect from the Support Call
Group call (on Teams or equivalent)
Bring your own questions
Relaxed and supportive
Guided by Oliver but shaped by what the group brings
A chance to check in, get unstuck, and keep moving forward
Please note, the call is designed to support you, but it’s not formal project management or one-to-one consultancy.
Think of it as advisory, peer-supported session led by someone who’s been there, works in the industry on live projects, and wants to help you stay on track.
About
Oliver Steele-Perkins
With 25+ years in residential construction, I’ve worked on everything from luxury penthouse refurbishments to complex conversions, new-builds and self-builds. I know what it takes to get a project right from the start, and I’ve seen the costly mistakes homeowners make when they don’t have a solid plan.
I’m a Professional Construction Project Manager and have led high-value residential projects across London and the South East, featured in, Homebuilding & Renovating, House Beautiful, Property Investor News, Your Property Network and have advised on the Ask an Expert at Grand Designs Live, London and Birmingham.
I developed Homebuilding Essentials to bridge the knowledge gap for homeowners, providing you with the tools and expertise needed to take control of your homebuilding projects.
"The final phase of your project isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about protecting your future. Certify It makes sure you’re covered, organised, and ready to live comfortably in the home you’ve worked so hard to build."
— Oliver Steele-Perkins MCIOB
Guided Pathways
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Plan It
Plan It equips you with the knowledge, tools, and structured processes to confidently design, budget, and prepare your homebuilding project, ensuring a smooth and well-managed build.
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Build It
Build It equips you with the expertise, guidance, and step-by-step processes to manage your construction project effectively, ensuring quality, cost control, and timely completion.
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Certify It
Certify It equips you with the knowledge and processes to navigate final inspections, compliance, and certification, ensuring your project is completed with the documentation needed to validate your investment