Plan It
Your Roadmap to a Successful Project
Get the knowledge, structure, tools, and expert guidance to set your project up for success.
“Most homeowners dive into their project too soon, hiring builders, and making big decisions before they have a solid plan. This often leads to budget overruns, delays, and costly mistakes.
Plan It ensures you start with clarity, confidence, and control. It’s a structured and supported roadmap with an online workspace, interactive programme that guides you through every step of pre-construction, together with fortnightly live group support.”
- Oliver Steele-Perkins
Who It’s For
Plan It is for homeowners, self-builders and renovators who are:
Just starting to plan their project, or unsure what comes next
Have recently submitted or received planning permission (this is the perfect point to join us)
Struggling to find the right guidance and don’t know what they don’t know
Looking to appoint designers, consultants or contractors
Determined to stay in control and avoid expensive mistakes
Wanting access to professional project management structure, without paying for a full-time PM
Ready to make confident decisions and lead their project with clarity
If you're about to take the first step, or want to reset and plan properly, Plan It is for you.
What You’ll
Access and Learn
with Plan It
Plan It covers the essential steps before construction begins, helping you avoid costly mistakes, delays, and stress. The program is structured into key modules, ensuring you have everything in place before breaking ground.
On this website, you’ll find key insights related to each phase, giving you a taste of the expert guidance available inside the learning pathway. Plus, you’ll get access to live support group sessions on a fortnightly basis where you can ask questions and get advice as you go. Plan It is supported with Access to the Essentials Workspace to successfully manage your project documents and use tools such as the project Roadmap, get connected to approved designers, engineers, cost experts, and more.
Step 1
Your Plan It Roadmap
Getting the sequence right from the start is crucial to avoid costly delays and wasted effort.
The Roadmap: Pre-Construction Programme, setting out crucial tasks to get your project build ready
Advancing Your Design: From Planning Drawings to Construction Ready
Scheduling Milestones that affect the overall timeline and your Build It start date
Step 2
Structuring for Success
Defining your vision and assembling the right team is the foundation of any successful build.
Your Project Team: The Key Experts You Need for Success & when to appoint them
Creating Winning Concept Plans: How to Prepare and Submit Your Planning Application
How to Develop Your Drawings from Planning Permission to Building Ready
How to Manage and Planning Conditions efficiently so not to delay your project
Step 3
Cost Planning
A strong budget gives you control and confidence in your project’s financial success.
Mastering Cost Planning: The Key to Staying in Control of Your Build
How Understanding Preliminaries Can Prevent Budget Blowout
Step 4
Compliance & Approvals
Getting permissions and legalities sorted early prevents frustrating hold-ups later.
Building Control Approval: What You Need to Know Before Starting Your Project
Smooth Sailing with Neighbours: How to Handle the Party Wall Process and Avoid Delays
Licences: What you’ll need for your project and why, and adding formal applications into your project Roadmap at the right time
Health and Safety: Discharging your Legal Responsibilities, what you need to do, when and how.
Step 5
Hiring a Main Contractor & Specialist Contractors
Choosing builders and specialist suppliers wisely saves money, time, and stress.
Avoiding Budget Overruns: The Power of a Professionally Prepared Scope of Works & why it is essential to your budget planning and Project Management success
Finding the Right Builder: How to Shortlist and Choose with Confidence
Sourcing the Right Specialist Contractors: Why this is crucial to your design, and budgeting success, how and when to start this process in a structured way.
Tendering: How to Get the Best Builder Bids for Your Project, how to analyse the results and how to take conversations forward
Step 6
Risk Management
Protect yourself from costly disputes with the right agreements and compliance.
Forms of Procurement - It is essential to structure the appointment of main contractors and specialist contractors in a way that de-risks your project, ensures contractual responsibilities are aligned, and that on completion, the warranties are valid and the project certifiable. From a project management perspective, it’s essential to establish contractual alignment to ensure smooth handovers between works packages.
Building Contracts 101: Deposits, Retentions, Penalties
Health & Safety Made Simple: What You Need to Know to Stay Compliant as the Homeowner
Insurances: From Site Insurance, to Non Negligence Insurance to Structural Warranty Insurance, guiding you through the essential policies, the reasons why, and introducing you to experts to advise, quote and arrange insurances for your project.
“Plan It is built on 25+ years of real-world experience in residential construction. I’ve worked on everything from high-end penthouse refurbishments to complex self-builds, and I know what it takes to get a project started the right way.”
Why Plan It?
Most homeowners dive into their project too soon, hiring builders, and making big decisions before they have a solid plan. This often leads to budget overruns, delays, and costly mistakes.
Plan It ensures you start with clarity, confidence, and control. It’s a structured roadmap that guides you through every step of pre-construction, so you can:
✔ Avoid common pitfalls – Learn from industry insights, not expensive mistakes.
✔ Save time and money – A well-planned project stays on track and on budget.
✔ Make informed decisions – Know what to ask, what to look for, and how to negotiate.
✔ Stay in control – Understand the process so you’re never at the mercy of builders.
Essentials Workspace
Included with the Plan 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.
Inside the Essentials Workspace,
Manage your Project from Start to Finish
Your interactive Plan It Roadmap, breaking down the process into clear, manageable steps that maps out your timeline
Budgeting tools, checklists, and meeting agendas, ready to use
Access to our recommended consultants, including Architects, Structural Engineers, Interior Designers, Green Energy Experts, Eco Design, Passive House and Cost planners.
No gimmicks, just the right tools to keep your project moving forward, with clarity and control.
Live Support with Oliver
Fortnightly Project Support Calls
Ask questions, get advice, and learn from others on the same journey without going it alone.
“His input during the pre-construction phase has been incredibly valuable on complex schemes.”
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 course, you’ll be invited to join fortnightly Project Support Calls with Oliver, live sessions 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.
“His ability to juggle multiple high-end residential projects, each with their own design, programme, and budget complexities was exceptional. Oliver’s methodical approach at the pre-construction stage brings clarity and structure when it matters most.”
What to Expect from the Support Calls
Group calls every two weeks (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, these calls are designed to support you, but they’re not formal project management or one-to-one consultancy.
Think of them as advisory, peer-supported sessions 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 Chartered 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 actively work on Live Projects, from complex refurbishments and structural remodelling to new build houses.
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.
"Planning your homebuilding project the right way makes all the difference, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, and Plan It gives you the expert insights to avoid mistakes and stay in control."
– 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