Kim & Corey, founders of The Bathroom Guide and Vision Bathrooms Gold Coast, hop onto this very special episode to chat about their wild beginnings into Bathroom Renovations, educating customers about the industry as well as sharing their uncanny resemblance to Steve's & Marina's journey. The Novalé Podcast Ep. 19 🙏 Special thanks to the Hills Podcast Studio at the Bella Vista Hotel for providing us the space to record this episode.📍Find Kim & Corey here: https://www.thebathroomguide.com/ https://www.visionbathroomsgoldcoast.com.au/ Timestamps:

In this episode, we sit down with Anna, our talented Interior Designer at Novalé, to chat all things kitchens. From layout and functionality to materials and finishes, Anna shares her design approach and insider tips for creating a kitchen that’s not only beautiful but also practical for everyday living. Whether you’re planning a kitchen renovation in Sydney, dreaming of a designer look, or just love hearing from experts in the renovation space, this episode is packed with inspiration and ideas.   👩‍🎨 What you’ll learn in this episode: • The key elements Anna considers when designing a kitchen • How to balance aesthetics with functionality • Common mistakes homeowners make (and how to avoid them) • Anna’s go-to tips for timeless kitchen design   🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe to the Novalé Podcast for more expert advice on bathroom, kitchen and laundry renovations.   📍 Based in Sydney & surrounds, Novalé specialises in bespoke renovations Built with purpose, Made for life.

Meet 3 of Novalé's Site Managers (Marc, Sam & Andrew) who deliver our customers' dream bathrooms, kitchens and laundries. Every Novalé renovation has a dedicated Site Manager assigned. They ensure that the job is running smoothly and on schedule whilst doing a lot of work behind the scenes to keep sites clean, trades organised and customers at ease during the process. Simply put, a Novalé renovation would not be possible without Site Managers like Marc, Sam and Andrew. Tune in to learn more about their stories, why they joined Novalé and what set it apart from the rest. ⏱ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:41 Andrew's bio 02:01 Working for celebrities on super yachts 02:36 Making furniture 03:56 Andrew joining Novalé 05:31 Sam's background in Kitchens 06:32 Sam joining Novalé 06:45 Novalé's rigorous interview process 07:45 Marc joining Novalé from the start 08:08 Working for Suncorp Bank 08:31 Working with Steve as a tiler 09:53 Is 22 a good age to start a trade? 11:11 Still being on the tools as a site manager 12:06 What set Novalé apart from the rest 12:39 Why Sam joined Novalé 13:57 Why Andrew joined Novalé 15:11 Other renovator stories from our customers 16:09 Renovating with Novalé vs. neighbour's renovator 17:57 Ensuring quality through steady workload 19:56 Why Site Managers like using Buildertrend 21:28 How easy it is for customers to use Buildertrend 22:22 How Novalé does site protection 24:11 How proper site protection & cleaning keeps customers at ease 25:19 Why Site Managers like keeping sites clean 27:01 Marc's customer story 28:24 Tips for future customers 29:27 Practical Completion and handover 32:11 Andrew's funny story 33:18 Sam's Tim Tam story

Novalé is one of the only Bathroom & Kitchen renovators in Australia to attain ISO9001 accreditation. This is a global qualification generally sought after by high performing organisations with customer service excellence such as Hilton Hotels and Apple. Bryan Dunlop, Head of Operations at Novalé explains what ISO9001 is, why Novalé has it and how it affects the customer in how we consistently deliver our products and services.

Welcome to Design Hotline where we answer your questions about all things renovation and design with our first ever Interior Designer guest Jamie-Maree Love! Jamie has designed over 200 Bathrooms, Kitchens and Laundries and is excited to hop on and give us some insight on: 1. Her journey into Interior Design 2. Novalé's Preferred Suppliers and why we use them 3. Top 3 tips on designing a bathroom 4. Advice to people wanting to hire an Interior Designer

Kristian, Head of Project Delivery at Novalé joins Ben to explain how we make Renovations Stress Free for our customers. With over 20 years in the construction industry, as well as plenty of years in Novalé, Kristian is an expert on this topic and currently shapes the process we currently employ today. So if you're wondering why so many of our customers in our reviews mention how stress-free our process is, look no further! Chapters: 1. Kristian's background and how he started working for Novalé 2. Why learning a trade is a future proof career 3. Tips on getting off the tools and becoming a Site/Project Manager 4. F1 Car in the Garage - Why we expanded into Kitchens 5. Why waterproofing properly is essential in bathrooms 6. What is PVC waterproofing and why Novalé uses it with paint-on waterproofing 7. Tips for people starting a renovation 8. When does a Project Manager gets involved in the renovation? 9. Risks and unforeseen issues and how Novalé mitigates for this 10. How long does a Bathroom renovation typically take? 11. Novalé handover process and post project care 12. Doing multiple renovations at once vs. one after another 13. Renovating a Kitchen vs. a Bathroom 14. Buildertrend and why our team and customers love it 15. How Novalé chooses new talent 16. Kristian won the first ever Drippy award for Leadership 17. Bathroom reno - what would Kristian splurge on and save on? 18. Funny construction story with Kristian

Founder and Director Steve Novkovic is back on the podcast! Ben and Steve pick up where they left off in 2021 with one of the most popular topics, "How much do renovations actually cost?". Join the duo as they explore and break down the costs for a typical renovation project, how to compare quotes and renovators as well as tips on how to save on your project. Chapters: 1. Why Steve is so excited about Novalé's project search function on the website? 2. What is Buildertrend and how does it make the renovation process stress free? 3. Common myths about renovation costs e.g. focussing on arbitrary numbers. 4. Is Googling for average renovation costs helpful? 5. Run down of our Free Online Bathroom Estimate tool. 6. What are the typical costs of a renovation? 7. Hidden or overlooked costs of renovations 8. How much do you need as a contingency? 8. How to compare quotes (and our checklist in the Reno Guide) 9. What is HBCF Insurance and why is it so important? 10. Potential risks of going for the cheapest quote. 11. Fun questions for Steve at the end!

Welcome to Design Hotline, where we answer your burning design and renovation questions as well as talk about everything interior design! Hosts Ben and Krystal (Novalé lead stylist) introduce the new "podcast within a podcast" format and answer some questions whilst waiting for our Novalé Interior Designers to hop on later. In this episode, Ben and Krystal explain: 1. What an Interior Designer does 2. Where to find design inspiration 3. When to hire an Interior Designer 4. Where to start when designing your space and 5. a bonus styling tip from Krystal at the end!

After a long pause since 2021, The Novalé Podcast is back on the air - refreshed, rebranded, and ready to inspire! In this relaunch episode, we pull back the curtain on why we hit pause, what’s been brewing behind the scenes, and what exciting things are lined up for 2025.   Tune in as we: Introduce Marina, our Director and Head of Brand & Design Announce Ben’s full-time move into Novalé Marketing Reveal that Novalé now offers kitchen renovations for everyone — not just returning customers Launch the brand-new Renovator’s Guide 2025 Walk you through our updated website with a sleek project search Celebrate the live launch of our bathroom estimation tool Share how our Design Studio is now partnering with other builders and renovators Drop hints about big plans for 2025   It’s a warm, behind-the-scenes catch-up episode — perfect for loyal listeners and fresh faces alike. Hit play and join the next exciting chapter of Novalé!

Novalé Bathrooms has been around for 12 years. The business has actually been around for longer in different shapes and forms. And yet, Steve believes Novalé is just getting started. The team is growing, the office is expanding and the jobs keep flowing. But it's always been intriguing on how and why Steve started the business, as well as his story. How did Steve start Novalé? Was it a smooth transition from tiling? How did he gain success early and use that to grow? How much did his business rely on referrals? How did he build his team? Why did he take his time to grow?    What we discuss in this episode: 1. Steve's early career as a tiler 2. Working with his father 3. Managing jobs at the age of 16 4. Learning how to do give a great customer experience from his uncle in war-torn Croatia 5. The slow transition to doing bathroom renovations 6. Bathroom renovator vs. bathroom renovations company 7. How did he learn how to start and run a business? 8. What was his team at this point? 9. Would he have done it any differently if he could do it again? 10. Final words   Novale Instagram - @novalebathrooms Novale Facebook - /novalebathrooms

Growing your business can mean a lot of things. It can be growing in sales. It can be expanding the product and service offerings. It can even be building the team. But how often do you think about the fundamentals? The systems, policies and procedures that enable you to run the business without you needing to be there? Could you take a 7 week holiday to Europe (like Steve did with Novalé Bathrooms) whilst still being able to keep the business running? Our guest on this is episode is Nasser Abdu, a business advisor whom helps organisations grow and expand whilst keeping the operations and fundamentals effectively sound. This episode Nasser will explain why growing your business sustainably means perfecting the fundamentals and building a system, rather than just generating more sales.   Join Nasser, Ben and Steve on this episode to learn how to grow your business sustainably.   What we discuss: - Nasser's early career and education - Why there is no 'perfect' moment to start a business - When did Nas meet Steve? - What does a business advisor do? - What does a business consultant do? - What does a business coach do? - What systems, policies and procedures need to be refined in order to grow - Why you need to document processes - Final words   Novalé Instagram - @novalebathrooms Novalé Facebook - /novalebathrooms

As contractors, we are always focusing on giving a great customer experience. But how often have we thought about how to give subcontractors the same satisfaction? As subcontractors how do you make sure you're helping out the contractors? And most of all, how can contractors and subcontractors work together to give the customer the best experience? This episode we have glazier Wayne Vassallo from All Points Glass to share his insight on how to keep subbies happy. Wayne has been in the trade for 35 years, taking over his father in the glazing business. Wayne installs shower screens for Novalé Bathrooms as well as more than 100 contractors in NSW.  Join Wayne, Ben & Steve on this episode to learn about how to keep subcontractors happy.   What we discuss with Wayne Vassallo: - Wayne's early beginnings into glazing - What is glazing? - How did Wayne meet Steve? - What simple things can contractors do to keep customers and subbies happy? - Mistakes that subbies do on the job - What to do when things go wrong in a job? - Why you need to fix things straight away for the customer - Final words.   Novalé Bathrooms Instagram - @novalebathrooms Novalé Bathrooms Facebook - /novalebathrooms

All business owners are abundant in hard work and passion, but how many are well versed in strategy and metrics? Many just hope they are doing the right thing, but how do you know? How can you calculate the impact of your decisions and processes? How can you forecast future performance? How do know when you're getting your next client? How do you know if you're pricing your work correctly? How do you know if you're growing enough? Join Ben Le and Steve Novkovic from Novalé Bathrooms, who break down the numbers of running a successful business.   Episode Notes: - Intro; - The importance of knowing your numbers; - Using data to forecast future performance; - Evaluating processes and the value of time over money; - Sales & Marketing in plain English; - Conversation rate and required activity; - Referrals are king; - Building a job pipeline; - Grow slowly or lose quality; - Onboard the team with the process; - Putting a value on your time; - Time as a cost; - Finances in plain English; - Producing consistent great customer experiences; - Final words; - Outro.

Design is not only making your bathroom look beautiful but also ensuring it is a functional space for everyday. It is as much as creating as it is problem-solving. This episode we have a special guest, Interior Design Consultant Catherine Kirwan (Coco Republic, Max Sparrow, Thomas Hamel & Associates & Novalé Bathrooms) who explains how she helps her clients not just 'like' their new bathrooms, but "love" them too.   Join Steve, Ben & Catherine as they discuss the role of an interior designer, the design-client relationship, the design process and much more.   Episode Notes: - Intro; - Catherine's beginnings into interior design; - Should you go to school to learn design? - Interior designing for leading furniture companies; - Catherine's entry into interior design for bathrooms; - The difference between interior designing & decorating; - Catherine's design process with a client; - Design is creative problem solving of functional spaces; - Designing around technical limitations; - Look and feel over price for the PC items; - Understanding the clients' needs and being guided by that; - The value of hiring a designer; - Designing for resale or for yourself; - Final words; - Outro;

When you start your business you're going to need to decide on which suppliers you work with. This will require you to recognize great suppliers that will enhance your business and create mutually beneficial relationships. But how do you know the value of a supplier? And when you do, how can you maximise the value of that relationship? Join Ben, Steve and Fred Hawach from Reece to find out.   Episode notes: - Intro - Fred's bio and how he started working for Reece - What does Reece do? - How Reece Group has been a premier supplier in bathroom renovations for 100 years; - Communication is the key in a supplier relationship - Delivering on time & well - The Reece product range and customer experience; - The importance of value and price; - How Reece is thinking ahead; - Closing words - Outro

To delivery quality consistently and safely, you need someone to check all the processes to ensure the system is working. Whether that's mitigating risk in a pre-worksite audit, keeping up with new regulations or undergoing ISO accreditation, quality assurance & compliance is the role that will keep your business up to standard and running optimally. Join Ben Le with our first podcast guest Bryan Dunlop from Novalé Bathrooms discussing QA & Compliance.   Episode Notes: - Intro: - Bryan's beginnings in carpentry, estimation and home building; - Transition into bathroom renovations; - The role of quality assurance and compliance; - The day-day operations of the role; - Main challenges of the role - getting people to buy-in, positives over the negatives; - Having high-performance standards & ISO accreditation; - QA & Compliance in the industry; - How to be quality assured and compliant in an unregulated industry; - Regulations and frameworks; - Major regulatory bodies; - Keeping up with regulations; - QA and Compliance in Novalé & expectations; - Impact of high performance standards in Novalé; - Getting team to buy-in; - Business licensing and insurance; - Subcontractor or Employee? How to distinguish and choose; - ISO Accreditation; - How can new businesses improve their QA & Compliance? - Final words; - Outro.

Managing operations effectively is a crucial element in running your business. From optimising projects, job scheduling, building capacity to using metrics to plan ahead, operations have many facets that require discipline and hard work to deliver maximum quality. Join Ben Le and Steve Novkovic as they discuss how to achieve delivering quality in operations.   Episode Notes: - Intro; - What is quality? How does Novalé define quality?; - Quality in the early days of Novalé; - Bathroom Renovators vs. Bathroom Builders; - The build process of a typical bathroom renovation; - Homeowner's Warranty Insurance; - 5 week planning stage; - Pre-worksite audit; - Project management and risk mitigation; - Strategic management: job scheduling, capacity, job pipeline etc. - Customer: importance of referrals, customer experience; - Quality over profits; - Home site etiquette; - Communicating quality in price; - Final words; - Outro.   - 

Once you have started your business and it is up and running, most chances are that the next step is building a team. But first, how do you know who to look for, what qualities should you prioritise as well as where is the best talent for your business? Join Ben Le and Steve Novkovic from Novalé Bathrooms discuss the best ways to build an effective long term team.   Episode Notes: - Intro; - Steve's team at the beginning of Novalé; - Recruiting through channels other than friends and family; - The importance of attitude and values over talent; - Identifying outstanding talent vs. red flags; - Negotiating wages and salaries; - Training and nurturing talent; - Hire slow, fire slow; - Training program at Novalé; - Supporting the team; - Rewarding great work; - Building the best team culture; - Final words; - Outro.

Starting a business involves many things, but the most important is being honest and transparent. Understanding who you are, trusting and building trust in others and setting clear expectations with yourself and others in all aspects leads to better relationships, experiences and overall business. Join Ben Le  & Steve Novkovic from Novalé Bathrooms discuss the many impacts of transparency has on bathroom renovations and the business in general.   Episode Notes: - Intro - Why Steve wanted to start a podcast; - Steve's beginnings as a tiler and transition to bathroom renovations; - Why transparency and expectations are important for the customer; - Transparency and the value in pricing & scope of works; - How transparency helps the team members on-site; - Transparency in reporting progress - the PM Tool; - Transparency and documenting processes; - Final words; - Outro;