How to do my job, as presented on TV, in 43mins...plus ads.

As a licensed building designer, I (very rarely) watch these home build and home makeover shows with a certain degree of healthy scepticism. It used to be that I would spend most of the programme yelling at the television and shaking my head in disbelief. Not any more.

I know that with editing and TV producers "controlling the narrative" these shows are often an hour of my life I will never get back. I should know better. My formative years exposed me to TV broadcasting on a popular kids TV show where I was a tele-op and later years when I was cast on a show where we were all stuck on an island for a month trying to figure out how to eat (but I digress).

I do get some satisfaction empathising with the owner of the property though. The trials and tribulations of building, in particular, can really test your patience and your bank account. And given that everything has to be complete in 43mins of screen time generally means that only the really gritty bits make it to screen. Wisdom tells me there's more to it.

There is very little benefit to these shows, intellectually, for anyone looking to design and build a home. You are better talking to people in the industry who have worked in it for an extended period of time. They are likely to freely talk about mistakes and opportunities for which they learnt longevity in the industry.

What is this "Learning longevity" you speak of, Revell?

Well, in simple terms, the longer you are in the design industry, the more lessons you have learnt and the more wise you get. It is learned (and earned) behaviour. You cannot pack 20+ years of industry wisdom into 43 mins of television for 8-10 or even 20 episodes a year (no matter how much those TV presenters try). It's just not physically possible.

So, my point, and I may have lost my way a bit, is that if you are embarking on this journey of being part of a team that is designing you a home. Know your place, trust your experts and above all else, listen. If you believe you know more about designing and building than I do from watching TV, I suspect you've probably lost your marbles. Good day to you.

Signing off,

Revell