Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this course for?
For first time renovators who are setting out on medium to large sized renovation projects. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a systematic way to tackle your renovation.
Renovations are already expensive, is this course really good value for money?
Absolutely. Our students have often told us this course basically pays for itself between all the cost saving tips we provide and the affordable alternatives we suggest for obtaining construction drawings. But aside from that, you can’t put a price on being shown the steps it takes to renovate a house. Past students have said they got immense value for money. Especially when you consider the cost to hire a project manager, designer, or renovation consultant. It’s all here for you.
How serious is the course?
While the course as fun and engaging, it’s no gimmick. Like renovations, the course is serious when it needs to be and there is hard work required to complete the modules which will help you achieve incredible renovation results.
We will force you into making decisions and having difficult conversations ultimately to prevent headaches later down the line.
We also walk you through video tutorials such as how to budget for your renovation, and how to draw your rooms to scale – these are life long skills you’ll be developing with us.
Do I have to attend live sessions?
The course is 100% self paced which means you can start it and work through the pre-recorded videos exactly when you need to. No hanging around for live calls, you can do this at your own pace around your own calendar. We discussed the possibility of running live sessions and surveyed our students. 100% of them preferred the self paced nature and felt they got the right information at the right time from the videos recorded. Live sessions would be not be particularly compatible with the phased nature of renovations or complement our course structure.
Every project starts at a different time and renovators learn as they go, preparing for a phase of their renovation and responding to the upskilling required at the time. The course is structured and designed to be used throughout the relevant phases of your renovation (which could of course span many months and years).
Does this course cover information on planning permission and building regulations?
Yes! We talk you through the nitty gritty details in a language you can understand and point you in the direction of where to get further support should you run into issues.
I’ve just found your site, I don’t know anything about you, how do I trust that you will deliver?
We’ve been in the industry since 2013 and you can read hundreds of free blog posts that track our renovation progress. Hopefully they will help you get to know us (and provide a bit of entertainment for you!) Some were featured on Farrow & Ball, John Lewis and Howdens’ channels. We (Fi and Neil) have a great mixture of planning and design expertise that has made our renovation and our online resources so compelling. Read more about us here.
Also, don’t just take our word for it, you can read the Fifi McGee reviews and see what other people have been saying about the course for yourself. You can also visit us on Houzz.
If you’d like to be put in contact with one of the other students to discuss, we can arrange it, just contact hello@fifimcgee.com
Can I not just get everything in the course elsewhere for free?
This course contains exclusive tools, content, checklists, PDFs, and workbooks you can’t get anywhere else. We’ve put many months of hard work into creating this course and like any good product, we ask for feedback and continue to improve it in order to make it even better for you. You get lifetime access from the moment you buy the course, which means you’ll receive all future updates. Our price will increase as the value of the course content increases.
How long does the course take?
The course is completely self-paced. Given all renovation projects are different and the work required for your property will be different to other people’s, it’s hard to say exactly how long it will take you to complete. With 6 modules to work through, you could make good ground on your renovation plans within 2-3 weeks. Since renovations take many months (even years), we recommend using this course and returning to modules when the various parts of your renovation call for it.
How long do I get access for? I don’t need the course quite yet but will do later, can I buy now and access later?
Once you’ve bought the course, you will be able to access it forever. We may make updates to the course platform but this will not affect your access to the course.
I’ve not got the keys to my renovation yet. Should I wait for the next enrolment to take the course?
Don’t wait, enrol as soon as you can. We see so many students join us who don’t have the keys yet, which is smart! As all our students will tell you, you're going to get REALLY busy the minute you step into the property – so make use of your time now to plan as much as you can. You'll get lifetime access to the course modules too, so if your property was to fall through, you can still use what you've learned on the next place you make an offer on.
I'm not making any structural changes. Will this course help?
Absolutely. This course will give you a systematic way to renovate any home – whether you’re making structural changes or not.
I’m decorating, not renovating. Will this course help?
The course content is aimed at renovations specifically, but the process of transforming a house is universal. You could work through this course safe in the knowledge you’re getting more value than you need, and still end up with a home of your dreams.
I’m not based in the UK. Will this course still apply to me?
This online course is primarily for UK renovators, however, the process we share is universal and can be applied to your renovation no matter where you’re based. Approximately 10% of the course content will contain UK nuances and extra research will be needed for some modules. For example, where we discuss Building Regulations and Planning Permission, this is UK only, you’ll need to seek out the correct information for the country you reside in. There is no reason why you won’t get huge value from this course if you’re based internationally. We’ve had students from Belgium and the USA take this course achieving fantastic results.
I’m renovating a house to let. Will this help me?
Definitely. While the course content primarily focuses on building a home, the modules and exercises will still be applicable to you because you’ll be creating a home for your tenants. Putting this extra thought into your property as you renovate will give you a competitive edge on the property market. You’ll achieve fantastic results within the budget you set.
I’m not renovating a full house, only a few rooms. Will this be a waste of time?
Some of our students bought the course because they are planning a kitchen extension or loft conversion, and not planning to renovate a whole house. They are getting huge value from the modules because it’s providing them with a tried & tested process to taking on a disruptive project of this sort. They’re determining their budgets, layouts, design and more, for the area they’re renovating in their properties – and they’re making cost savings with the advice we share.
How do I buy the course?
You can buy the course on our course shop page.
How do I access my course?
Once you have bought the course you can access the course any time by visiting https://fifimcgee.co.uk/how-to-renovate-login (which is at the top of our homepage)
Do I get lifetime access?
Yes! You’ll get lifetime access to the course and all its contents, forever.
What’s your refund policy?
We offer a no-quibbles 30 day money back guarantee. If you don’t feel that your renovation is more structured, less stressful and well budgeted within 30 days of you following exercises in this course we will refund the entire cost of the course directly to your original payment method.
What are your Terms and Conditions?
Please visit our Terms and Conditions page for information.
Why is your registered address in Essex? I thought you were Brighton-based?
If you visit our Companies House page, you’ll see that our registered address is in Essex. Our accountant advised that we should do this so that we don’t get bombarded with boring admin post and can focus on what matters most - your renovation!
Who do I contact if I have any further questions?
We love to hear how our renovating buddies are getting on, please do not hesitate to contact us via email at hello@fifimcgee.com or through Instagram @fifimcgeee
Read more about the course