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In this newsletter, you'll find:
No blog post this week—we got a bit distracted doing work for clients. This delayed the completion of the 13B Waterproofing Installation Checklist. Once that's published, we'll get straight back into working on the Fixing Stage Checklist.
Built something recently using a Builder or Trade Contractor? We'd love to know how it went?
It takes less than 30 seconds to complete—and no, we won’t email you. We're interested in the result of the survey, the general consensus. We promise - No spam, no BS.
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💾 Software of the Week: Guidemaker
Your AI-Powered SOP/Guide Builder
This is not a sponsored post - just software we're currently testing and are sharing it with you
Ever wished you could create step-by-step guides without the hassle of taking screenshots, writing instructions, and formatting everything?
Then check out Guidemaker, a free Chrome extension that turns your everyday tasks into polished how-to guides—automatically.
What is Guidemaker?
Guidemaker is a smart tool that records your actions as you work in your browser and uses AI to generate clear, step-by-step documentation. Whether you're on boarding a new team member, documenting a process for clients, or creating internal SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), Guidemaker handles the heavy lifting.
Why Use It?
Creating documentation can be time-consuming and tedious. Guidemaker simplifies this by capturing your workflow in real-time, taking screenshots, and generating descriptive steps automatically. This not only saves time but also ensures consistency and clarity in your guides.
Key Features & Benefits
- Automatic Workflow Capture: Just click 'Record' and perform your task. Guidemaker captures each step with screenshots and descriptions.
- Easy Editing: After recording, you can edit the guide—add or modify text, replace images, and adjust steps as needed.
- Seamless Sharing: Share your guide via a unique link or embed it into platforms like WordPress, Notion, Shopify, Confluence, and more.
- Brand Customisation: Customise guides with your company logo and colour scheme to maintain brand consistency.
- Multi-Language Support: The interface supports multiple languages, making it accessible for global teams.
Who Should Use Guidemaker?
Guidemaker is ideal for:
- Team Leaders & Managers: Streamline onboarding and training processes.
- Customer Support Teams: Create clear tutorials to assist clients.
- Educators & Trainers: Develop instructional materials effortlessly.
- Anyone Needing Documentation: If you need to explain a process, Guidemaker is for you.
System Requirements
Currently, Guidemaker is available as a Chrome extension, so you'll need to use the Google Chrome browser. It's not yet available as a desktop or mobile app, but the developers are open to feedback and suggestions for future versions.
Final Thoughts
Guidemaker is helpful for anyone who needs to create guides or documentation. It's user-friendly, efficient, and completely free with no usage limits (remember, when its free, your the product). By automating the documentation process, it allows you to focus on what matters most—not writing SOPS!
Ready to simplify your documentation process? Add Guidemaker to Chrome and start creating professional guides today.
👉 Explore Guidemaker
ICYMI - the most important construction news from this week
🚀 The latest residential construction news from new sources around Australia for the news week ending 02-05-2025 🔥
This Week’s Theme: "It's Like That, That's Just The Way It Is!"
Both parties have spoken. Both insist there's "no problem here with housing affordability," and we're told to shut up and accept our medicine—I mean, handouts—sorry, tax breaks. Stay calm and forget about it; after all, we (politicians from both sides) own too many investment properties. Why would we harm ourselves?
We've highlighted our favourite news articles for the week by marking with a 🌯 or five
26-04-2025
Nothing of interest.
27-04-2025
The housing affordability stumbling block being ignored by both major parties – [LINK]
28-04-2025
Cutting migrant numbers won’t help improve housing supply – [LINK]
Australia’s Housing Crisis Is About to Get Worse – Here’s What You Need to Know – [LINK]
29-04-2025
🌯🌯🌯 Calls grow for national minimum standards on home warranty insurance – [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯🌯 7-star energy ratings: How to tell if you can trust them – [LINK]
Aus demolition hotspots revealed as demand for new housing continues – [LINK]
Migration is not out of control and the figures show it is not to blame for the housing crisis – [LINK]
Tax, not supply behind housing crisis: Expert slams $45b property grab – [LINK]
AUSVOTES ECONOMIC FACTS #12: Housing affordability on the mend – [LINK]
30-04-2025
Calls grow for reform of Australia's home warranty insurance – [LINK]
Our comment: I've worked with many lawyers over the years, and I’ve never walked away thinking, “Wow, they really helped us sort this out.” It’s more often, “Damn, what did we spend—and we still had to pay twice?” My advice: avoid lawyers unless it’s for due diligence—something no one likes paying for because they’ll usually tell you things you don’t want to hear.
Case in point: I recently contacted three major law firms in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to set up a due diligence contract management process. I wanted lawyers to review proposals before we sign them, so any red flags could be spotted early. One firm said they only handle litigation. Another said it would cost $5,000 per review to cover their insurance obligations. If you’re tendering three work packages, that’s $15,000 in legal review costs. It’s not feasible or economical.
This is exactly why the system is broken—due diligence is prohibitively expensive, but you still get slapped later and told you should have done it. It’s a zero-sum argument. Unless you’re a government agency or have in-house legal support (which only mid to top-tier construction firms or developers can afford), it’s out of reach.
There are some tools that help—Equifax’s iCIRT, or NCI’s financial DD tools are reasonably affordable, but they only catch certain markers. Private companies offer even less transparency.
We've done our best to help you with this. See our C4 – Know Your Builder checklist – [LINK]. A “normal person” (if you can find one) might say, “That’s over the top, Anthony. No one’s going to ask all that.” My counterpoint: it may seem excessive, but unless you can afford to throw money at due diligence, you have to dig deep with your own questions and create your own process.
Dutton's Cuts Threaten Timber Industry, Union Warns – [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯 Caught between a promise and paradise in Australia’s housing borderlands – [LINK]
Housing accord now ‘by 2030’ according to minister’s X post – [LINK]
Our comment: This feels like a passive admission they don’t believe their own targets—but they keep telling everyone they can do it. Yes, yes, YOU CAN DO IT! (if you believe you can) :-)
House prices can fall safely, and must drop to fix affordability – [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯🌯 The uncomfortable question at the heart of housing policy – [LINK]
01-05-2025
Owning and building a home in Australia has never been tougher – [LINK]
Article excerpt: "In speaking to Jason Black, Director of property investment company Dorado, he believes current political policies being touted by the major parties favour demand but neglect supply. He explained that high input costs (land, labour, materials and time) often exceed revenue, making developments challenging, and despite the Federal Government’s claims of wanting sustainable house price growth, there’s a lack of motivation and intent to tackle supply issues."
Young voters in Australia's most expensive towns slam housing policies ahead of federal election – [LINK]
02-05-2025
Record construction bankruptcies worsen housing shortage – [LINK]
Our comment: It’s vicious. Builders go broke due to supply chain constraints, rising material costs, fixed-price contracts, and poor management. Then, as insolvencies rise, building insurance becomes more expensive. That cost gets passed on to consumers through higher house prices—further increasing the cost of housing. There are zero winners here.
First Nations leaders say housing ignored in Federal campaign – [LINK]
🌯🌯🌯 Data shows housing crisis worsening – [LINK]
Article excerpt: "Of the 732 rental properties available in the Sunshine Coast, only 2 (0.3%) were affordable and appropriate for households on income support, only 7 (0.1%) were affordable and appropriate for those on minimum wage, and across all household categories, median rent on the Sunshine Coast for a couple on minimum wage with two children doesn’t fall below 44 per cent of household income."
Residential construction at a crossroads – [LINK]
🙊The Last Word
In light of this week's political announcements on housing affordability (or lack of), our focus has shifted—and we've revised our opinion accordingly of what to expect from either major party to....
The Road To No Where
No innovation. No meaningful change. It's BAU—Business As Usual—with a few short-term handouts and policies thrown in to keep house prices climbing.
Trade and contractor labour shortages, combined with strong demand across commercial, industrial, and government projects—especially in the lead-up to the Olympics and major infrastructure developments—will continue pulling trades away from residential construction as they 'make hay while the sun shines.' This only worsens the labour shortage, driving rates even higher to retain or attract skilled trades into the residential sector.
We only have so many tradespeople. When one sector pays more, workers follow the money. Those who remain in residential work can charge more—because there's less of them. It’s basic supply and demand.
Fast-tracking apprenticeships won't even scratch the surface or make a meaningful difference at this point nor in the foreseeable future. The only way to achieve rapid improvement is to fundamentally change the game: adopting new building methods, new materials, and supplementing our current industry practices. Fundamental structural changes or we are forever repeating a process, expecting a different outcome - which we all know is ignorant.
Even an idiot like me can see this—and I’m not an economist, market analyst, or one of those 'Big 4' consultants paid hundreds of thousands to advise the government. It feels like the whole game is rigged, and everyone’s pretending it isn’t—skipping over the uncomfortable bits and burying their heads in the sand, hoping someone else will step up. Either that, or it’s deliberate. In which case, we need to call it what it is and vote out those in power who continue to do nothing. It’s simple cause and effect.
Inaction itself is a choice—a form of contributory negligence. But then again, what am I even talking about? Robodebt literally cost lives, yet after a royal commission, no one was held accountable. So why should we expect anything different now? It's always all talk, no action—just Bullshit As Usual.
The Constructor Forum
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😶🌫️ That's all of today
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PS: Quality Management Checklist Access
All our published checklists are available to download via the Checklists Link in the navigation menu or directly at https://www.constructor.net.au/checklists/.
To download, simply enter your email when prompted. This allows us to assign you a free license—nothing more. Once completed, you’ll be able to view and download the checklists.
Each checklist is formatted on A4-sized paper for easy printing. Be aware that the files are larger than typical PDFs, around 25–35 MB each, as they are saved in CMYK (print-ready) format. This ensures the best quality for printing, even if it makes the files a bit “chunkier.”
Enjoy the checklists, we hope they help you identify quality improvements in your new home or next project - or at least, get you thinking.
Anthony Painter
Please note: You’ll need to be a member and to log in to access the content.
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