FOR HOMEOWNERS RENOVATING WITH INTENTION
Your renovation deserves a plan as considered as your vision.
- MEGAN PATERSON
The Renovation Planner + Spec Book is the complete organizational system for homeowners who want to renovate well — confidently, clearly, and without the chaos most people assume is inevitable.
It doesn’t have to go that way..
The renovation you’re planning is one of the most significant investments you’ll ever make. Most homeowners go into it with a Pinterest board and a prayer.
You’ve done your research. You’ve saved the images. You have a contractor in mind, a budget that feels real, and a vision for what this home could become.
What you probably don’t have is a system.
A way to track every decision, every selection, every lead time, every change order — before the walls open and the pressure begins. A way to share your vision with your contractor so clearly that nothing gets lost in translation. A way to know, at any moment, exactly where your project stands and what still needs to be done.
Without that system, renovations that start with excitement end in exhaustion. Selections get made in a panic. Contractors fill in the gaps you didn’t know existed. Budgets drift. Timelines slip. And the home that was supposed to feel like you ends up feeling like a version of you — close, but not quite.
Introducing:
The Renovation Planner & Spec Book
The complete renovation system for homeowners who want to build something they’ll love for a very long time.
This is not a template. It’s not a checklist you’ll abandon by week three. It’s the same organizational system I use to run large-scale renovation projects with my full-service clients — adapted, simplified, and built specifically for you.
Two tools. Designed to work together. Every phase, every selection, every line item — organized before the first wall comes down.
What's Inside:
THE RENOVATION PLANNER
Six phases, from Vision & Foundation through Punch List & Closeout. Every phase has a lean, focused checklist, a status dropdown on every task (To Do, Doing, Done), a live progress counter that updates automatically, and Megan’s Tips on the decisions that matter most.
Includes a Budget tab with 27 pre-filled renovation categories, live calculations, and a summary block that shows your total estimated, total actual, remaining, and percentage spent at a glance.
The Spec Book
Thirteen category tabs, each with custom columns built for that specific material type. Cabinetry has different columns than countertops. Tile has different columns than lighting. Because the right information for each category is not the same. Includes a Project Overview tab for your team, timeline, and key contacts. A five-stage status tracker (Researching → Selected → Ordered → Delivered → Installed) on every line item. Built to share directly with your contractor.
Seven Expert Companion Guides
Written in full. Not bullet points, not prompts — complete guides on the moments where renovations most often go wrong. Linked from the Planner at exactly the right phase, so you have the right information at the right time: How to Brief a Renovation Without Pinterest Overwhelm, Designer vs. Architect vs. Contractor — Who Does What, 10 Questions to Ask Every Contractor Before You Hire Them, The Lead Times Nobody Warns You About, and three more.
how it works
One
Purchase and open your tools
After checkout, you’ll be directed to a page with a link to your welcome page. From there, open the Planner and the Spec Book in Google Sheets and make your own copy. Both files are yours to keep, edit, and share.
Two
Work through the Planner phase by phase
Start with Phase 01 before you do anything else. Each phase tells you what to do, why it matters, and when to open the Spec Book. The status tracker keeps you oriented. The companion guides answer your questions before you have them.
Three
Share your Spec Book with your contractor
Once your selections are in the Spec Book, share it. Your contractor will have every model number, finish, dimension, vendor, and lead time in one place. This single step eliminates most of the miscommunications that derail renovation projects.
This is for you if…
You’re planning a renovation in the next six to twelve months and want to go in organized.
You’ve done your research but don’t have a system to hold all of it together.
You’re working with a contractor and want to communicate your selections clearly and completely.
You’ve renovated before and wish you’d been more organized the first time.
You’re a designer who wants a client-ready spec and planning system without building one from scratch.
This probably isn’t for you if…
BUILT BY A WORKING DESIGNER
Hi, I’m Megan.
I run Megan Paterson Interiors, a high-end residential design studio based in Atlanta. I work on large-scale renovations and new builds with clients across the East Coast — projects with budgets that demand precision, timelines that demand organization, and homeowners who deserve more than guesswork.
The Renovation Planner and Spec Book are the tools I built for my own practice. I’ve adapted them here for homeowners who want to navigate a renovation the way my clients do: clearly, confidently, and with every decision documented before the dust begins.
This is the real system. Not a simplified version of it.
Consider what you’re protecting.
The average renovation exceeds its original budget by 15 to 25 percent. On a $150,000 renovation, that’s $22,500 to $37,500 in overruns — most of it from unmanaged change orders, late material orders, and decisions made under pressure.
A single consultation with a residential designer runs $250 to $1,000. The information in this bundle — the planning system, the spec system, the contractor guides, the change order guide — gives you the expertise behind those consultations in a format you can use from the first day of planning through the last day of construction.
At $197, this is not a significant purchase relative to the size of the investment it helps you protect. It is, by a considerable margin, the highest-return decision you will make before your renovation begins.
FAQ
Do I need to know how to use Google Sheets?
Ideally, but if you can open a spreadsheet and click a dropdown menu, you have all the technical knowledge required. The tools are designed to be intuitive.
Can I use this on a Mac or PC?
Yes. Both tools open in Google Sheets, which works in any browser on any device — Mac, PC, iPad, or phone. No software to install, no subscription required. You’ll need a free Google account.
I’m only renovating one room. Is this still worth it?
Yes. A single-room renovation — particularly a kitchen or bathroom — involves more decisions, lead times, and coordination than most homeowners expect. The Spec Book alone, used for a single room, will save you from the most common and most expensive mistakes.
Can I share this with my contractor?
Yes, and I actively encourage it. Once you’ve made your own copy in Google Drive, share the Spec Book with your contractor via the Share button. It becomes the single source of truth for your project.
I’m an interior designer. Is this for me?
Possibly — if you’re looking for a homeowner-facing planning system you can hand to clients or adapt for your own practice. The tools are built for homeowners but the structure and depth are professional-grade.
What if I’m not ready to renovate for a year?
This is actually the ideal time to buy it. Phase 01 and Phase 02 of the Planner are specifically designed for the pre-renovation period — vision, budget, team selection. The earlier you start working through them, the better positioned you’ll be when construction begins.
Is there a refund policy?
Because this is a digital download that provides immediate access, all sales are final. If you have a question before purchasing, email [email protected] and I’ll answer it directly.
Will this be updated?
Yes. Purchasers receive access to updated versions of the Planner and Spec Book as they are released. The companion guides on the website are updated and expanded over time.
Do you have more products for purchase?
This bundle is our only product currently! We believe in quality over quantity, but we definitely may include more items we feel will benefit homeowners the most, in the near future.
This is how considered renovations get built.
Your renovation is too important to plan by instinct alone.
You’ve spent time finding the right neighborhood, the right home, the right vision. The renovation that brings that vision to life deserves the same care.
The Renovation Planner and Spec Book give you the structure to make good decisions, the organization to protect your budget, and the documentation to hold your team accountable — from the first contractor meeting to the final punch list item.
$197
an interior design consultation starts at $950 and typically does not include deliverables like this until design begins
Megan Paterson Interiors
w: meganpatersoninteriors.com
e: megan@meganpatersoninteriors.com
All sales final. This is a digital product. No physical materials will be shipped. For questions before purchasing, email [email protected].