Episode Details

Farah Drake has been in the building industry for over 30 years. She started out helping her dad, fell in love with being on site, and never left. Today she runs Willow Grove Homes and Granny Flats in South East Melbourne — a registered building company specialising in granny flats, small second dwellings, and multi-generational housing. She is also one of a small number of female building company directors in Australia.

This episode is a different kind of conversation. Farah talks about what it was like to be a woman in construction 30 years ago — the comments, the dismissals, and pushing through anyway. She talks about why she chose the granny flat niche, what it means to build for people in the final chapter of their lives, and why she still calls it a privilege. She also breaks down the regulatory changes in Victoria that opened up the small second dwelling market, where tiny homes sit in the compliance picture, and what builders need to know before stepping into this space.

And she has big plans — Willow Grove is expanding into Queensland.

What we cover:

• Growing up in a family building business and how the industry shaped Farah from the start
• What it was really like to be a woman in construction 30 years ago — and how much has changed
• Why Willow Grove focuses on granny flats and multi-generational housing, and the deep client relationships that come with it
• The Victorian regulatory changes from December 2023 that opened up small second dwellings
• Tiny homes versus granny flats — the compliance gap and why it matters
• The challenge of stepping back from the tools to run the business
• What Willow Grove measures, how they retain their trades, and why some subcontractors have been with Farah for over 20 years
• The expansion into Queensland and what Farah is building toward
• What makes a good builder — in her own words

This episode is proudly supported by MyConstruct, construction management software built for Australian builders. Visit myconstruct.com and get your 30-day trial.

Also supported by Pay.com.au — use promo code GOOD20 for 20,000 bonus points. Head to pay.com.au/tgb for more.