The Akiva Toolkit · Studio Akiva
Ten documents.
One renovation.
Nothing forgotten.
The paperwork we wish every homeowner had before they started: who to appoint and when, what to buy, what to check, and what to sign before any money changes hands.
Why this exists
Renovations rarely go wrong on site.
They go wrong months earlier.
By the time something surfaces as a problem on a building site, the decision that caused it was usually made weeks before, quietly, by someone who did not know it mattered.
Out of order
Appointing a builder before a designer fixes your layout, budget and services before anyone has asked how you want to live.
Too late
Kitchens, joinery and sanitaryware run 8 to 20 weeks. Choosing them when the site is ready is how a project stalls.
Not in writing
Verbal variations and undated snag lists are only ever a problem at the end, when it is too late to fix them.
Document register
Everything a renovation asks of you,
already written down
Each one is print-ready A4, built to be worked through rather than read once.
The Akiva Blueprint
The order a whole renovation runs in, twelve stages, who to appoint and when.
14 pages
Free
02
Kitchen Purchase List
Every unit, worktop, appliance and fixing, with the forgotten pieces flagged.
83 lines
Complete
03
Bathroom & Wet Room List
One list for bathrooms, shower rooms and wet rooms, tagged per room type.
76 items
Complete
04
Building Contract Must-Haves
Every provision a builder's contract should contain, red flags spelled out.
49 provisions
Before the Build
05
Electrical Purchase Schedule
Sockets, switches and outlets, plus a room by room lighting plan.
65 items
Complete
06
Project Phase Acceptance Form
A sign-off sheet for every phase, with the checks for each trade.
14 forms
Complete
07
Trade Contact List
Every role pre-listed and ready to fill in, from architect to skip company.
41 roles
Before the Build
08
Property Condition Report
Every room and boundary recorded before the contractor takes possession.
6 room sheets
Before the Build
09
Project Schedule Template
Sixty tasks across ten phases, each with what it cannot start until.
60 tasks
Before the Build
10
Final Works & Snagging Report
What to look for, where to record it, what to collect before final payment.
45 prompts
Complete
Start here
The Akiva Blueprint, free
Twelve stages, who to appoint and when, the long lead items to start early, and a short checklist to clear before each stage can close. Fourteen pages, print-ready. Register and it's yours.
Choose your tier
Three ways in
One payment, yours to keep. No subscription.
The starting point. Twelve stages of a whole house renovation, and the order they have to happen in.
- 01 The Akiva Blueprint
Everything a homeowner needs before a builder sets foot on site.
- 01 The Akiva Blueprint
- 04 Building Contract Must-Haves
- 07 Trade Contact List
- 08 Property Condition Report
- 09 Project Schedule Template
All ten documents, carrying you from first conversation through to handover.
- Everything in Before the Build
- 02 Kitchen Purchase List
- 03 Bathroom and Wet Room List
- 05 Electrical Purchase Schedule
- 06 Project Phase Acceptance Form
- 10 Final Works and Snagging Report
Behind the toolkit
Built from over 250
London renovations
Studio Akiva is an interior design studio working across the UK and Europe on private homes, restaurants and workspaces. Every document here is the version we wished a client had in front of them.
Questions
Before you decide
Is the toolkit specific to the UK?
Yes. The contracts, approvals, electrical accessories and certification are written for UK renovations.
Are these printable?
Every document is print-ready A4 with proper page breaks. Several are designed to be printed and written on.
Do I need all ten?
No. Start free with the Blueprint, take Before the Build while you are still planning, and step up when you are specifying rooms.
Is this a subscription?
No. Both paid tiers are a single payment and the documents are yours to keep.
Does this replace an architect, designer or solicitor?
No. The toolkit helps you brief professionals well and keep a project organised. The contract document is a briefing aid to use alongside your own solicitor.
One last thing
Start with the free one
The Blueprint costs nothing and takes twenty minutes to read. If it changes the order you were planning to do things in, the rest will earn its keep several times over.
Download the BlueprintStudio Akiva · Design reference, not a live page