Spreadsheets that do the thinking for you

Why a spreadsheet beats an app for renovation planning

Renovation projects are messy. Quotes arrive in different formats. Change orders shift the budget mid-stream. Payments go out in stages tied to milestones, not calendar dates. And the numbers you care about — total spend, remaining budget, contingency balance, ROI at resale — need to update the instant anything changes. A spreadsheet handles all of this because it's a live model of your project, not a rigid interface someone else designed for a generic workflow.

Apps lock you into their structure. A spreadsheet lets you add a column, rename a category, or break out a line item the way your project actually works. If your contractor splits the quote into 12 line items but the app only has 8 categories, you're forcing your real data into someone else's framework. With a spreadsheet, the framework is already built for renovation-specific needs — but it bends to your project, not the other way around.

These templates come pre-built with the formulas, structure, and logic you need so you don't start from a blank grid. Budget categories are based on how contractors actually quote work. Contingency calculates automatically. The dashboard rolls everything up into the numbers that matter: total committed, total paid, remaining budget, and — because this is Return on Reno — the estimated return at resale so you can see whether the project is paying for itself.

What each template does

The three tools serve different stages and different users. The free worksheet is a planning scratchpad — enough structure to rough out a budget and compare a few quotes. The Planner Pro is a full project workbook that manages the renovation from first quote through final punch list, with eight linked tabs that keep everything in sync. And the Deal Analyzer is built for investors: flip P&L, maximum offer calculations, BRRRR refinance modelling, and sensitivity analysis that stress-tests a deal before you bid.

All three work in both Excel and Google Sheets, support any currency, and include free updates for life. They use the same cost-and-ROI logic as the online calculator, packaged as workbooks you own and keep.

Who uses these spreadsheets

Homeowners planning their first renovation use the free worksheet to get organised and the Planner Pro to manage the build. Repeat renovators use Planner Pro for every project because the structure is already proven — they duplicate the workbook, clear the data, and start fresh. Real-estate investors use the Deal Analyzer to underwrite acquisitions: the 70%-rule max offer and sensitivity grid tell you within minutes whether a deal is worth pursuing. Agents and project managers use the templates to present cost and return data to clients in a format that's transparent, editable, and grounded in real benchmarks.

Three tools, one path from free to pro

Start free to plan a budget. Step up to Planner Pro to run the whole project, or the Deal Analyzer to underwrite a deal.

Which one is for you?