Astrid Madsen is the editor of the SelfBuild magazine. Email astrid.madsen@selfbuildextendrenovate.co.uk
Bronwen and Gary McCausland turned their attention to the family farm after struggling to find a house to buy. In this article we cover: We had tried to purchase a bungalow but it didn’t work out,” says Bronwen. “The properties we had been looking at suddenly shot up in price. That’s when we started investigating […] More
County Development Plans are tightening up zoning rules, effectively reducing the number of self-build greenfield sites. Louth, Wexford and Tipperary are the latest counties flagging issues with getting planning permission to build one-off houses on suitable land. Locals only rules update ROI’s Department of Housing tells Selfbuild its update to the 2005 Rural Housing Planning […] More
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has called for a reduction in the VAT rate for all types of renovations throughout the UK. The call is to reduce VAT to 5 per cent and also update the building regulations to mandate more energy efficient properties. Currently, a 20 per cent VAT rate applies to renovations, […] More
Musician Áine Duffy recounts how she built her own DIY annexe on her parents’ land for a song. To build my little studio, I first went to the Credit Union and got a loan of €12k, then drove to a company that has a seconds factory where I bought the windows. I designed around these, keeping […] More
You can pick your kitchen style out of a book or you can design it yourself, mixing and matching elements – here are some ideas. In this article we cover: Much like the external appearance of your house, you can pick your kitchen out of a book or you can design it yourself, mixing and […] More
A self-builder is a step closer to building his home near his organic farm after a High Court judge ordered An Bord Pleanála (ABP) to review its decision to deny him planning permission. Bord Pleanála (ABP) showed “notable flaw[s]” in its reasoning when it turned down an appeal by an organic farmer who had applied […] More
Northern Ireland’s biennial Master Builder Awards crowned winners in 11 categories, celebrating high quality craftsmanship, exceptional customer service and building excellence. See fmb.org.uk for the full award details and who won in the other regions. M G Developments (NI) Ltd won the NI Sustainability Master Builder Award for this timber frame home with larch and fibre […] More
For Jason and Nicola O’Donnell, building their home in Co Mayo was all about starting a family. In this article we cover: “Nicola and I are both from the local area, have jobs here, and knew we wanted to stay put to start a family,” says Jason. “We were lucky to have a fabulous site […] More
This 1940s cottage Co Waterford went from a G to an A3 energy rating thanks to a full insulation and systems upgrade. In this article we cover: This 1940s Co Waterford cottage was upgraded to become a super energy efficient home in 2019. The renovation was such a success it won the Sustainable Tipperary NZEB […] More
The Department for Infrastructure issued a Planning Advice Note (PAN) on August 2nd, titled Implementation of Strategic Planning Policy on Development in the Countryside, only to scrap it two months later as critics argued it could make it harder for self-builders to get planning permission. The PAN was issued to local councils to advise them […] More
Episode 43 – Energy consultant Patrick Waterfield shares his tips and insights into building an eco house without breaking the bank. He covers: – The tricks to building an eco house and how he tackled his own new build project– How to build a house to make it cheap to run– How a humble stove […] More
An insulation upgrade is the single best way to make your home consume less energy, before you even consider upgrading your heating system or replacing the windows. Here’s how to approach your home insulation upgrade in Ireland. In this article we cover: The first step to your home energy upgrade is to evaluate what state your […] More
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