Heather is a journalist and deputy editor of Selfbuild Magazine. She’s previously edited construction trade publications in Ireland and the UK, along with expat living magazines in the Canary Islands and Tuscany. Now based in Co. Kilkenny, she and her partner are taking on their biggest project yet — turning a former residential outdoor pursuits centre into a family home!
If you plan on building or extending a house in Ireland, know that you will have to pay local authority fees in both NI and ROI; this is your comprehensive guide to what you can expect to pay in your own county. In this article we cover: Starting a self-build journey is thrilling, but […] More
Discover how Micheal McKeon chose to build his home in Co Longford out of Insulating Concrete Formwork, or ICF. In this article we cover: Michael grew up on a small farm in Co Longford which has been in his family for three generations. “The site I built on is roughly a mile and a half […] More
Matthew and Hannah Sterrett share what they learned from building their budget-friendly family home in Co Tyrone. In this article we cover: Matthew and Hannah describe the process of project managing their self-build home built on Hannah’s family farm as being “a collective effort”. “At first, we were handling the initial, planning stages from our […] More
The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) Annual Residential Market Monitor suggests that residential property prices are expected to stay steady for a while, adding that conveyancing is becoming a concern as are ‘false hope’ vacant property grants. In this article, we cover: Estate agents in the survey predict a small 1 per cent increase […] More
Eco-builder Harrison Gardner opens his doors to chat about his home renovation project in Co Clare. In this article we cover: Embarking on a 10 year journey across the globe, Australian eco-builder and host of RTÉ’s Build Your Own series, Harrison Gardner sought to master a diverse array of alternative build techniques. It was in […] More
How a retired couple in Dublin downsized in their own garden by creating an infill house. In this article we cover: “Living and raising our family in our semi-detached house in Rathfarnham, with its beautiful garden, was wonderful for over 30 years,” says Linde. “We loved tending to the vegetables and enjoying the privacy and […] More
The roll out of the ROI government’s grants has been off to a slow start with only 21 drawdowns for the vacant properties grant in 18 months, and just 8 serviced sites made available under the Ready to Build scheme within a year. The Ready to Build scheme has only offered eight sites to self-builders […] More
After a fruitless search to buy a house, Brian and Karen Corry decided to build themselves their dream low energy home on a budget in Co Down. In this article we cover: “Karen – my fiancée at the time – and I couldn’t find anything on the market that resonated with us,” says Brian. “The […] More
Local authorities in ROI are offering homeowners a historic home repairs grant of up to €15k for small scale restoration works on heritage dwellings. In this article we cover: In an effort to protect Ireland’s historical buildings, the ROI government is renewing its budget allocations for the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS). The scheme provides […] More
Rebuild costs feel the squeeze in 2023 due to a rise in labour costs and material prices in both NI and ROI. In this article we cover: Rebuild costs in ROI have increased by an average of 12 per cent, says the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), which revised its rebuild cost calculator for […] More
How quantity surveyor James Corrigan built his Co Laois home on a budget. In this article we cover: Overview House size: 295sqmBedrooms: 4Plot size: 1.3 acresSite cost: €35,000Build cost: Approx. €850/sqm or €250,000 total (not finished)House value: €495,000BER: A2 Heating system: air to water heat pump and wood burning stoveVentilation: demand controlled, not centralisedBuild method: […] More
How Catherine and Michael Southall changed the layout of their Co Down home to turn it into a bright open plan living space. In this article we cover: Overview Bedrooms: 4Renovation cost: £65kHeating system: gas boilerVentilation: natural The story starts with Catherine, who was pregnant at the time, Michael and their one-year-old son moving in […] More