Pre design Archives - Page 8 of 29

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in Advice, Appointing a main contractor, Budget & Financing, Construction drawings, Direct labour tasks, Direct labour vs main contractor, Health & Safety: Appoint PSCS/PC, Health & Safety: Appoint PSDS

Build Checklist

A handy checklist of what needs to be in place before you start organising your build schedule, and what to prepare yourself for. In this article we cover: By now, all of the information that you will need to create a working programme should have been covered during the design and preconstruction phases. But here’s […] More

by Leslie O'Donnell September 26, 2023, 10:20 pm
in Budget & Financing, Cost Series, News

NI boiler replacement scheme axed

The grant to replace oil and gas boilers has been axed in NI due to ‘budget constraints’, as UK rolls out wider boiler upgrade scheme. In this article we cover: To avail of the Boiler Replacement Scheme, offering a grant of up to £1,000, your fossil fuelled appliance had to be at least 15 years […] More

by Astrid Madsen September 26, 2023, 3:26 pm
in Budget & Financing, News

Precast concrete exempt from levy

The controversial tax on concrete products was rolled out in September 2023, with a last-minute exemption for precast products. In this article we cover: Precast products will not be subject to the 5 per cent Defective Concrete Products Levy (DCPL) introduced in September 2023, announced ROI Minister for Finance Michael McGrath. The DCPL will continue […] More

by Astrid Madsen September 25, 2023, 10:01 am
in Advice, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment

Passive house: how low should you go?

Why you need to go all in to reap the benefits of a passive house design. In this article we cover: I started my journey with the Passive House standard, as defined by the Passive House Institute in Germany, eight years ago in 2015. In this time, the most common question I’ve been asked by […] More

by Barry McCarron September 22, 2023, 12:00 pm
in Budget & Financing, News

Supports for self-builders amount to €100k, says Minister

As the First Home Scheme opens to those building a new home, and with the Help to Buy scheme to be extended to 2026, ROI Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien says there’s now €100k in supports for self-builders. We look at the maths. In this article we cover: Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien told reporters […] More

by Astrid Madsen September 20, 2023, 10:08 am
in Budget & Financing, Cost Series, News

First Home Scheme opens to self-builders

20 to 30 per cent of build costs can now be financed by ROI state initiative, as the First Home Scheme extends to self-builders. In this article we cover: First-time self-builders are eligible to apply for the First Home Scheme from Wednesday 20th of September, 2023. Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien announced the First Home […] More

by Astrid Madsen September 19, 2023, 7:22 am
in Advice, Budget & Financing, Choosing wall and floor finishes, Joinery: Watchpoints, Kitchen and bathroom designs

Kitchen and bathroom costs

Kitchen, bathroom, tiling, architraves/skirting and panelling costs for new build and renovation projects in Ireland today. In this article we cover: This is where costs start varying so much that they have absorbed any material price increases we’ve seen over the past three years. The key to rein these costs in is to be clear […] More

by Astrid Madsen September 5, 2023, 2:14 pm
in Advice, Before you start to dig, Budget & Financing, Foundations, subfloors and screeds: Watchpoints

Foundation costs

Substructure costs refer to everything below finished floor level; here we look at your foundations costs. In this article we cover: The cost of the substructure is influenced by various factors, including the type of soil (this determines if you need the simplest, cheapest foundation or a more expensive option), level of the water table […] More

by Keith Kelliher August 30, 2023, 11:13 am
in Design, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, Insulation and airtightness: Watchpoints, Podcast, SB+ Podcasts, Ventilation and heating systems: Watchpoints

Ep65 – Passive house retrofit in Co Monaghan

Barry McCarron, Chairman of the Passive House Association of Ireland, chats about doing up his family to make it energy efficient, including: More about the project here: selfbuildextendrenovate.co.uk/project/passive-house-retrofit-monaghan/ Favourite More

by Astrid Madsen August 29, 2023, 8:57 am
in Advice, Budget & Financing, Landscaping: Watchpoints, Provisions for on-site electricity, water, Wastewater

Landscaping and groundwork costs

Groundwork costs refer to the preparation of land for future work; here we look at landscaping and ancillary costs. In this article we cover: Groundwork is the term given to the preparation of land for future work. This includes all of the site preparations, including those relating to digging for foundations. Your foundations could cost […] More

by Keith Kelliher August 25, 2023, 7:30 am
in Advice, Budget & Financing, Other key structural decisions, Roofing & External finishes: Watchpoints

Roofing Costs

Flat versus pitched, bungalow versus two storey, warm versus cold roof, we look at the details of roofing costs. In this article we cover: Four factors influence the type of roof structure selected for a project: size and shape of the building, ridge height, appearance, and installation and maintenance requirements. All of these will have […] More

by Keith Kelliher August 21, 2023, 1:44 pm
in Advice, Budget & Financing, Cost savers

Tender costs

How much you will pay to build your home will depend on how much builders are charging; here we look at tender costs and how tenders are put together. In this article we cover: To get a price for your construction drawings with exact specifications (including lighting schedule, heating system, ventilation, etc.) you could get […] More

by Keith Kelliher August 19, 2023, 12:29 pm