More people in ROI will qualify for a €5,000 grant to repair their septic tank, the Enviornment Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Tuesday 21st July 2020. The grant is now available in areas that are aiming to improve water quality under the national River Basin Management Plan. The move had been announced in 2018 and […] More
For Mary McGeough renovating this early 1800s cottage was not just about preserving history, it was about paying tribute to her aunt and cherishing childhood memories. As a vernacular cottage listed on the Heritage at Risk Northern Ireland register, with a listing grade of B+, this project was bound to be special. “The house was […] More
Securing planning permission in Co Wicklow took longer than building Luis Reis’ family home – in large part because it sits on a narrow infill site, sandwiched between two overlooking properties. In this article we cover: House size before: 179sqm Plot Size: 283sqmBER: A3Airtightness: 1.962m3/hr.sqm Costs: SIPs supplier cost approx. €350k which includes the €15k […] More
As many self-builders fail to find the magic greenfield plot they seek, some turn instead to buying an existing house with a view to making considerable repairs, or choosing to replace it to build new. A substantial minority of self-builders – up to 40 per cent according to some studies* – buy an existing house […] More
Self-build mortgages can be hard to get if you plan to build a holiday home but for Helen and Daniel Smyth the lure of the sea proved too strong to resist. In this article, we cover: “Eight years ago we bought a holiday home in Wexford,” says Daniel. “It was an old farmhouse, that had […] More
Independent Connections Providers can now do the majority of the work to connect your home to the electricity grid. The UK is well known for opening up the electricity and gas markets to competition. The initial focus was on the retail market, whereby we as end-consumers could choose from different price plans/companies. But up until […] More
Self-builders in counties with poor drainage such as Leitrim and Wexford will continue to struggle to get planning permission, the draft Code of Practice published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week suggests. Even though the draft Code of Practice (COP) is making it easier to pass the percolation test, increasing the T-value from […] More
There are some things you can plan for, like choosing finishes in advance, but others are unpredictable. Such as having to fork out £15,000 to get an electricity connection in a built-up area for a new build in Co Armagh. In this article, Lisa and Nathan Langtry discuss their new build project in Co Armagh, […] More
One positive aspect to living in an internationally renowned ‘wet’ island country is that water is never usually that far away. However, a potable (drinking) water supply can be more difficult to track down. John Kealy looks at your options. For those of us who have never had to be concerned about where our water […] More
Building a house to your own design and specification is the dream for many people. But like all ideals, it can be difficult to achieve. Individual building sites are not easy to find and you must work that bit harder to secure a good one. Finding the right site to build your house on can […] More
NI’s Planning Policy Statement 21: Sustainable Development in the Countryside, or PPS21 as it’s commonly referred to, is the planning permission guide to building in the countryside. Here are some pointers on how to navigate it from Mervyn McNeill of McNeill Architectural Consultancy, including: Finding a site can be the first obstacle to any dream […] More
Planning Policy Statement 21: Sustainable Development in the Countryside, or PPS21 as it’s commonly referred to, is the planners’ policy to building in the countryside. Here are some pointers on how to navigate it from Mervyn McNeill of McNeill Architectural Consultancy. Finding a site can be the first obstacle to any dream of self-building; doing […] More
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