It wasn’t by design that Paul and Rebecca O’Connor became largely self-sufficient, it was a by-product of their self-build. I was looking for a place to renovate – which I was convinced would have to be by the sea – and came across this house in a woodland in the year 2000. Not building in […] More
How my parents’ plan to self-build on the family farm couldn’t get the green light because of the unsafe speed limit on our stretch of road. When my parents moved to Ireland in the 1970s they bought a derelict cottage which they renovated. They subsequently acquired land nearby, nestled into the wooded hillside of The […] More
So, you’ve designed your house and are looking at an off-the-shelf effluent treatment system to ensure that you keep your groundwater clean and local environment healthy. But is there a way to build your own treatment system? In a word, yes. The most common way to treat the wastewater that comes from one-off houses in the […] More
Every house needs some way to deal with the waste water it generates from flushing the toilet, from showers, washing machines, and so on. Images from The EPA Code of Practice: Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems Serving Single Houses (p.e.≤10) If you cannot connect to the mains wastewater network, then you will need an onsite […] More
At BT, we understand that taking on a self-build projectcan be both an exciting and overwhelming time, withmany installation decisions to consider. Fibre broadbandis now widely regarded as essential as other utilities, suchas water, electricity and gas, so it is important to get yournew home ready for it, writes Garrett Kavanagh. In late 2017, BT […] More
I already have a septic tank, should I be worried that it’s not performing? People often forget all about their septic tanks once they’ve moved in but they do need to be desludged, generally once every year or every two years, depending on the size and use of the system (see last question). Other routine […] More
Getting rid of ROI ‘locals only’ rules for one-off housing may not necessarily be the answer to haphazard development in the countryside, says planning consultant Diarmuid O’Grada There are some reasons why we should keep ‘locals only’ rules in the countryside – one is the case of wealthy foreigners outbidding locals to live in rural […] More
Options for difficult sites, from piled foundations to earth bags. Foundation solutions today are not so very different from those which the earliest house-builders had to work out. The big change nowadays is that all foundations are designed with an adequate ‘factor of safety’ to allow for unforeseen circumstances. The main considerations are simply that: […] More
You can’t do any electrical work yourself but whether you’re renovating or building new, it’s good to get to know the basic requirements and regulations. Whether you’re building new or renovating, know that if you’re undertaking any kind of electrical work in ROI only a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) is now allowed to carry it […] More
Planning permission: when do you need it and how can you obtain it? In this first article of a four part series, we look at self-builds and some of the issues to consider. In this article we cover: I’m shopping around for a site. Should I only consider ones that have already been granted planning […] More
John and Susan Black of Co Antrim had a narrow and sloping site, yet they still managed to build their dream home. In this article we cover: Being granted planning permission is, in most cases, a cause to celebrate. However for John and Susan it was a bit of an anti-climax as they soon realised […] More
It may be tempting to buy what looks like a bargain – an incomplete house, but there are some essential checks you should carry out before you take the plunge. Following on from our Q&A with the Property Buyers’ Handbook, we thought we’d delve a bit deeper into the intricacies of buying an unfinished house. […] More
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