Mark and Aoife Ryan share how they went about their budget friendly renovation of their semi-detached home in Co Limerick. In this article we cover: Overview House size before: 123sqmHouse size after: 146sqmBedrooms: 4Original budget: €120kConstruction tender cost: €145kFinal cost, all inclusive: €185kHouse value: €390kHeating: gas boilerVentilation: humidity controlledBuild method (extension): blockworkBER before: D1BER after: […] More
How Gráinne and Padraig Haughney bought an old shop in Kilkenny to convert into a light filled family home. In this article we cover: Overview House size before: 1,900sqftHouse size after: 2,000sqftBedrooms: 4House price: €137k at auctionRenovation cost: €128kHouse value: Between €325k and €350kHeating and hot water: air to water heat pump Tell us about […] 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
Barry McCarron explains how he went about renovating his home in Co Monaghan to the passive house retrofit methodology, EnerPHit. In this article we cover: Overview House size before: 125sqmHouse size after: 188sqmBedrooms: 4Heating: air to water heat pumpVentilation: centralised mechanical with heat recovery Construction: blockwork (cavity wall)BER before: D2 (energy consumption of 289.86 kWh/ […] More
For Elaine and David Douglas, building this Co Down modern new build was a way to strike a healthy work life balance. In this article we cover: We were very happy living in our previous home on a housing development,” says Elaine. “We ran a successful business, had great neighbours, great friends and our two […] More
Daniel and Louise Quinn bought a home in Co Armagh that was at second fix stage; here they explain how they went about finishing off the house room by room. In this article we cover: Tell us about how you came to buy this house. We’d always wanted to build our own home. But even […] More
Jonathan Byrne of Co Longford chose an Avrame timber frame kit because it gave him cost certainty and a turnkey finish. Alan Rowan of TuffHouse Eco Build got a call one day from a prospective client, who’d gotten his contact details from a happy customer. “Jonathan came to me recommended from word of mouth,” says […] More
How Linda and Edward Mulkern built their 220sqm island new build house on Achill Island, replacing a concrete bunker house that had been their holiday digs for years. In this article we cover: A chill Island, with its soaring sea cliffs, Blue Flag beaches and raw natural beauty, was brought to Hollywood’s attention this year […] More
This developer built home gave Leigh-Ann Jackson and family all the perks of a tailored self-build without the self-builder’s pain. In this article we cover: “At the start of 2019, we were living in Newtownabbey and looking to buy a new build home in or around Greenisland, as my husband and I both work in […] More
Stephen and Vicki Murray share what it was like to build their vernacular house during Covid, and getting the home of their dreams at the end of it. In this article we cover: Tell us about the site. We built our house where the old orchard used to be on the farm. Because of that, […] More
How Denise and Fiachra Sinnott of Co Cork transformed their tired old 1980s chalet bungalow into a 21st century family home, carrying out the reno in just three weeks. In this article we cover: House size before: 190sqm plus attached garage 90sqmHouse size after: 250sqm plus attached garage 30sqmBedrooms: 4Plot size: 1 acrePurchase cost: €295kHome […] More
How Niall and Gillian Brophy built their new home in Co Wexford by hiring the trades themselves. In this article we cover: One of the biggest factors for us as a newly married couple choosing the correct site and location to build our dream home was its exact precise location. We had tried to secure […] More
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