Is the site good enough? Self-build advisor John Corless explains what you need to check for when buying a site, or if you have one gifted to you. Favourite More
Episode 11: John Corless is Ireland’s leading independent self-build advisor and the host of the Selfbuild Live Bootcamp. We caught up with him at Selfbuild Live Belfast to give us a bird’s eye view of the self-build process. Topics covered: Favourite More
Episode 8: Planning permission is the first stumbling block to building or extending your home. This episode Patrick O’Reilly, Managing Director of niplanningpermission.co.uk and irelandplanning.ie, gives us the low down on how the planning process works in NI and ROI and how to increase your chances with your local authority. We also discuss which projects […] More
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
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
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
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
English