The Selfbuild Podcast

Pete Finn, AKA Pete the builder, of RTÉ's Home Rescue and advisory firm Let's Talk Homes joins tiny house builder Paul Lawford of smallchange.ie to chat about the process of building your home in Ireland today with cost saving tips, including:Once the house has been designed, planning permission has been approved, Health & Safety has been done on the design, what are the next steps?What is the first thing to happen on site - what needs to be organised before you can start on the buildOverview of the steps from foundations to roof finishes on a traditional buildThe process of building a tiny houseWays to save during the buildHow to prepare for the building stage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonny Orr of Daniel George Kitchens and Caroline O'Neill of Digg Mama chat about Caroline’s kitchen design journey including how she went about it and what steps she would recommend self-builders taking. The chat also focused on:·        Main things to consider when designing a kitchen; common mistakes to avoid.·        Best time to involve kitchen designers and do they do 3D renders? ·        How much do kitchens cost and where can you save money?·        Downdraft extractors vs traditional hood, which is best?·        Lighting tips including task lighting when using an in-hob extractor and whether to include lighting in all units.·        Hardwearing materials and colours, how to make sure the kitchen won’t go out of fashion.·        Not thinking of putting in an oven, is that a bad idea? If I plan to have a pantry, do I need less cupboards?·        Design tips for islands and peninsulas (breakfast bars) in the kitchen layout. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Kinloch of SONAS Bathrooms and Darrel McCauley of Spectrum Bathrooms joined us at Selfbuild Live Belfast to talk about what’s trending in bathroom designs and how to get the style on a budget, includingColours and style in general: what’s on trend, e.g. is barbiecore a thing in bathrooms? What are the classics?General budget saving advice: consider number of bathrooms, size? How about renovations, how to save with existing bathroom upgrade?Sanitaryware: what’s on trend, e.g. wall hung basin/toilet and standing bath, and how to save and still get the lookFittings: what’s on trend, e.g. is gold still fashionable, and how to save and still get the lookRadiators: what’s on trend and how to save, e.g. output?Mirrors: what’s on trend, is it still LED and Bluetooth mirrors, and hacks to save.What are the other big ticket items in the bathroom and how can self-builders save? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pete Cole of Pete Cole Consulting shares the most common issues he comes across self-build sites, including:How to work to a budget - where to spend your moneyEvaluating site conditions, from utilities running through the site to contaminationTask approval in NI, developer enquiriesVariations to designs and importance of site meetingsHow to choose a builder and pitfalls of going direct labourWhat can go wrong and examples of the need for site supervisionWhat contract to sign with your builder in NIWhat to do if you want to do some work and/or hire some trades yourselfIssue of availability of skilled labour and changing technologiesIssues with pitched warm roofs, including potential of condensation with panelsHow to deal with defectsWho has PI insurance and who needs to sign off on changesPractical examplesRecorded at Selfbuild Live Belfast in October 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DJ Ramsdale of DJ Build Estimations updates us on builds costs in Ireland at Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Limerick in January 2024. He covers:How are projects costed for maximum accuracy?How much is an average self-build costing nowadays, per sqm? For what type of house?What is the most cost effective type of house to build? Size, shape, choice of building method for floor, walls roof, window, setc?What are the typical budget busters?Direct labour versus hiring a main contractor: what savings can you make?Is it cheaper to build with timber frame or blocks?Can you haggle with builder's merchants? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Architect Mark Stephens, who is based in Co Mayo, chats about how to get planning permission in ROI including:-         What is planning permission-         Who needs planning permission and under what circumstances-         The application process-         How to improve your chances of getting permission-         Main reasons for getting turned down-         Local needs provisions-         Requests for further information: what it is and what the planners commonly ask for and how that's changed over the years with computerisation-         How to make changes to an existing application that already got approved-         When to amend an application or make a fresh one-         What kind of specialist reports do you need and how much do they cost-         Examples from Mark's experience lodging planning applications Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francis Rilley of Unilin Insulation and Andrew Rennie of Energy Store chat about insulating your home in Ireland today. We caught up with them at Selfbuild Live Belfast 2023 to chat about:The different types of insulation with pros and cons for each including cost, thermal efficiency, fire resistanceRecipe for an energy efficient building fabric: insulation and airtightnessTypical wall build up scenario for a building regulations compliant house vs NZEB: block builds and timber frameTypical roof build ups and typical floor build upsPerformance gap: how can self-builders ensure that the design is right and the installation is done correctly?Typical retrofit scenarios: how to insulate an existing home (existing cavity walls, solid walls, floors, roofs) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where are build costs heading? We look at the situation in Ireland today, in 2023 with DJ Ramsdale of DJ Build Estimations who tunes in to answer your questions about how much it costs to build in Ireland in 2023, from what method is cheapest to what to expect to pay overall. He covers:What’s the most cost effective construction method?Is a dormer cheaper than a two storey house? For an existing house is it more cost effective to demolish and rebuild, or renovate?Will material costs and labour costs stabilise? Are prices coming down enough to start a direct labour build or is labour still too expensive?What percentage of the budget goes into substructure, superstructure, internal finishes?What does a contractor typically need for a tender?What kind of house can you build today for €/£150-170k?What is the average cost per square metre these days?What exactly will the mortgage cover? How far in the build does it get you?What is a builder’s finish, what does it cover? For more on build costs go to the Selfbuild Cost Hub. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kieran Dwyer of insurance broker SelfBuild Protect chats about: What self-build insurance is and why you need itIs self-build insurance mandatory like car insurance?What do mortgage providers look forWhat makes it difficult to insure a new build projectWhen do insurance companies insure non-standard builds?How much does insurance cost todayRenovations and extensions: when does self-build insurance kick in?New duty of care legislation in Ireland and whether it will lead to lower premiumsCompetition in ROI vs NI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barry McCarron, Chairman of the Passive House Association of Ireland, chats about doing up his family to make it energy efficient, including:Going from a bungalow to an A rated homeCost details and how it compared to building newWhat is the fabric first approachWhat are the main types of insulation? Where are each best used?How much insulation is enough: cost optimal amount to installWhy is airtightness important?How to install insulation and airtightness correctlyThe benefits of following a set standard like the passive house standard What the future of house building and retrofitting looks like Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Lawford explains how he built his tiny home on wheels from scratch, including:What is a tiny houseWhy he decided to build a tiny house to live inHow he built it from start to finish, DIY with no previous experienceWhere he sourced materialsHow much it costThe case for tiny house living Tips and advice to others thinking of a building themselves tiny houseLessons learned Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rodger O'Connor of ROC Energy explains when it makes sense to apply for an energy grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, including:What grants are available and which ones suit which budgetsHow much it costs to carry out a One Stop Shop upgradeHow to apply for the grants: dos and don'tsPros and cons of going for a One Stop Shop grantShould you invest in solar panels? How much will it cost and what's the grant?Should you invest in a heat pump? How much will it cost and what's the grant?When does it make financial sense to invest in energy upgrades?Are energy upgrades worth it? What are the benefits? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Ciara Ahern chats about what energy upgrades and if they're worth doing, issues people are having with heat pumps and heating systems and what can be done about it, plus what changes we can expect coming from Europe in relation to energy and the building regulations. More specifically, she covers:What is the difference between a shallow and a deep retrofit?If someone has a house, how can they tell if they should consider a shallow versus a deep retrofit, e.g. would homes with medium gains always need a deep retrofit?Recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD): What are the headline changes coming from Europe and when we can expect them to come into forceEPBD implications for end users: new builds, renovations and those selling propertyWhy energy ratings don’t show how much energy the house will consume: does the recast EPBD take that into account?How to optimise the operation/performance of existing heating systems in the homeIssue with oversizing heating systems and what homeowners can doIssues surrounding heat pump installations, what needs to happen industry wide to make sure they’re done correctly and to the right sizing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, David Magnier chats about his self-build in Co Wicklow:Design processSecuring planning permissionChoice of building method: pros and consHow day to day went on siteWorking through CovidSwitching from main contractor to direct labourKeeping on top of the budgetKeeping on top of quality  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gavin Millar of BPC Ventilation chats through the benefits of heat pumps and MVHR, including:-   What is mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) and is it worth the money? What are the benefits?-   What are heat pumps and are they worth it? What's the payback?-   Why are heat pumps and MVHR more efficient than traditional systems? How much more do they cost?-   How much more do they cost?-   Should settings on ventilation systems be adjusted according to the outside temperature, e.g. summer, winter?-   Which ventilation system is best for an ICF house?-   Are MVHR units noisy?-   Energy upgrades: the case of changing a 1950s house from oil heating to air to water, is that the best option?-   Is it efficient to mix underfloor and radiator heating?-   Can one heat pump be used for two buildings? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonny Orr of Daniel George Kitchens chats about how to design your new kitchen in Ireland today:-         Optimal kitchen size-         Current trends, including colours and handles, and must haves-         Where the most savings can be made in a kitchen, including countertop materials-         Common mistakes people make and what to think about when planning your kitchen-         Tips to get the most out of walk in pantry-         Magic corner cupboards: are they worth it?-         Ideal size of an island-         Pros and cons of building in a dining table into the island-         Sink or hob in the island -         What extractor fan options there are for the island, can you rely on heat recovery ventilation-         Extractor fans in a passive house: what to consider-         How to incorporate a deep standalone fridge-         Kitchen lighting options -         Oven heights-         Hand painting versus factory painting-         Timeframe to get kitchen installed and ordering kitchens cross border in Ireland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin Ó Broin, a TD who’s written a book called Defects, chats through the issue of quality control when building a house in ROI. He talks about:·        How the building control system works in ROI and why it’s broken·        Opting in or out of appointing an assigned certifier·        How we got to this point·        Prospects of changes to the system·        Where to next Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura and Ronan Campbell built themselves a house on Ronan’s parents’ laneway. Here they chat about:Difficulties with planning permission and why they had to leave a deposit with the local authority for three years. How they made a narrow site work with their design vision.Choice of steel frame construction and challenges building the house.Delays (due to windows and Covid) and how they affected the build. Choosing finishes that look the part and saved money.How much DIY they did and their top tips for others considering building a laneway house.Budget considerations and how they kept a lid on costs.Main headaches and what they would do differently.Read more about their project on https://selfbuild.ie/project/dublin-laneway-house/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes talks about:The new concrete levy due to come into force September 2023 in IrelandHow to reduce the amount of concrete you use on your buildHow to save on your build costsWhat's the most cost effective build route nowadays?Where are build costs heading? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susan Andrews of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland chats about how to get a grant for your home energy upgrade, including:- The three types of grants available in ROI and how each of them work- One Stop Shop (OSS) vs individual grants: the extras you get with OSS- Cost of home energy upgrades for detached houses in Ireland- How you can get up to half the cost of the works funded through the grants- What the application process looks like and what timescales to expect for each- Whether you can reapply if you've availed of a grant before- Benefits of living in a more energy efficient home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.