Room to Improve (v2)

kerryjack

kerryjack wrote: »

46500

Closer than Patricia would have guessed, I'm sure! :P

NSAman

NSAman wrote: »

Nice job KKV... this is more impressive for me than the swanky house builds ...

You mean... mine's not a swanky house build...? But.. but..








:pac:

Millionaire only not

If I had patrica power to call around to inspect I’d do it all myself and drag it out for a year!

NSAman

Millionaire only not wrote: »

If I had patrica power to call around to inspect I’d do it all myself and drag it out for a year!

Didn't know you were into wearing ladies apparel while building, thats a first..;)

Deleted User wrote: »

You mean... mine's not a swanky house build...? But.. but..

Sorry but there is no ply wood kitchen and gold sinks with Swan shaped kitchen faucets ..... tutt tutt..;)

HildaOgdenx

Deleted User wrote: »

It worked out between 47-50k.




But I used a small builder. Didn't spend needlessly, watched every penny and googled every decision until i was happy (thankfully I enjoyed the process!).

Looks fantastic, KKV!

prunudo

This will go against the grain here, while I have been surprised at how expensive some of the builds have been, I'm equally surprised its still possible to get a wrap around kitchen extension and garden for 50k. When you factor in the additional costs in running a business these days, increasing labour, material and waste costs. Regulations regarding insulation, health & safety and professional fees for signing off projects. And thats before you take vat into the equation, there isn't much leeway there for a profit.

Mantis Toboggan

No Bills wrote: »

I believe it is Diarmuid Gavin's house in County Wicklow that the sleuthing is about.
It has already been mentioned in this thread that Diarmuid Gavin's house is in Kilmacanogue. I found the red tin roof on the terrace pretty easy to find once I had that information.

Nice one just found it on google maps. Lovely house in fairness, great views.

Addle

Yours is a great job KKV, but you’re kidding yourself if you think it compares with anything in the latest series of room to improve.
I like the show for its entertainment and escapism factors. I certainly can’t afford the likes of what appears on it.
There are plenty who can and do.
People just need to watch a different show if they’re looking for more efficient and practical renovations.

meeeeh

Personally if I want to see standard Ikea kitchen I'd go to IKEA showroom. There are projects that are done well by competent builders without architect but if you are doing a show led by an architect then you expect a bit more. (Our house was designed by OH and rubber stamped by local architectural technician. I love it but I'm under no illusion good architect would improve certain aspects significantly).

Just to add I'm coming from a perspective of someone who build their house and was fairly involved in the process. Watching someone else doing similar isn't really something that would interest me. That kind of show would interest me only if they tackled heritage buildings.

tommythecat

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Bannon bought his house just off Griffith Avenue near Corpus Christi Church.

How anyone doesn't know this by now is a mystery. But I am obviously going to leave the sleuthing to others.

Anyway if you are going to put your house on the Telly you can forget about anyone NOT finding out where it is! It is that simple.

The bones of 1.4mill for a refurbished house in Drumcondra to me is mad. But go on.... tell me I am mad jealous. No, I love my home where it is. Never had a a jell bone in my body. Why would you? Moving might not work, refurb on a budget in a place you love just might though.

His neighbours house is up for 1.75m so it seems pretty standard for that particular area and style of house with a pretty hefty garden.

Creamy Goodness

Does anyone know where Buster works or is he a sole prop with a website? He does need his own show to be fair, he was great!

Addle

Addle wrote: »

Yours is a great job KKV, but you’re kidding yourself if you think it compares with anything in the latest series of room to improve.

But that's kind of my point - the show has wandered very much into dreamland territory that makes it seem like the only way to do anything to your house is to spend a quarter of a million, which really isn't the case.


I've no issue with Room to Improve being a show about millionaire's lifestyles. 'It is what it is', as they say. However, it's not realistic to assume you can't get something decent for smaller money.


My extension is an example of how you can do something on a tighter budget, and it doesn't have to be a non-job (ie; if you were to watch RTI, you'd think a €50k budget would get your spare room renovated and maybe a coat of paint in the hallway, which isn't real life).


I'm not saying the market in dublin hasn't gone silly altogether, of course it has, but the vast majority of people aren't in a position to drop 1.5 million on a house. Although there are many millionaires out there, they are not the general public in Ireland, and i think the frustration in this thread is that 'real people' aren't necessarily being represented in the show anymore (compared to it's earlier days).

Mantis Toboggan

How big was your extension kkv?

Penn

Deleted User wrote: »

But that's kind of my point - the show has wandered very much into dreamland territory that makes it seem like the only way to do anything to your house is to spend a quarter of a million, which really isn't the case.


I've no issue with Room to Improve being a show about millionaire's lifestyles. 'It is what it is', as they say. However, it's not realistic to assume you can't get something decent for smaller money.


My extension is an example of how you can do something on a tighter budget, and it doesn't have to be a non-job (ie; if you were to watch RTI, you'd think a €50k budget would get your spare room renovated and maybe a coat of paint in the hallway, which isn't real life).


I'm not saying the market in dublin hasn't gone silly altogether, of course it has, but the vast majority of people aren't in a position to drop 1.5 million on a house. Although there are many millionaires out there, they are not the general public in Ireland, and i think the frustration in this thread is that 'real people' aren't necessarily being represented in the show anymore (compared to it's earlier days).

Completely agree, and it seems par for the course now that even when they give their budget to Dermot, they have at least an extra 50% up their sleeves for when he purposefully goes over budget, whether it's a big project or not.

As someone who works in the industry, when the client gives you their budget, that's the budget you work to. In fact most of the time we're having to convince clients that things they want aren't within their budget rather than doing a Dermot and trying to convince them to spend extra money on something they don't need.

It's an entertainment show at this stage, nothing more.

LirW

A reminder that the economy is doing pretty well overall and people are in the position of having and making good money again. Naturally everyone who had to wait 10 years to be in the position to do work to their home is doing it now while they can. Why wouldn't they?
I have to admit I'm hugely jealous of people being able to make substantial changes. We're living off one income since I'm back in college and our house badly needs work done but we can't afford it. Also we came to the realisation that we are going to trade up once we are in the position to do so, so we're putting up with the inconveniences our house has for another few years.
But once I know I'll stay for a long time, I'll pour everything I have and my left kidney into my home. Some decisions don't need to make sense to others if you'll look at them for the next 25 years.

Also builders have been expensive in recent years and Drumcondra has been a pretty up-market area for a really long time. A good few houses beyond the Million mark there and many still need work in order to be as energy efficient as Dermot's.

kerryjack

Dublin city is a good place to have a house and will always be a good investment, with zero interest rates for your money you are as well off putting the money in to your house than keeping it in the bank. That house is a very liquid asset and would sell fast especially designed by dermot himself so it's a very sound investment in my opinion.

Casati

His house is great overall, the location is really good, the garden is super and offers great privacy. The finished look super but I wonder did he focus too much on the massive L shaped kitchen room at the expense of the rest of the house?

Front room (good room!) is left as is but it’s a tiny room so he has no decent sitting room despite the size of the house

Utility room is land-locked - so no window out and more importantly no door to go outside with the washing, boots for the gardening etc

Main bathroom has only a roof window - that’s bleak. I think both en suites also are missing a window you can see out too

The neighbours must hate him too - the only bit of south facing sun they had is gone.

I’ve no idea with such a long garden why he didn’t go with a courtyard, something he used in other similar sites to great effect - it could have created a lovely south facing room

MrMusician18

Deleted User wrote: »

But that's kind of my point - the show has wandered very much into dreamland territory that makes it seem like the only way to do anything to your house is to spend a quarter of a million, which really isn't the case.


I've no issue with Room to Improve being a show about millionaire's lifestyles. 'It is what it is', as they say. However, it's not realistic to assume you can't get something decent for smaller money.


My extension is an example of how you can do something on a tighter budget, and it doesn't have to be a non-job (ie; if you were to watch RTI, you'd think a €50k budget would get your spare room renovated and maybe a coat of paint in the hallway, which isn't real life).


I'm not saying the market in dublin hasn't gone silly altogether, of course it has, but the vast majority of people aren't in a position to drop 1.5 million on a house. Although there are many millionaires out there, they are not the general public in Ireland, and i think the frustration in this thread is that 'real people' aren't necessarily being represented in the show anymore (compared to it's earlier days).

At the same time, a 50k budget wouldn't cover the cost of a deep retrofit on a large family home either

NSAman

MrMusician18 wrote: »

At the same time, a 50k budget wouldn't cover the cost of a deep retrofit on a large family home either

But it isn't all about being a size queen....:)

Modern thought-out architecture comes in all shapes and sizes and costs.

What we are seeing in RTI is the bling part of architecture. It isn't the reality of architecture.

Muahahaha

Missed this on Sunday, anyone know when it is repeated during the week?

Mantis Toboggan

Muahahaha wrote: »

Missed this on Sunday, anyone know when it is repeated during the week?

It's on the player.

Sparko

Muahahaha wrote: »

Missed this on Sunday, anyone know when it is repeated during the week?

Tomorrow at 10.35pm on rte 1 if you don't have access to the player.

funkey_monkey

funkey_monkey wrote: »

KKV - 3rd photo - were you getting your access through your neighbours garden?

I was indeed. We demolished the back boundary wall as it was easier (my garden has a shed with a roof, so getting the digger in, etc. would have been a pain).


With the wall gone we used their back entrance instead of mine. Threw them a few euro for the hassle, and did some work on their garden and they were happy enough (they never use the garden so didn't really care in the first place, to be honest).

Also meant I didn't have to have that small 'dead gap' between my extension and the boundary wall, as my extension wall now is the boundary wall. Which helps, and means they can just piggyback off my wall if they ever decide to build out.

Everyone came out better off for it.

twirlagig

I haven’t seen it yet but thanks to the poster/posters who mentioned George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. It’s brilliant! Ended up watching it til 3am this morning! And I’m only on Season 1 of 8 I think! Perfect viewing, just hate all the ads on All4

brookers

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Absolutely agree . A small extension for the kids , an added on downstairs bathroom for the older person , ideas to make rooms work better for families ,and how to increase storage . I think most of us could relate to that , like you I am over the massive budget huge extension now

Doesnt roisin do that in home rescue, sponsored by ikea....

Millionaire only not

Muahahaha wrote: »

Missed this on Sunday, anyone know when it is repeated during the week?

It’s repeated 2/3 times next Sunday daytime fr sure !
RTÉ want to earn some of the contribution they made to build his house!

PARlance

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Looks great, fair play to you. We need more of this! I don't know how to show the spoilers. OMG!

I am in Dublin and it is impossible to find a builder/tradesperson at the moment.

But onwards and upwards. I can live with it for now. Don't know where to start with a 50k budget to do a kitchen, take down a load bearing wall (RSJ), downstairs loo. Should that cost 50k?

Fair play to you. Hope you are very happy with your NON Bannon refurb. We need to see more of this!

You won't get that for 50k unfortunately. The example shown was a very cheap extension done for very cheap. Doesn't look like any insulation went into it. No major structural work. A flat roof. Can't even see an extractor fan in the kitchen.

PARlance

PARlance wrote: »

You won't get that for 50k unfortunately.

Of course you would. :rolleyes:

You'd get a decent kitchen anywhere for €5k. You'd get the toilet suite bought for €500. People on this thread really do show that they haven't a notion on pricing at all.

PARlance wrote: »

The example shown was a very cheap extension done for very cheap. Doesn't look like any insulation went into it. No major structural work. A flat roof. Can't even see an extractor fan in the kitchen.

Insulation is grand in it and was properly researched and invested in, so you're wrong there. There is obviously an extractor fan in the kitchen, so you're wrong there. Major structural work in the sense of what? It required all new plumbing and electrics (and re-routing of existing), 2 new fuse boxes, and foundations/walls etc. had to be built, walls knocked, etc.

It does have a flat roof, yes. That was cheaper than a pitched roof, but I wanted a flat roof as i think they look better. So the only real 'cheapness' about that decision was opting for felt over fibreglass, and again, that was a fairly thoroughly researched decision, and not one i made willy-nilly.


Now don't get me wrong, I'm not overly defensive about my house/extension, at the end of the day, all a house is is a pile of bricks in a funny shape.

But it irks me when people are so misleading to others about the costs of things, spouting exaggerated and nonsense pricing about the cost of doing things when it's not the case in reality at all.


Tradesmen are busier than ever, and they are charging more accordingly, but it's not like I lucked out and got a builder that was desperate and worked for a pittance. My electrician, plumber, locksmith, roofer, cabinet maker, etc. all cost a fraction of the kind of money that was being talked up on boards.

Mantis Toboggan

You're not getting a 250 square metre extension for 50k, that's just not possible.

Casati

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

You're not getting a 250 square metre extension for 50k, that's just not possible.

Neither did Dermot, his total house is 240 sqm