My Bungalow Bliss

MBE220d

The new program started tonight I think they are trying to be the Irish version of Grand Designs.

Bought an old house for 150k and spend 350k doing it up instead of flatting it and starting from scratch,

As for the galvanised roof, enough said, wait until they get a good blast of hailstones or heavy rain and hear the noise from that.

The couple that builds it seems like a nice down to earth family.

The Nu man in town

Yeah very hard to see where it sits as a TV show. It could just as easily have been in Dermot Bannons series. It was effectively a new build, and they could have done a better job without being constrained by the existing shape.

I missed the start of it but it seems they were living in the house beforehand, so rather than pay €150K then a clear site might have been maybe €50K to buy and the build cost less as there was no demolition or retrofit.

In defence of the galvanised roof, I spend a bit of time under them, and there is something nice about rain beating down, IMO.

False Prophet

Only saw the last 20ish mins of it but half a million and not even a proper roof, tiger is back!

I also wouldnt be a big fan of the fact that it didn't seem to give much privacy from people coming in the drive.

But nice couple and nice wood island etc as well as good views.

Atlantic Dawn

Corrugated roof was atrocious, why didn't they go with coloured slate instead, it's a house, not a jaysus art exhibition for cars driving by to gawk at. More expense with the slate but a much more future proof job. I can never understand people fitting nice fancy modern high end kitchens and then putting poverty spec €9.99 white switches for the main cooking appliances. I'd love to know the energy rating before and after.

I'd like to see the Bungalow book make a comeback, why bother making a seperate design for each individual house around the country? An A++ rated bungalow built in Bally Back Of My Hole is the same as one built in a city, no adaptions needed. I don't like all the options when doing a one off, opening a book and choosing page 7 is the way to go.

Treppen

Half a million was insane. Couldn't get over the main road outside either.

If I had 350k to spare I'd be flogging that house and land ASAP and upping sticks.

3 bedrooms were tiny (considering there was about 20 rooms to start with).

Ya the finish was nice and we can argue over the colour. But 350k !!! Considering it started out with 210k you can tell they were rrrrrrriiiddden by the architects and builders.

Just do an update on the bungalow book.

I only caught bits and pieces as I was working away on the computer but I liked it.

Value for money? probably not, but nicely finished.

recipio

Too much money for what they got. The green roof was a product of the architect's imagination. Black with white walls would have been a better solution.

joebre

Did he say it was 3,000 sq. ft ? Couldn't imagine it was that size to start with ? They kept describing it as a bungalow ! It had at least one gable window and 2 Velux windows to the rear. Did they just have a mezzanine or did they develop more of the attic space ?

Princess Calla

I love the way couples can just pull another 100K out of their holes.

A budget of 200k for a refurb in my opinion is generous and then you have the architects saying how tight it is....spare me.....then it increases to 330K ffs.

Thought the house was lovely but open plan is a massive bug bear of mine. Fine when kids are small but once they reach teenage years they have no where to bring their friends in unless they go to their bedrooms.

Realistically they'll probably have another child so that's all 3 bedrooms used.

If it were me I'd have gone 4 beds, I also would have had a seperate reception room somewhere guests can go, or family can go if you have guests then maybe a study/playroom.

Though I do think they had a snug, which brings me to second bug bear of all these programmes .....why is so much time allocated to what architects/builders are up to and absolute seconds allocated to the finished rooms.....master bedroom we got a look at a pillow, ensuite a look at a mirror didn't see the wardrobes, I appreciate it is someone's home but they did volunteer for the show.

gmisk

I loved the inside of the house, lovely scandi style to it, lots of wood and the no skirting etc is slick. Liked the polished concrete floor as well. They didn't focus much on the island he made oddly. But the other furniture was terrific. As were the windows.

But I don't get the roof at all....it looked horrible...the colour hmm....the noise! I would think could be hard to maintain, possibly hard to insure? And only three bedrooms at the end of the day.

The money spent felt like an awful lot, especially given how much they reduced the size of the place, maybe the pandemic didn't help in they, I suppose not a concern unless they need to sell up.

MBE220d

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118255219#Comment_118255219

It cost them 500k in total, what is it worth today if you were to sell it? would you even get 250/300k for it?

MBE220d

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118256358#Comment_118256358

I wonder would the same architect have put that galvanised roof on their own house, I doubt it very much.

All these architects seem to do is go out of their way to spend other peoples money in the hope that they do something that gets them noticed.

yabadabado

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118254793#Comment_118254793

The bungalow book or a similar modern book of plans would be a good idea.

Some of the ideas in these type of shows ,seem to be purely the architect pushing for some thing that might get them noticed.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118259253#Comment_118259253

Yeah it's weird, they said they couldn't afford Dublin prices but 500K would get you a 3 bedroom house in Dublin. Granted you won't get the land.

funkey_monkey

I thought the other architects got to present ideas too?

When they went as far as they did they should have razed it to the ground and stated again.

I like the premise of it - the dreary bungalow boom of the Irish landscape in the '70s being revisited. Many here no doubt grew up in one (I did) but those cavernous, clinical warehouses beloved of architects/interior designers today... I'm sick of them. They're so cold. And unnecessarily big.

Treppen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118259253#Comment_118259253

Depends on the land I suppose.

350k for an extension seems a bit nutty to me.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118260798#Comment_118260798

Well they were able to buy the original house for 150 with the land obviously 😊 100% increase on market value would still only bring it to 300k I'm not aware of any area increasing by 100% in last 10 years especially not Connemara.

It's a nice high spec house and it is their "forever home" but I'd imagine if it was brought to market now it would sell at a loss.

500k for a 3 bed bungalow in Connemara seems ridiculous.

The Cush

Had a look at the planning, big attic space (4.1 x 6.6) over sleeping area, with gable window and rooflight, future bedroom no. 4? Also separate loft and storage space. They didn't show us that on the programme.

http://gccapps.galwaycoco.ie/ViewPlanningDocuments/ViewPDF.aspx?ref=2270788

My Bungalow Bliss (rte.ie)

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118260756#Comment_118260756

Exactly, I feel the book raised a huge percentage of the population back in the day who couldn't afford a 'mainstream home'. I don't recall a single case of Mica or any poor design issue that the designers had to be sued about or the owners put out of their home about.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058220772/my-bungalow-bliss

I watched a little of this and found it utterly bizzare as to why, having gutted the entire shell they left supporting walls and roof structure in place ( albeit roof tiles removed and replaced with steel cladding).

Then they spend over €350k (didn't see final bill) renovating, it made no logical sense. Surely having gone as far as they did, would it not have been wiser and possibly cheaper to demolish completely and start from scratch.

Read some reviews also and not terribly good.

Scag Mattress

Watched this last night,

I cant believe a furniture maker had no interested in making anything for his own house.

Hard to see any value for money and no TV!

ednwireland

I'm still trying to figure where they spent 350k. although I suppose its 3000 sq ft.

yeh weird he didnt make furniture.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118261109#Comment_118261109

That wouldn't have been tolerated on Grand Designs 😊 some amazing stories, Builds and even more amazing furniture made by participants.

Scag Mattress

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118261109#Comment_118261109

The wife basically laughed when they suggested he make the Island.

He'd have plenty of spare time on his hands as a lecturer too and clearly has access to a fully loaded workshop.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118260821#Comment_118260821

Our house increased 100 percent on our purchase and we only picked it up 4 years ago. That said we bought savvy, we bought a location I saw the potential. And it's got the valuation from multiple separate agents one over the phone without a viewing.... All within 10 grand of each other.

As for the house on the shower. I like it, I don't like the shade of green though maybe darker I think. But the notion you'd pick up a detached house with that level of land and size and space in Dublin for 500k or anything remotely close to that money is hilarious. Dublin isn't the centre of the universe. This couple got a lot for their money overall.

Admittedly the build costs are massive. But the industry is that cost now. No one can escape the costs. They had no control over that tbh.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118261119#Comment_118261119

I didn't see the entire episode but the bits I saw I got the sense the Hubby very indecisive and perhaps somewhat unmotivated, I'm being generous, (perhaps I'm being unfair) 🤔

FrancieBrady

I always reckon the numbers (costs) are makey up on these programmes as are the routine dramas about budgets/fights with builders etc. It's a TV programme after all.

Liked what they did myself and the roof was what at least one of the clients was looking for in the brief - a statement.

Properly insulated there would be minimal rain noise on a handful of days when you get torrential rain. There a good deal of myth about steel roofs out there tbh. I speak from some experience on that, properly done they are as good a way of doing it as any.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118261144#Comment_118261144

Haven't heard that phrase in a while Francie (Makey Uppy) 😉😊

ec_pc

Having done something similar ourselves last year and finished just before Covid kicked in,I can tell you 350K does not go far in such a renovation. At the outset we were told 220K was a very healthy budget, but all quotes came in at over 400K and we were not building a mansion. There are reasons behind keeping certain parts of the original fabric of the building, planning in our case was one of them - it just made the process easier and quicker and we were told there is no cost advantage to flattening the old structure and restarting.

When you consider the bit ticket items in such a house - heating and electrical probably at least 20-25k each, insulation at least 15k, blockwork, plastering, roofing, flooring etc, It all adds up, And then you have the finish - kitchens, bathrooms etc. We spent the extra money to get the finish we wanted as it's a house for live, so the investment is for the next 50 years (I hope!)

French Toast

Scandalous amount of money to spend. Surely would have more to show for their money if they had knocked it and started over.

350k would build a beautiful house (or would have done 6 months ago before prices sky rocketed).

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118261103#Comment_118261103

What's the saying...."those that can't , teach"

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118261128#Comment_118261128

I never said you would get the same in Dublin , like for like.

I pointed out that said they couldn't afford Dublin and didn't want to live in a commuter town.

The point I was making for 500K you would get a 3 bedroom even a 4 bedroom house in Dublin.

While I appreciate Dublin isn't the centre of the universe she's from Kildare, can't remember where he was from but they've moved to the other side of the country away from their family and friends. I know plenty of people do it, but it can be lonely especially with a young family and little or no babysitting support.

Was Niki on something before? She looks very familiar...

recipio

Are those metal roofs guaranteed for life or do they rust away.? I'd hate to have to replace it in 30 years time !

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118262229#Comment_118262229

I'd personally doubt they are Gaurenteed for 30 years, I've been looking at this option myself, there's a discoloration gaurentee of 20 years on the quotes I've got. I supposed it's down to the type of cladding choosen, is it galvanised etc. I'm no expert incidently, others may have different opinions. I'm looking at a tile effect, insulated type.

Deeec

I liked the interior - Bedrooms and kitchen cooking area seemed a little too small though. Not keen on the green roof. Imagine living next too this - I wouldnt be happy if my neighbours put on a green roof. As it ages it will be an eyesore. I never get how architects say that it ( ie green roof) fits into the surroundings - to me it doesnt.

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118261133#Comment_118261133

I think he just didnt like the design, but was railroaded into it.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118262357#Comment_118262357

You could be right 😉

recipio

One reason for doing a major renovation is to bring the insulation and heating standards up to current levels. I hate the way these programmes never mention this - I suppose they are considered too nerdy for most of us. The 'human story' gets preference instead.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118262416#Comment_118262416

Hugh mentioned insulation, said usually built with two tinder blocks with a gap in-between that may or may not get stuffed with paper,proceeded then to pull out a wad of paper.

They put 150 mm (I think) of insulation on the walls.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118261103#Comment_118261103

What? Lazy sh*te.

Some before and after pictures here. Including the original ground plan. https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2021/1201/1264206-gallery-galway-bungalow-transformed-into-modern-home/

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118262520#Comment_118262520

Thanks, I didn't see the entire program, will have to look at it later.

Honestly, I'm not impressed with the exterior at all and the Roof color a little loud IMO, I think a Grey Tile effect would have looked better, but again, just a personal opinion.

If it's a statement they were trying to achieve, they did, this building was once a cow shed 😁

I'm still not getting were €350k went

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118262462#Comment_118262462

Yeh, they even showed it being installed and how bad or nonexistent it was in the original.

Princess Calla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118262520#Comment_118262520

Thanks for that link.

This came up as a concern before in another show.....do all the bedrooms have a door to get outside?

1. Extra expense of the door.

2. Not very practical when you have small children or even teenagers!

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118262788#Comment_118262788

I noticed that too. The windows dont seem to have another opening other than the silly little door. Also I think those things that look like doors looks awful.

With small kids you would have to keep these locked at all times. You couldnt even leave a key in them with kids!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118262871#Comment_118262871

Only the bathroom window seems to open, apart from those doors. They’d look better with glass. I love a full patio door style window in my bedroom, but have a normal window too. I’d never have one in the kids bedrooms.

Effects

"We're really only limited by our imaginations, to what materials we can use"

Glad to see that cost doesn't come into the equation, when deciding on materials. Sure everyone has an unlimited budget, right? 😂

monseiur

It must the most expensive 3 bed bungalow west of the Shannon or perhaps east !

It would be OK for a retired couple who had more money than sense but not ideal for a young growing family

Allow €50k for site & land, it cost €450k approx, at 1,800 sq. feet that's approx €250.00 per sq foot. Compare that with what the mica affected home owners in Donegal are offered.

For €75k less they should have a modern fit for purpose house with a minimium of 4 bedrooms on ground floor and attic space completed

Architects love to indulge their fantasies as long as some poor gullible git is paying thru' the nose for it and stuck with it for decades and paying an exorbitant mortgage for the next 35 years.

Having kitchen, dining room & living room in one open plan area is a disaster and they'll regret it. It may be fine for summer holiday apartment along the Med. but not for permanent living in rainy Ireland.

Needless to say the green roof is a disaster, seeing that money was no object they should have gone for natural slate, Blue Bangor or similar. The colour was the only thing green about it - no solar or photovolatic panel in sight....but I guess they would not be visually pleasing in the eyes of airy-fairy architects.

recipio

I think the thinking was to remove the ceiling joists and put a lighter roof on the house. The rafters might not have supported a heavy roof.

The whole programme was a shocking indictment of the cost of building in Ireland. They got a pretty basic house with large windows. I wonder how much the Revenue recouped in VAT and ancillary charges never mind the builders income tax ?