Room to Improve.

Lisha · 23-09-2019 06:52PM

Dermot liked one of my tweets of twitter last night.... weak

MidMan25 · 23-09-2019 07:07PM

harr wrote: »

Agree with this...but I think a lot of people have an emotional attachment to the house or the property has been in the family a while. So knocking it down would be out of the question. I never really understood the fascination Irish people have with property and land, I included my own parents in this living in a big 4 bedroom house when they could move down to a two bedroom and enjoy the few bob they would make on sale of house instead of struggling to heat and maintain a big house.

Thank you! I mean you can afford it, great, doesn't mean it makes sense to spend the money on it. Think of all the other things you could do with that money

If you are very wealthy then I can understand it, you have the money to own a house like that and do those other things so why not.

seannash · 23-09-2019 07:35PM

Didn't like the house this episode,regardless of the money spent.
Im currently doing a whole house renovation and double height extension on a listed building and its coming in at 100k for the build cost. Fittings and furnishings will be another 40. I have to admit this is going to be quite high spec looking when its finished.

Where the mad money is coming from is them not questioning any of the of the costs. I can bet the quote for the windows is astronomical. Same for the kitchen. No one would take the first quote and run with it. I got an insane quote from munster joinery for my timber sash windows. In the end i went with a local company who did them for half the price.

Everything is super expensive in Ireland but nobody on these shows is buying fitting or furnishings from online stores for cheaper. For example i wanted a matt black shower unit. 1600euros locally but i bought it online for 174 euros.Same for wall mounted taps, matte black. 200 here, 60 online.
This is why people cant believe the budgets on the show but if you dont question the quotes you wont be able to knock the price down.

Also your man struck me as someone who works at a cool company so wants a cool house but he himself has no style or any idea of how to get a cool house so ot totally relying on Bannon to bring the cool factor.
Missed it by a long shot this time

23-09-2019 08:36PM

Bedrooms and courtyard were gorge. Couldn’t understand the pebble dash in the kitchen. I mean if you hate it on the outside of your house why the hell would you want to see it when your having your cornflakes in the morning

Dtp1979 · 23-09-2019 10:23PM

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

cycle to Google from there.

Good one

24-09-2019 07:50AM

seannash wrote: »

Didn't like the house this episode,regardless of the money spent.
Im currently doing a whole house renovation and double height extension on a listed building and its coming in at 100k for the build cost. Fittings and furnishings will be another 40. I have to admit this is going to be quite high spec looking when its finished.

Where the mad money is coming from is them not questioning any of the of the costs. I can bet the quote for the windows is astronomical. Same for the kitchen. No one would take the first quote and run with it. I got an insane quote from munster joinery for my timber sash windows. In the end i went with a local company who did them for half the price.

Everything is super expensive in Ireland but nobody on these shows is buying fitting or furnishings from online stores for cheaper. For example i wanted a matt black shower unit. 1600euros locally but i bought it online for 174 euros.Same for wall mounted taps, matte black. 200 here, 60 online.
This is why people cant believe the budgets on the show but if you dont question the quotes you wont be able to knock the price down.

Also your man struck me as someone who works at a cool company so wants a cool house but he himself has no style or any idea of how to get a cool house so ot totally relying on Bannon to bring the cool factor.
Missed it by a long shot this time

Whole house refurb for 100k is incredible value. Did you extend or just renovate the existing house? What size was house? As someone who has just gutted and extended a four bedroom house and got good value for money and came in bang on budget I can see how expenses can mount, but some of the projects on RTI this year have spiralled to silly money.

Addle · 24-09-2019 08:17AM

I watched it again.
Still think it’s a fab job.
Only thing that I don’t like is the office.

That wall in the courtyard garden would have cost how much alone?
Don’t brick layers charge per block?
It’s not long adding up.

screamer · 24-09-2019 08:22AM

Last weeks was the worst the price of it, would’ve been cheaper to knock and rebuild. Insane 190k to refurb that.
If it’s that expensive, I can’t see how second hand homes will be worth buying at all.

meeeeh · 24-09-2019 09:17AM

screamer wrote: »

Last weeks was the worst the price of it, would’ve been cheaper to knock and rebuild. Insane 190k to refurb that.
If it’s that expensive, I can’t see how second hand homes will be worth buying at all.

No it wouldn't. To redo the yard, finish the house to certain energy standard and do the extension you need money. I bet the underfloor heating and heat pump came to 30k at least (I'm being conservative).

You won't build an one of house of that size for 190k. I'd like to see if anyone who built their own house of about 200sqm came under 250k. I would say vast majority of us spent over 300k especially if you include landscaping, furniture and fittings.

seannash · 24-09-2019 09:24AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Whole house refurb for 100k is incredible value. Did you extend or just renovate the existing house? What size was house? As someone who has just gutted and extended a four bedroom house and got good value for money and came in bang on budget I can see how expenses can mount, but some of the projects on RTI this year have spiralled to silly money.

Well 100k is just the build cost. We did extend out and up.The 40k for furnishings includes stuff like traditional column radiators, Crittal style door screen and timber windows.
It wont be a showroom finish when its done initially but I think it’s a reasonable price for the work involved
The builder covered the Iroko cladding on the extension in his build price and also lath and plaster the second floor ceilings.
The radiators for example can cost a lot of money if you walk into a store or in some online stores but I got my 10 3 column radiators from Mano Mano for 1400 GBP.
This is where RTI is really taking the proverbial. There’s no sourcing for better deals.
In terms of my house it is small but split over 3 floors as well as a Utility/Shed just 4 ft outside the back door.
My partner has a an Instagram page for it (As is the norm this day and age)
https://www.instagram.com/64chapelstreet/

The costs are definitely spiraling out of control on the show. Whos tenders for these jobs, do they just take on quote from each building fim or do they go back and haggle as is the norm on every single job?

meeeeh · 24-09-2019 09:27AM

To what energy standard is house and extension done and what heating system?

loyatemu · 24-09-2019 09:46AM

meeeeh wrote: »

To what energy standard is house and extension done and what heating system?

they said it was A rated throughout but didn't go into any further detail, it's not Eco-Eye.

meeeeh · 24-09-2019 09:51AM

loyatemu wrote: »

they said it was A rated throughout but didn't go into any further detail, it's not Eco-Eye.

I was responding to the poster above who is building an extension. I'm all for bargains and we sourced a lot of stuff over the internet but the cost mounts up once you start installing decent heating systems or adding insulation. Not to mention good quality windows.

seannash · 24-09-2019 10:12AM

meeeeh wrote: »

I was responding to the poster above who is building an extension. I'm all for bargains and we sourced a lot of stuff over the internet but the cost mounts up once you start installing decent heating systems or adding insulation. Not to mention good quality windows.

Tricky to answer this. Its a listed building so I cannot replace the old sash single glazed windows in the existing part of the building but Its has very thick walls and we are allows to use IQ Therm insulated board on the exterior facing walls(Included in the build cost quote).
Got two sliding sash timber windows to go into the existing space (Single glazed as stipulated by the conservation architect, 1400 Euros) and 3 double glazed timber windows for the extensions (1500 euros, Different company)
Crittall screen is double glazed. Its about2.4mtrs wide by 2 mtres high (Going from memory)

Heating system is combi boiler (Covered in build cost) feeding Anthrcite radiators throughout. I've over specced the radiators for the rooms. Heat pump would not see the returns when we weighed it up plus we have gas on the street.

I'll obviously be getting a BER cert at the end of it all but its hard to give a definitive answer to what it will be.

Where else I saved, I got old science desks, solid Sapelle countertops from an old school for 150 euros with a large Belfast sink.

Old pine beams came out of an old stables in Monaghan. 15 of them for 100 euros.
Larger pine beam came out of the same stables was also 100 quid.
2 Solid oak lintels over the kitchen windows were 400 euros from a tree surgeon in Meath who also rips down the felled trees.

I admit its a hobby of mine to source things online and haggle but its a more realistic approach than what is happening on RTI

meeeeh · 24-09-2019 10:35AM

The reason I'm asking is because I remember we didn't go for heat pump because of cost. Dad is looking at retro fitting it. It's coming at about 20k and that's in a country that is cheaper for labour and tends to be cheaper for parts too. I know at least two weeks ago they were installing heat pump.

I just don't believe you can self build a house for 190k to any modern standard. Listed properties are probably different but they come with other costs. Btw we did get old beams, railway sleepers, some granite blocks and belfast sink for almost no money. They are all used but none of them were essential items that would actually bring down the cost of build. (belfast sink is in the garage and most of other stuff was used in the garden).

turbbo · 24-09-2019 10:43AM

harr wrote: »

I never really understood the fascination Irish people have with property and land, I included my own parents in this living in a big 4 bedroom house when they could move down to a two bedroom and enjoy the few bob they would make on sale of house instead of struggling to heat and maintain a big house.

We've had successive governments that don't address it.
We have some of the lowest property taxes in the world.
We should have tax incentives for older retired people to move out of cities and locations near schools/jobs etc. and give younger families a chance.
We tax other investments heavily i.e. shares etc.
As a culture we cling to land because historically it was taken from us.

Moving house is not encouraged as it is in most other countries.
Typically houses like the one on the last ep. of RTI are sold because the person that lived there previously either died or has gone into long term care - 9 times out of 10 that would've been their first and last house.
At least houses like this in Dublin are being bought and rebuilt. It's not the same when you travel to beautiful country places like Kerry which have been littered with summer homes that are used maybe once a year if even that much. They fall in disrepair and are an absolute eyesore - again taxation on such properties would make people think twice before buying them.
Not to mention all the derelict houses that litter the countryside - again a derelict site notice and a few fines would go a long way to making the countryside more beautiful.

Idbatterim · 24-09-2019 10:45AM

I’m doing up a ten thousand square foot house over a long period of time. If you want stuff immediately here and don’t shop around , you’ll pay through the nose. God help you out n a project here if you aren’t a little handy yourself either ! The budgets on this show are comedy!

Defo right to screen off the front garden though! Is that area actually Rathfarnham? I’m assuming it is, but wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t and was referred to as Rathfarnham is more upmarket , but not upmarket...

dmakc · 24-09-2019 11:23AM

Much of this project to me seemed about keeping up with the Joneses. The episode wasn't about what your initial budget is, but the amount you're "cool" with exceeding it by on national television.

The office wallpaper to me shows a desire for tranquility and peace, as do the walls around the garden platform to add an extra blockade to the hedges from the busy streets. They seem binded by work / familiy commitments from achieving what/where they probably would love to live.

turbbo · 24-09-2019 11:27AM

Dermo was right about the kitchen - that burgundy shaker yoke she put in was rank.

Addle · 24-09-2019 11:32AM

I loved the cookies, kind of autumnal.

ted1 · 24-09-2019 11:45AM

Idbatterim wrote: »

Defo right to screen off the front garden though! Is that area actually Rathfarnham? I’m assuming it is, but wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t and was referred to as Rathfarnham is more upmarket , but not upmarket...

Knocklyon, Whitechurch or firhouse. Not Rathfarnham.

ifElseThen · 24-09-2019 12:57PM

According to this...it lies in the Rathfarnham boundaries

https://www.townlands.ie/dublin/rathfarnham/

Muahahaha · 24-09-2019 01:25PM

seannash wrote: »

Didn't like the house this episode,regardless of the money spent.
Im currently doing a whole house renovation and double height extension on a listed building and its coming in at 100k for the build cost. Fittings and furnishings will be another 40. I have to admit this is going to be quite high spec looking when its finished.

Where the mad money is coming from is them not questioning any of the of the costs. I can bet the quote for the windows is astronomical. Same for the kitchen. No one would take the first quote and run with it. I got an insane quote from munster joinery for my timber sash windows. In the end i went with a local company who did them for half the price.

Everything is super expensive in Ireland but nobody on these shows is buying fitting or furnishings from online stores for cheaper. For example i wanted a matt black shower unit. 1600euros locally but i bought it online for 174 euros.Same for wall mounted taps, matte black. 200 here, 60 online.
This is why people cant believe the budgets on the show but if you dont question the quotes you wont be able to knock the price down.

Also your man struck me as someone who works at a cool company so wants a cool house but he himself has no style or any idea of how to get a cool house so ot totally relying on Bannon to bring the cool factor.
Missed it by a long shot this time

Agree 100% with this, Im doing a renovation myself bit by bit and one thing that soon hit me was the disparity in costs. If you dont shop around you are going to get totally ripped off. Only last week I got quoted by a flooring company with national radio ads, they quoted €1,461 for 45sqm of 12mm Kronoswiss laminate flooring, underlay and skirting boards. Yesterday I bought all those exact same products/brands online from the UK for €882 and £80 of that was the delivery charge, delivery would have been free if I lived on the mainland.

Had an air to air heat pump installed a few weeks back and the quotes I got (for the exact same Mitsubishi equipment supplied and installed) were €3,600, €3,100 and €1,900 which I found pretty incredible given the equipment cost was €1,300 and the installation took 4 hours. The company charging €3,600 basically saw their four hours work as being worth a staggering €2,300, a complete joke imo. This company specialises in heat pumps for retrofits and new builds so I can only assume anyone who uses them are getting shafted

When it comes to renovations in Ireland if you dont shop around you're going to be paying 30-50% more than someone who has. I get the impression from Room to Improve that either Dermot is recommending companies to work with for heat pumps, heat recovery ventilation, etc and they are the most expensive in the market. Either that or the clients are just ringing up the first result in a Google search and going with that without checking prices elsewhere.

Also as pointed out by others back up the thread these crazy prices give the viewing public the impression that renovations cost a fortune and are therefore out of budget for everyone who doesnt have €250k to drop. If anything it is misleading and discourages people to do works on their house because the costs shown on Room to Improve have frightened the hell out of them.

Addle · 24-09-2019 01:32PM

They can afford not to wait and to pay other people to do things for them.
I imagine their time is valuable.
Fair play to them.

Princess Calla · 24-09-2019 01:46PM

Well the whole idea of the show at the start was to illustrate that people don't need to sell up to get extra space they need. They could improve their own house.

They have meandered well away from that idea.

There's only a handful of areas that if you pumped half the purchase price into a house you would get back on resale. I appreciate these are in theory forever homes!

I would say there are a handful of suppliers that dermot has on speed dial for these builds.

chooseusername · 24-09-2019 01:52PM

turbbo wrote: »

Dermo was right about the kitchen - that burgundy shaker yoke she put in was rank.

But;"I can paint over it"

turbbo · 24-09-2019 03:43PM

chooseusername wrote: »

But;"I can paint over it"

Some things paint can't hide.

24-09-2019 04:00PM

seannash wrote: »

Well 100k is just the build cost. We did extend out and up.The 40k for furnishings includes stuff like traditional column radiators, Crittal style door screen and timber windows.
It wont be a showroom finish when its done initially but I think it’s a reasonable price for the work involved
The builder covered the Iroko cladding on the extension in his build price and also lath and plaster the second floor ceilings.
The radiators for example can cost a lot of money if you walk into a store or in some online stores but I got my 10 3 column radiators from Mano Mano for 1400 GBP.
This is where RTI is really taking the proverbial. There’s no sourcing for better deals.
In terms of my house it is small but split over 3 floors as well as a Utility/Shed just 4 ft outside the back door.
My partner has a an Instagram page for it (As is the norm this day and age)
https://www.instagram.com/64chapelstreet/

The costs are definitely spiraling out of control on the show. Whos tenders for these jobs, do they just take on quote from each building fim or do they go back and haggle as is the norm on every single job?

Looks lovely, well done. We did a total refurb and two-storey extension on a bigger house for 180 but the price included everything bar the actual furniture so I suppose I am not comparing like with like.

I think the costs are often down to clients getting carried away and them wanting more and more - not sure the huge costs are in items like the rads etc, but if you do have your head screwed on you can make huge savings. Just bought a lamp online for half the price my lighting showroom is charging!

CassieManson · 24-09-2019 04:05PM

ifElseThen wrote: »

According to this...it lies in the Rathfarnham boundaries

https://www.townlands.ie/dublin/rathfarnham/

Thats a very interesting map..I live in Rathfarnham but am surprised to see that Terenure and Kimmage are both in Rathfarnham but Marlay Park is not...

I wonder if this is the current boundary?

24-09-2019 04:05PM

"Agree 100% with this, Im doing a renovation myself bit by bit and one thing that soon hit me was the disparity in costs. If you dont shop around you are going to get totally ripped off. Only last week I got quoted by a flooring company with national radio ads, they quoted €1,461 for 45sqm of 12mm Kronoswiss laminate flooring, underlay and skirting boards. Yesterday I bought all those exact same products/brands online from the UK for €882 and £80 of that was the delivery charge, delivery would have been free if I lived on the mainland."

I often think the prices showrooms charge for items are notional and are only actually paid by people who are naive. Same as us, I got a price of 5k for similar laminate and then went to same supplier with a 3.5k quote from a rival and asked him to match it which he did. 1.5k saving just like that!

Room to Improve.

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