Room to Improve (v2)

I liked it overall, blended in nicely with those houses around it.

What I'd like to see is someone come up with modern retrofit upgrade designs for the circa 50k council houses around the country built between 60's to 70's that could have off the shelf options to improve them without every one being a needless single one-off project.

500k is cheaper than many 3 beds in Dublin. Ours is going on the market soon and the estate agent is saying well 620-650k. It’s pretty standard but in a great location

Thats true.

Its actually closer to 600k , I think 327k initial cost plus 260k refurb, so 587k total.

House prices in Dublin are crackers.

I think they were avoiding a mortgage. Sold a house somewhere they said and had money left over from the sale, then some savings and a CU loan. Seemed to be as sensible as possible under the circumstances.

Yes, I know they were renting, I guess the house they sold is elsewhere.

I would say 90% of the attraction is the QS Claire Irwin she is an expert on keeping the costs contained and an expert on how to tweak the project to suit the SSEI grants a good QS on projects with fancy architects is worth their weight in gold plus its save all sort of issue with the builder as they know the QS knows what they are talking about.

Think I heard them say they were getting help from family for some funds. I personally think it's nuts still getting a handout from the folks at their age!

Watching the builders lifting the floors I couldn't help think could the hubby not have done this and save paying top dollar to a builder to do stuff like that.

Nice house in the end, a lifetime job.

I'd prefer to look after my elderly folks financially than them looking after me. I wouldn't ask my mother for cash or ask my missus to ask hers

Everyone's situation is different, and there's plenty of parents that can afford to help their children. It doesn't matter what age they are.

I help my own father out financially. My partner's parents are lucky enough to not need that kind of help. And I know that if my own child needs help to pay for their home in the future, I'll have no issues helping them.

Yeah that wasn't clear at all. Did the government reduce the grant or did some aspect of the build not come up to spec to meet the requirements.

Another thing that was baffling was Dermot's obsession early on in the design with bringing light from front to back. The couple never really talked about it. Seems like they'll end up with a lack of privacy as anyone passing by can see right through the house to them sitting down at their dinner. Then they'll need to put up blinds in the sitting room and kitchen defeating the purpose. Just doesn't seem practical.

Overall though a nice house at the end

Nice couple, house ended up nice. I personally hate the polished concrete floors (if thats what they were) - I don't see them as being inviting and Id guess are a pain to keep clean.

Yeah, I agree with you there. A lot of the demolition could have been done by the couple during covid, I thought myself - that said you'd wonder how much difference in price it would have made.

The programme goes to show again that the price of doing work like this here is just crazy in fairness although the couple ended up with a nice modern house.

I know alot of parents who love being able to help out their kids and "spend the inheritance" while they can see them enjoying it.

It really depends on circumstances.

Some people worked in decent jobs with good defined benefit pensions and are ok financially.

Obviously others aren't in the position to help.

I wouldn't begrudge people that can help/get help from family, regardless of age. (Unless they are the type that flitter through money taking no responsibility for their actions, but that's a different story)

in fairness i think he could have done some of this. But thats assuming hes physically able to do it, and not have other commitments. Maybe they decided that for the extra cost it was worthwhile the builder do it.

I do find concerns over 'a lack of privacy' to be kinda funny, its not like folk are camped out on the path looking in windows across the country.

Similarly, what exactly are they going to see that needs hiding?

No idea the fascination the couple had with the house. It's fine like but how in any way is the house or location unique? Even when Dermot mentioned the views, I couldn't see anything and a green in the middle of an estate is hardly a view really.

He didn't mention the orientation but obviously considered when he mentioned light etc.. Loved the curved wall and internal design. Dermot was right about the sliding doors, should just have one I thought. Red window looked nice as the row of houses were very dull and bland looking.

Wouldn't go with a mirror splashback myself but not the worst. The polished concrete will work well with the underfloor heating.