Anne & Niall’s tips

Take a breath. Don’t jump when you get asked immediately to come on site because the builder makes everything sound urgent. That’s not always the case.

Get the design right for the fundamentals. Spend on the things that can’t be easily changed and make sure you get them right.

Do your research and make sure you get the grants you’re entitled to because I think we missed out on some along the way.

Shop around. To save money when sourcing specific items look further afield than just in Ireland. There can be alternative ways to source the same thing.

Bathroom: “We made sure to invest in our sanitaryware that was a splurge beyond what we originally planned,” says Anne.

EXTENSION & RENOVATION

ballpark figures of what an element might cost. “We had full control over what we selected,” says Anne. “We went to a lighting designer and purchased all the spotlights for the open plan area. We invested in the kitchen light fitting, but for the bedrooms and other areas where the aesthetic isn’t quite so important, we sourced cheaper pendants or quality secondhand fittings. Again, we decided to choose cheaper options at the start, which we might replace in the future.”

The interior style reflects the couple’s previous life down under. “We shipped all of our furniture over from Australia,” says Niall. “We had lived in unfurnished rental apartments while living there, so we’d already accumulated a lot of items that we love.”

Mature approach

The existing garden with its mature trees and shrubs provided the Jordans with an attractive starting point externally. “We tried to hang on to as many trees as we could, and make sure those were protected during the build,” says Anne. A new patio was installed and hard standing areas for the children to run their scooters, and an external electrical point will facilitate future garden

October 2017

House bought

August 2019

Planning applied

October 2019

Planning granted

October 2020

Build start

November 2021

Build end and moved in lighting.

“Having Kilkenny Castle and its grounds on our doorstep is such a great outdoor resource for the children that we haven’t felt the need to develop the garden as a play area,” says Anna.

Looking back, time was the biggest challenge facing the Jordans during their home improvement project. “The impact of Covid on the build meant that what was to be a six month programme was stretched to 13 months,” says Anne. “We were living in rental accommodation with a one year lease, which was running out so there was a lot of stress towards the end.”

The finished house had a lot of expectations to live up to. Is it what they had hoped for?

“I think so,” says Anne. “I think the process of trying to juggle two busy jobs, raise two small children and doing the house was tough, and I didn’t get that warm, fuzzy feeling when we moved back in. But over this year, as we’ve added to and bought things specifically for it, the house now feels like a lovely, warm family home.”

“It is our first and forever family home. We don’t plan on having another.”