The Selfbuild Podcast

Jonny Orr of Daniel George Kitchens and Caroline O'Neill of Digg Mama chat about Caroline’s kitchen design journey including how she went about it and what steps she would recommend self-builders taking. The chat also focused on:·        Main things to consider when designing a kitchen; common mistakes to avoid.·        Best time to involve kitchen designers and do they do 3D renders? ·        How much do kitchens cost and where can you save money?·        Downdraft extractors vs traditional hood, which is best?·        Lighting tips including task lighting when using an in-hob extractor and whether to include lighting in all units.·        Hardwearing materials and colours, how to make sure the kitchen won’t go out of fashion.·        Not thinking of putting in an oven, is that a bad idea? If I plan to have a pantry, do I need less cupboards?·        Design tips for islands and peninsulas (breakfast bars) in the kitchen layout.

Matt Kinloch of SONAS Bathrooms and Darrel McCauley of Spectrum Bathrooms joined us at Selfbuild Live Belfast to talk about what’s trending in bathroom designs and how to get the style on a budget, includingColours and style in general: what’s on trend, e.g. is barbiecore a thing in bathrooms? What are the classics?General budget saving advice: consider number of bathrooms, size? How about renovations, how to save with existing bathroom upgrade?Sanitaryware: what’s on trend, e.g. wall hung basin/toilet and standing bath, and how to save and still get the lookFittings: what’s on trend, e.g. is gold still fashionable, and how to save and still get the lookRadiators: what’s on trend and how to save, e.g. output?Mirrors: what’s on trend, is it still LED and Bluetooth mirrors, and hacks to save.What are the other big ticket items in the bathroom and how can self-builders save?

Pete Cole of Pete Cole Consulting shares the most common issues he comes across self-build sites, including:How to work to a budget - where to spend your moneyEvaluating site conditions, from utilities running through the site to contaminationTask approval in NI, developer enquiriesVariations to designs and importance of site meetingsHow to choose a builder and pitfalls of going direct labourWhat can go wrong and examples of the need for site supervisionWhat contract to sign with your builder in NIWhat to do if you want to do some work and/or hire some trades yourselfIssue of availability of skilled labour and changing technologiesIssues with pitched warm roofs, including potential of condensation with panelsHow to deal with defectsWho has PI insurance and who needs to sign off on changesPractical examplesRecorded at Selfbuild Live Belfast in October 2023.

DJ Ramsdale of DJ Build Estimations updates us on builds costs in Ireland at Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Limerick in January 2024. He covers:How are projects costed for maximum accuracy?How much is an average self-build costing nowadays, per sqm? For what type of house?What is the most cost effective type of house to build? Size, shape, choice of building method for floor, walls roof, window, setc?What are the typical budget busters?Direct labour versus hiring a main contractor: what savings can you make?Is it cheaper to build with timber frame or blocks?Can you haggle with builder's merchants?

Architect Mark Stephens, who is based in Co Mayo, chats about how to get planning permission in ROI including:-         What is planning permission-         Who needs planning permission and under what circumstances-         The application process-         How to improve your chances of getting permission-         Main reasons for getting turned down-         Local needs provisions-         Requests for further information: what it is and what the planners commonly ask for and how that's changed over the years with computerisation-         How to make changes to an existing application that already got approved-         When to amend an application or make a fresh one-         What kind of specialist reports do you need and how much do they cost-         Examples from Mark's experience lodging planning applications

Francis Rilley of Unilin Insulation and Andrew Rennie of Energy Store chat about insulating your home in Ireland today. We caught up with them at Selfbuild Live Belfast 2023 to chat about:The different types of insulation with pros and cons for each including cost, thermal efficiency, fire resistanceRecipe for an energy efficient building fabric: insulation and airtightnessTypical wall build up scenario for a building regulations compliant house vs NZEB: block builds and timber frameTypical roof build ups and typical floor build upsPerformance gap: how can self-builders ensure that the design is right and the installation is done correctly?Typical retrofit scenarios: how to insulate an existing home (existing cavity walls, solid walls, floors, roofs)

Where are build costs heading? We look at the situation in Ireland today, in 2023 with DJ Ramsdale of DJ Build Estimations who tunes in to answer your questions about how much it costs to build in Ireland in 2023, from what method is cheapest to what to expect to pay overall. He covers:What’s the most cost effective construction method?Is a dormer cheaper than a two storey house? For an existing house is it more cost effective to demolish and rebuild, or renovate?Will material costs and labour costs stabilise? Are prices coming down enough to start a direct labour build or is labour still too expensive?What percentage of the budget goes into substructure, superstructure, internal finishes?What does a contractor typically need for a tender?What kind of house can you build today for €/£150-170k?What is the average cost per square metre these days?What exactly will the mortgage cover? How far in the build does it get you?What is a builder’s finish, what does it cover? For more on build costs go to the Selfbuild Cost Hub.

Kieran Dwyer of insurance broker SelfBuild Protect chats about: What self-build insurance is and why you need itIs self-build insurance mandatory like car insurance?What do mortgage providers look forWhat makes it difficult to insure a new build projectWhen do insurance companies insure non-standard builds?How much does insurance cost todayRenovations and extensions: when does self-build insurance kick in?New duty of care legislation in Ireland and whether it will lead to lower premiumsCompetition in ROI vs NI

Barry McCarron, Chairman of the Passive House Association of Ireland, chats about doing up his family to make it energy efficient, including:Going from a bungalow to an A rated homeCost details and how it compared to building newWhat is the fabric first approachWhat are the main types of insulation? Where are each best used?How much insulation is enough: cost optimal amount to installWhy is airtightness important?How to install insulation and airtightness correctlyThe benefits of following a set standard like the passive house standard What the future of house building and retrofitting looks like