January 24, 2005

Self Build In Ireland - Mayo

We are based in Mayo, Ireland.
Having lived away for 10 years we decided it was time to return home to build our dream home.
Site finding started way back in October 2003. Little did I think it would be 17 months before we got a chance to clear back the site!

We saw a fee sites, price differences were strange, eventually after a number of calls we were informed of a possible site.

I rang the farmer and arranged to meet him, after a 1 hour meeting we agreed a provisional cost for the site, we were delighted and I think he was happy.

Little did he or I know that it would be March 2005 before money changed hands!!

Starting in October 2003 we designed our house, we felt that we had enough know how and confidence to come up with a design that we agreed would suit us until they wheeled us out in a coffin!

So after suprisingly little time we agreed on a design, breathed a sigh of relief and hoped to start in April 2004.

I think a few hours passed and we looked at the design and sure to what everyone told us we picked out issues with the design!
Unfortunately I don't have the originals but it would have been interesting to see what the house was like originally!

So we decided between myself and my mate to purchase "FloorPlan" software and to get a better 3D view of our designs, think we paid 40 odd Euro for it and sure enough it was excellent, we added our house design to the package and we could do fly overs and walk throughs no bother.

My Wife (then Fiancee!) and I then agreed on a new design which we were delighted with.

House would be 2510 sq Ft, would be L shaped, have entrance, study to the right, sitting room to the left, bedroom to the back left, bathroom downstairs, kitchen to the back left of the hall, where it spread into the L shaped, down 2 steps into the dining room then out in the octagonal sun lounge, there was also a utility room off the kitchen.

Up the stairs from the hall onto the landing, a bedroom, ensuite, walk-in wardrobe. Off the Landing was a main bathroom, then beside it was a walk-in hotpress.
Of this were two large bedrooms.

So we got my mate to draw up the plans on CAD, we did a site survey did the trial holes and sent in our application with our Fee.
It was end of Jan 2004 when we sent it in, hoped that we maybe able to make a start on the site in May 2004.