The Building Journal

Notes from the yard.

Twenty years of restoring stone cottages, re-roofing farmhouses, and renovating homes across Munster — written down plainly. No jargon, no sales pitch, just what actually works on Irish houses.

Renovated Munster home interior

Home Renovation Costs in Limerick & Munster: What to Expect in 2026

Realistic price bands for kitchens, extensions, re-roofs and full renovations — and where the grant money changes the maths.

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Restored Irish cottage interior with timber floor

Restoring an Irish Cottage: The Honest Order of Works

Buying a stone cottage to bring back to life? The order you tackle jobs in decides whether you stay dry, warm, and on budget. Here's the sequence we use.

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Derelict property being refurbished

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, Explained Plainly

Up to €70,000 toward doing up a vacant or derelict home. What qualifies, the common refusals, and how the money is actually paid out.

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Lime mortar stonework repair

Lime vs Cement: Why Old Walls Need to Breathe

The single most common mistake made on old Irish houses is trapping moisture with cement. Here's why lime is usually the right answer.

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Slate roof being replaced

Seven Signs Your Roof Needs More Than a Repair

Slipped slates you can live with. Sagging ridges and failed valleys you can't. How to tell a patch job from a re-roof before winter does it for you.

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Interior wall of an old cottage

Damp in an Old Cottage: Rising, Penetrating, or Just Condensation?

Three very different problems get called "damp." Diagnosing which one you actually have saves you thousands on the wrong fix.

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Foundation dug for a house extension

Extending a Home in Ireland: Planning, Exemptions & Budget

What you can build without planning permission, when you need it, and the costs people forget until the digger arrives.

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