Build a modular / prefab house in Ireland: how complicated and expensive is it?

islabonita

bennyineire wrote: »

Here are 2 house attached to each other with what looks like a shared garden at the back for €185K

It is in the nice town of Birr in County Offaly, the nearest big hospital is in Tullamore which is about a 30 minute drive.

Birr itself has supermarkets and shops and is about 90 minutes drive to Dublin

http://www.daft.ie/offaly/houses-for-sale/birr/two-houses-in-townsend-street-birr-offaly-1479347/

Thanks but I'd prefer them without stairs...so one level.

islabonita

Mellor wrote: »

islabonita wrote: »

[
Brand new? You won't find any brand new house in the whole Australia for less than A$150,000 (about EUR100,000)

You never mentioned brand new.
Why is that an issue?

unless you are considering tiny 40 sqm places which are less common than unicorns here.

40sqm is a studio.
Which aren't uncommon at all.

They are uncommon here, I meant.

killanena

Rental crisis only exists in our cities as its hard to find good career opportunities outside them. Half if not more of our countries population live in Dublin alone. There is a massive shortage in homes in these areas which has driven up rent considerably. I live in a town on the west of Ireland and I pay a third of the rent I would pay for a similar sized flat in those areas.

islabonita

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/could-these-30000-family-log-cabins-help-solve-irelands-housing-crisis-34719811.html
[sorry I don't have the option to make the link working]

"Dublin County Council has yet to grant planning permission for the wood cabins in the city, but permission has been granted in the countryside."

islabonita

killanena wrote: »

Rental crisis only exists in our cities as its hard to find good career opportunities outside them. Half if not more of our countries population live in Dublin alone. There is a massive shortage in homes in these areas which has driven up rent considerably. I live in a town on the west of Ireland and I pay a third of the rent I would pay for a similar sized flat in those areas.

Good...I have no interest in living in Dublin.
Cork could be nice but I don't mind smaller towns.
Thanks everyone

Mellor

islabonita wrote: »

May I ask why building is so complicated given Ireland does not seen to be overpopulated and some forum members earlier claimed that there is a rental crisis? Thank you

It isn't any more or less complicated that the Australian system. You'd be pushing it to get from start to finish in 12 months too.

Find site, negotiate price, purchase site, go through settlement.
Meet an architect, discuss a design, see proposals, make changes, agree on final layout. Get survey other reports written up, lodge with council, await decision. Get tender/construction information draw up, tender to builders, apoint PCA, apply for construction certificate. Etc.
That could be 8 months to a year and you haven't even started building yet.

islabonita wrote: »

They are uncommon here, I meant.

If you mean in Australia, they aren't uncommon at all. I was talking about Australia.

looksee

OP, you really have your mind locked into Australia mode, Ireland is quite different. There are small towns and villages every few kilometers, you don't want to be anywhere too remote.

Planning has become very difficult as the planners are trying to get everyone into 'hubs' ie small (or bigger) towns that are designated for development. Check out Daft.ie for houses, there are plenty for sale in small villages. The vast majority of these now have fibre so long as you stay within the environs of the town/village. Check https://www.eir.ie/broadband/coverage-map/ for coverage areas.

There are a lot of things you may not think of till you have experienced living here. One is that people coming from drier climates find that our maritime climate is very cold, damp and chill, even though the temperatures do not get particularly low. You will need a house with good insulation and heating. Most older houses do not have this - the insulation anyway. Check out the BER rating of any house then look to see if it can be improved easily. An old solid wall house will be harder to insulate than one that can have insulation pumped in, for example. Remember that if a house is very cheap there is generally a good reason for it. Have a look at other houses in the area and see what the pattern is. And as a general rule, don't believe anything an estate agent tells you.

You can pretty much forget the idea of buying a piece of land and putting a prefab on it, it is just not feasible. It would be cheaper to buy a second hand house in reasonable condition and improve it than build new. Also you need to get your mother and yourself under as little roof as possible - two houses, or houses with extensions need more insulation and more heating.

You really need to do a lot of research in terms of simple living conditions here, standard of living is fine, but it is very different to what you may be used to.

Del2005

islabonita wrote: »

Yes, I would not build as soon as I land there. But I was hoping to do it within few months unless in winter builders do not work due to snow. I have no idea, that's why I am here looking for preliminary information from the locals. Thank you

Have you done any research into Ireland? We rarely get snow but it is wet and miserable especially the further West you go. A friend of mine married an Australian and even after several years here he was still wearing multiple layers of clothes in the summer.

If your mother is frail you seriously need to research our health services. You've heard about the housing issues, have a look at the trolley crisis.

islabonita

looksee wrote: »

OP, you really have your mind locked into Australia mode, Ireland is quite different. There are small towns and villages every few kilometers, you don't want to be anywhere too remote.

Planning has become very difficult as the planners are trying to get everyone into 'hubs' ie small (or bigger) towns that are designated for development. Check out Daft.ie for houses, there are plenty for sale in small villages. The vast majority of these now have fibre so long as you stay within the environs of the town/village. Check https://www.eir.ie/broadband/coverage-map/ for coverage areas.

There are a lot of things you may not think of till you have experienced living here. One is that people coming from drier climates find that our maritime climate is very cold, damp and chill, even though the temperatures do not get particularly low. You will need a house with good insulation and heating. Most older houses do not have this - the insulation anyway. Check out the BER rating of any house then look to see if it can be improved easily. An old solid wall house will be harder to insulate than one that can have insulation pumped in, for example. Remember that if a house is very cheap there is generally a good reason for it. Have a look at other houses in the area and see what the pattern is. And as a general rule, don't believe anything an estate agent tells you.

You can pretty much forget the idea of buying a piece of land and putting a prefab on it, it is just not feasible. It would be cheaper to buy a second hand house in reasonable condition and improve it than build new. Also you need to get your mother and yourself under as little roof as possible - two houses, or houses with extensions need more insulation and more heating.

You really need to do a lot of research in terms of simple living conditions here, standard of living is fine, but it is very different to what you may be used to.

Thank you, yes...I know daft.ie, I went there to ask the same thing on their forum but no one was answering, this forum is more active, thank you.

islabonita

Del2005 wrote: »

islabonita wrote: »

Yes, I would not build as soon as I land there. But I was hoping to do it within few months unless in winter builders do not work due to snow. I have no idea, that's why I am here looking for preliminary information from the locals. Thank you

Have you done any research into Ireland? We rarely get snow but it is wet and miserable especially the further West you go. A friend of mine married an Australian and even after several years here he was still wearing multiple layers of clothes in the summer.  

If your mother is frail you seriously need to research our health services. You've heard about the housing issues, have a look at the trolley crisis.

uhmm please don't tell me that Irish health care is not good?
do we need private health care? Thanks

Gumbo

If you don’t plan to build for a few months, where will you stay in the mean time

islabonita

Mellor wrote: »

islabonita wrote: »

May I ask why building is so complicated given Ireland does not seen to be overpopulated and some forum members earlier claimed that there is a rental crisis? Thank you

It isn't any more or less complicated that the Australian system. You'd be pushing it to get from start to finish in 12 months too.

Find site, negotiate price, purchase site, go through settlement.
Meet an architect, discuss a design, see proposals, make changes, agree on final layout. Get survey other reports written up, lodge with council, await decision. Get tender/construction information draw up, tender to builders, apoint PCA, apply for construction certificate. Etc.
That could be 8 months to a year and you haven't even started building yet.

islabonita wrote: »

They are uncommon here, I meant.

If you mean in Australia, they aren't uncommon at all. I was talking about Australia.

they are uncommon in rural/country Australia, which is where I live.
If you go to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane surely you'll find more in the CBD but as soon as you go 30KM out, the average house has 3 or 4 bedroom.

bennyineire

islabonita wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/could-these-30000-family-log-cabins-help-solve-irelands-housing-crisis-34719811.html
[sorry I don't have the option to make the link working]

"Dublin County Council has yet to grant planning permission for the wood cabins in the city, but permission has been granted in the countryside."

You would still need planning permission for each individual building, I think what is meant by but permission has been granted in the countryside." is that there have been some individual permission granted, it is not a blanket planning permission for all of these types of building

islabonita

kceire wrote: »

If you don’t plan to build for a few months, where will you stay in the mean time

I was thinking to rent...unless you tell me that there are no rentals in the whole Ireland?

jester77

islabonita wrote: »

uhmm please don't tell me that Irish health care is not good?
do we need private health care? Thanks

Private will help you get looked after quicker for non-serious situations. I don't think there is a lot of difference for serious conditions between private and public, but maybe someone can correct me.

Private is probably worth it, plus it is cheap in Ireland. You can easily get good private coverage for less than 3k per annum.

islabonita

bennyineire wrote: »

islabonita wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/could-these-30000-family-log-cabins-help-solve-irelands-housing-crisis-34719811.html
[sorry I don't have the option to make the link working]

"Dublin County Council has yet to grant planning permission for the wood cabins in the city, but permission has been granted in the countryside."

You would still need planning permission for each individual building, I think what is meant by but permission has been granted in the countryside." is that there have been some individual permission granted, it is not a blanket planning permission for all of these types of building

of course, same happens here...planning and plumbing permits are standard for nearly every new building project.

Lumen

"Log cabins" are not your solution.

The Indo is a rag, don't trust anything you read in there.

Stheno

jester77 wrote: »

Private will help you get looked after quicker for non-serious situations. I don't think there is a lot of difference for serious conditions between private and public, but maybe someone can correct me.

Private is probably worth it, plus it is cheap in Ireland. You can easily get good private coverage for less than 3k per annum.

If OP and her mother are over 35 the a loading will apply to private healthcare.
http://www.irishlifehealth.ie/lcr/

Additionally any existing conditions will have at least a five year waiting time to be covered.

looksee

Modular houses and log cabins are not the same. Modular housing works out as least as expensive as regular building and is quite complicated to organise. Mostly they only do the foundations and wall units and you have to organise ground works, roof tiling, plumbing, electrics, interior finishes etc. You will still need an engineer to sign it off. Log cabins are not suited to Irish weather - reference the damp mentioned. You will also have planning and insurance issues, even if you find a site to put one on. Overall you will spend as much as regular building and more than a second hand house.

Del2005

Stheno wrote: »

If OP and her mother are over 35 the a loading will apply to private healthcare.
http://www.irishlifehealth.ie/lcr/

Additionally any existing conditions will have at least a five year waiting time to be covered.

Health insurance is handy for elective issues. If you need to attend A&E it makes no difference, apart from the rip off charge to the insurance company, as private rooms in public hospitals are for contagious or immune suppressed people. Insurance or not you end up in a ward at best.

Spanish Eyes

OP just hunt around for an existing property that suits you and mother's needs. Forget about Planning, it is a pain, and not to be too bad about it, sometimes the neighbours can object just because you are a Blow In.

I know this personally, and gave up. And I am from Ireland FGS!

Existing property is the way to go.

awec

islabonita wrote: »

I was thinking to rent...unless you tell me that there are no rentals in the whole Ireland?

There are rentals.

There's just a shortage in the places people want to live.

Del2005

awec wrote: »

There are rentals.

There's just a shortage in the places people want to live.

Since the OP isn't doing what a large percentage of the homeless who refuse homes are doing, by bringing their Mammy with them they won't have an issue with rental, especially since they are willing to travel for an hour to the shops. There are plenty of places to rent if you look further than around the corner from your parents council house.

Peregrinus

awec wrote: »

There are rentals.

There's just a shortage in the places people want to live.

But the OP is open to living anywhere that is within an hour of a hospital and a supermarket.

Large tracts of bogland and mountain upland aside, the bulk of the inhabited areas of the country fit that description. The OP doesn't have family or personal connections to any particular place in Ireland, so she is certainly open to living in underpopulated areas where there is not much demand for housing.

Mellor

islabonita wrote: »

they are uncommon in rural/country Australia, which is where I live.
If you go to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane surely you'll find more in the CBD but as soon as you go 30KM out, the average house has 3 or 4 bedroom.

They still exist 30km outside of the CBD. There are towns everywhere. You suggested they didn't exist at all. On a 2 acre block of farm land, they are less common. The reason for that is obvious, why build a shoebox on 2 acres.

Regardless, you are talking about building. Nothing stopping you building one if none exist in your area. Where exactly do you want to live in australia?

islabonita

Peregrinus wrote: »

awec wrote: »

There are rentals.

There's just a shortage in the places people want to live.

But the OP is open to living anywhere that is within an hour of a hospital and a supermarket.  

Large tracts of bogland and mountain upland aside, the bulk of the inhabited areas of the country fit that description.  The OP doesn't have family or personal connections to any particular place in Ireland, so she is certainly open to living in underpopulated areas where there is not much demand for housing.

exactly, like I said, we have very few needs.
Internet, no stairs.
Then if we can choose I will add this: within 1 hour from a supermarket and a hospital.
I apologize but English is my second language and did not express myself properly in the opening post. I do realize now that I should have included in the title: log/timber homes.
Thanks everyone

islabonita

Mellor wrote: »

islabonita wrote: »

they are uncommon in rural/country Australia, which is where I live.
If you go to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane surely you'll find more in the CBD but as soon as you go 30KM out, the average house has 3 or 4 bedroom.

They still exist 30km outside of the CBD. There are towns everywhere. You suggested they didn't exist at all. On a 2 acre block of farm land, they are less common. The reason for that is obvious, why build a shoebox on 2 acres.

Regardless, you are talking about building. Nothing stopping you building one if none exist in your area. Where exactly do you want to live in australia?

You do not get it, do you?
The main reason for me considering to move back to Europe is the fact that my mother cannot stay here longer than 12 months and the parent Visa queue has reached 30 years unless you pay about $47,000 for the recently introduced faster option which still takes a few years. New Zealand instead has stopped them all together except for rich retired parents who can invest a lot of money. In Ireland, we won't have Visa issues.

Peregrinus

Mellor wrote: »

They still exist 30km outside of the CBD. There are towns everywhere. You suggested they didn't exist at all. On a 2 acre block of farm land, they are less common. The reason for that is obvious, why build a shoebox on 2 acres.

Regardless, you are talking about building. Nothing stopping you building one if none exist in your area. Where exactly do you want to live in australia?

Check out post #23. The OP's Mum is Italian, and can't get a visa which will entitle her to remain in Australia for more than 12 months. The OP has EU citizenship (presumably Italian) but doesn't wish to live in Italy. However both the OP and her mother can, of course, live anywhere in the EU. The OP has, for whatever reason, a preference for building homes for both her and her mother, rather than buying existing homes, and she hopes that, given her budget and her criteria as regards size, location, etc, she can do that in Ireland.

islabonita

Look at these!!
https://www.beaverlogcabins.ie
so cheap!
I found some land in a place named Mullingar...for 50K, residential, it says NO local needs.

Mellor

islabonita wrote: »

You do not get it, do you?
The main reason for me considering to move back to Europe is the fact that my mother cannot stay here longer than 12 months and the parent Visa queue has reached 30 years unless you pay about $47,000 for the recently introduced faster option which still takes a few years. New Zealand instead has stopped them all together except for rich retired parents who can invest a lot of money. In Ireland, we won't have Visa issues.

Honestly, I missed that part.
I was replying to your posts about Australian housing - if you have zero intentions to live in Australia, I'm not sure that was even brought up.

The rest of my post stands. You appear to be underestimating whats required to build a house. The process is essentially the same in Ireland and Australia. 12 months won't happen. 18-24 months would be what I'd expect from airport to moving in, if you are lucky.
But you could be renting in no time if just getting here is the priority. You can take your time then.

islabonita wrote: »

Look at these!!
https://www.beaverlogcabins.ie
so cheap!
I found some land in a place named Mullingar...for 50K, residential, it says NO local needs.

They are basically garden sheds, not houses. They wouldn't comply (at that spec) with regulations for residential development. In short you wouldn't get planning permission without paying a professional to redesign, and a builder to rebuild.