Croi Conaithe (Towns) - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

heddie77 · 25-07-2023 12:15pm

There are alot or hidden things you have no idea !! It's like signing your home over to the council basically and man do they make you work for that money ..

heddie77 · 25-07-2023 12:17pm

Your mortgage bank has first legal charge basically and council will have second but should you wish to re mortgage in the 10 years you need approval from council which is total BS. Your mortgage bank have to sign a letter of consent re charge. Luckily my solicitor spotted all of these future problems and made them agree conditions but ita more delays for us...

TessC · 25-07-2023 2:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120893776#Comment_120893776

Is this referring to the legal side or does the council stipulate certain work that has to be done under the grant? I'm only at the application stage, so still trying to work out if it's worth going forward with.

sabpb · 26-07-2023 1:47pm

Hi folks

Myself & my partner are potentially buying a house that we’d be applying for the vacant property grant for.

Hoping to get peoples experiences on a couple of things-

We won’t have enough money to get the house fully finished & claim the grant so we were hoping to get a bridging loan to add to what we have and then pay it back when we get the grant. Has anyone done this?

Im reading a lot about people waiting ages to get payment once the work is finished. This would be a big concern if we were relying on the grant to pay back a loan within a certain timeframe. The person I’ve been dealing with in our local Coco (Sligo) has said once we’re moved in and inspection done we’d get the money in 4-8 weeks. Has anyone been paid in that timeframe?

Thanks!

Scoobydoobydoo101 · 28-07-2023 12:11am

What are people submitting as proof if they are going the DIY route,?

Also, any apply for solar panels as part of the grant?

p576131 · 28-07-2023 9:59pm

Hi everyone,

This has been a great thread to read through with lots of helpful info. I’m a FTB currently looking at a property that would qualify for the vacant home grant and needs some work done to it in fairness. Reading the thread it seems the County Council’s charge on the property seems to be an issue with the mortgage providers.

I had a chat this week with BOI but currently they don’t know how to handle the second legal charge on the property - they’re awaiting correspondence on how BOI plan to deal with them.

Does anyone know of any banks that are supporting the Vacant home grant?

thanks!

lstmd · 05-08-2023 10:09pm

Hi everyone,

I own a derelict house and am not sure where to start. Planning permission, application for derelict house grant or which other tasks I need to complete?

can I get also get a one stop shop SEAI grant as well as the derelict property grant?

thanks

mickdw · 05-08-2023 10:20pm

Is an existing eircode a requirement to apply for these grants?

Designator · 09-08-2023 8:19pm

Hi all,This is something Im looking into but finding it hard to figure out what Im eligible for or not. I bought a house 5 years ago which was previously vacant, for how long I dont know but could have been two years or more. I have been living here now for about 4 years and have been refurbishing it bit by bit myself. I am the sole occupant and the person that owns the mortgage on it. It is an old house approximately built in the late 1800's and has stone walls, etc. So just curious as to what if any grants are available for this house?

Dozz · 09-08-2023 8:29pm

@Designator I don't think you are eligible for the Vacant Home Grant as you have lived in it already. You should be eligible for the SEAI Grants though

Designator · 09-08-2023 8:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120957968#Comment_120957968

Are those the grants such as insulation grants, home heating grants etc? I think those grants only cover partial cost of the works if Im correct yes?

Dozz · 09-08-2023 8:59pm

Yes you are correct

Designator · 10-08-2023 8:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120957968#Comment_120957968

I see the seai grants offer €6,000 for external insulation on a house type of mine. Do you know is the €6,000 just to partially cover the cost or is the cost the €6,000 fully and it’s fully covered by the grant?

Dozz · 10-08-2023 8:57am

@Designator to the best of my knowledge if it costs you €6k to externally insulate your house SEAI will give you €6k. If it costs you more €6k is the max you get

Dr.Tom · 10-08-2023 10:41am

I spoke to a valuer at my local auctioneer last Friday.

Since the grant was announced they are aware of only one client of theirs getting a grant, having sold many houses which the buyers applied for grants for.

This is Cork County Council area.

Its not a black and white process.

Designator · 11-08-2023 9:54pm

Another query on this . Separate from my house I’m refurbishing .

my mother has a shop she owns that she has been working out of for over 50 years now, she’s now contemplating retirement and repurposing the premises. This shop has only ever been used for business purposes and was never lived in or built for this purpose. So we are looking into refurbishing it into a liveable dwelling to rent out , it’ll need to be rewired and totally reworked inside and outside and plumbed up for toilets etc as there was never a toilet there. Probably will only keep the back and side walls, flat roof so will need that done too. But seeing as it was never lived in even though it has been used as a business premises the last 50 years, would she be eligible for a grant to help refurbish it into a suitable dwelling?

GerardKeating · 11-08-2023 10:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119934790#Comment_119934790

Not necessarily, some policies will cover that.

Meathlass · 14-08-2023 10:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120910213#Comment_120910213

I'm sale agreed, don't have enough savings to cover renovations so am applying for vacant homes grant. BOI are insisting that I have the grant approval in place before they will issue loan offer so they definitely seem to be supporting it. There's been no mention of their having any issue with the Council having a legal charge on the house.

p576131 · 14-08-2023 12:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120975508#Comment_120975508

That’s interesting and good to know. Seems like it depends on the person you speak to?

When I spoke to the advisor she told me BOI wouldn’t allowed the second charge on the property. I’ll follow up today

danielle2023 · 16-08-2023 10:51pm

Hi, this is a really helpful thread. I'm hoping to get the grant for a derelict property but waiting on drawings to properly list the costs but would like to hear from anyone who has been successful about positives/challenges/lessons learnt in obtaining the grant.

steve_C1 · 18-08-2023 11:38am

Hi, anyone know if you can apply for solar through this scheme (instead of SEAI)?

Anyone been told by local authority?

Wording in the grant isn't clear, one interpretation is that you can but can't double grant another is that anything covered by SEAI can't be applied for under vacant home grant 🤔.

Thanks.

Dozz · 18-08-2023 3:24pm

@steve_C1 doubtful. But contact your local Vacant Homes officer to confirm.

Grant is available through SEAI so my interpretation is that you couldn't claim through Croi Conaithe Grant

GottaGetGatt · 19-08-2023 10:54am

Has anyone here actually received the grant?

PeterTork · 21-08-2023 6:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120699357#Comment_120699357

Hi, is this still going? Am interested in joining, please. I messaged you a number of days ago.

Saulgudman · 22-08-2023 11:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120999269#Comment_120999269

yeah id love to know this also

7276887e · 23-08-2023 3:05pm

Hi guys. I'm currently going through a seperation. There's an old property in my parents site that hasn't been lived in in 20 years or more. My question is, if I apply and get the grant are my parents liable for any taxes or likely to have medical card or any things taken away from them? The property is in my mother's name.

HairyCabbage · 23-08-2023 4:00pm

Apologies if this has been asked before. How long does it usually take to hear if you've been approved in principle for the grant? We're looking at a property but wouldn't be interested in buying it if we didn't know we'd get the grant. The property is within Dublin City Council remit. Do different councils have different wait times?

Carfacemandog · 27-08-2023 1:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120713035#Comment_120713035

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown officer for this told me a solicitors letter from the people we are buying from would suffice, as they are executors for the grandmother who died about 4 years back. The sellers later let us know they can also give two years of electricity bills, as the same officer had said very low usage on these would also show inoccupancy.

They are very easy things for the seller to arrange, so maybe sit on finalising any contracts etc until these are supplied.

chancer007 · 28-08-2023 1:27pm

Hi,

I also inherited a derelict house in Co Meath.

From what I have read, I need to fill in application form with proof of ownership/engineer report etc..wait for approval..then pay the builders & claim back from Council once officially signed off on. Sounds straight forward in theory! but this thread is telling me otherwise.

My concern is getting a bridging loan, bank is obviously the first port of call, or is their other financial companies that specialize in bridging loans? I have already paid CAT on the property.

Great info in this thread.

Br

Saulgudman · 31-08-2023 12:36pm

Hi all. hoping someone who's site was already visited may be able to advise here.

The local county council office seem unable to confirm prior to visiting the site.

Are you allowed knock and rebuild some /all the existing walls of the property or must they simply be repaired / restored? house is in bad shape structurally with lots of cracks . im wondering is it possible to knock and rebuild a gable end and part of front wall of house and still qualify for the grant?

it seems to be very difficult to get this confirmation of what exact works qualify prior to site visits.

dvae · 03-09-2023 12:18am

hi folks, just a quick question. I own an old cottage in county Galway which has not been lived in for at least 20 or so years.

the cottage is derelict. I've been living in a mobile home at the back of the house for the last few years, whilst trying to save enough money to pay

for renovations. I don't know how i could prove i haven't been living in the house, as the electricity for the mobile home is been drawn from the cottage.

But anyway dose anyone know if id be even eligible for the grant, given i am living on the land (not in the house) for the last few years.

Thanks...….

PeterTork · 06-09-2023 5:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121062018#Comment_121062018

If it is clearly derelict/uninhabitable, I suspect a building professionals report would negate any need to prove it was vacant. You will need this anyway for the 20k top up. Best bet is to ring the Vacant homes officer in Galway Coco. Every council seems to be doing it slightly different.

PeterTork · 06-09-2023 6:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121050899#Comment_121050899

You can do all the things you propose and qualify.

Dr.Tom · 26-09-2023 6:28am

Has anyone made any progress with this yet?

Its now being advertised on radio along with other grants under a new campaign as www.gov.ie/doorsopen

A cup of te · 26-09-2023 7:05pm

Hi folks, have all of you had to provide certificate of exemption for planning permission? Where do you get the site layout plan? I did ring the coco but they couldn't tell me what it was unfortunately or where to get it. I have the other docs. Should the architect provide that? I had thought once plans showed your proposed extension as being under the threshold you wouldn't have to provide any further evidence.

Saulgudman · 26-09-2023 10:11pm

The 13 month timeline for completion is extremely challenging.

Has anyone been lucky enough to get it completed within this timeframe.

Surely the timelines will have to be more flexible

Dozz · 27-09-2023 9:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121160571#Comment_121160571

Site Layout Plan is usually a drawing that forms part of a planning application. If you do not require planning you should get your Architect/Engineer to draw you up one.

A cup of te · 27-09-2023 11:03am

@Dozz ta for that. Really thought when the house was already in existence and the extension was under the threshold there'd be none of this! The plans he gave me won't be the right scale for this exemption thing so I have to get in touch about that anyway. Will ask for a site layout plan while I'm at it.

designer79 · 05-10-2023 8:54pm

I'm with Donegal too, my application sat on a desk fo months and nobody told me that Surveyor report need more details. When I finally spoke to someone about this I was told its my responsibility to follow up...hope you have heard back.

mickdw · 05-10-2023 9:10pm

It's not enough to say that extension is under sqm limit for exemption as there are multiple requirements to qualify for plannimg exemption in addition to sqm.

Previous extensions need to be considered.

Design of the extension including overall height, eaves height, location, free space remaining etc.

It is therfore reasonable for them to look for cert of exemption.

I wonder though, do they require an Engineers opinion or are they requiring a section 5 declaration from the council themselves?

section4 · 10-10-2023 8:24am

we are considering gong for this grant also, i had bought a site with an old house on it about 6 years ago, this old house was habitable until about 20 years ago, a developer bought it 18 years and knocked some of it down before going bankrupt. there is now only 2 and a half walls left, but the old floors and foundations ae still there.

will that qualify as it does not have 4 walls and has no roof.
it was deemed derelict by the council in 2015, they wrote to the bank who owned it at that time and said it was dereclict and for them, the bank to remedy the derelcition.
i had applied to built a new house on the site , and planning permission was granted after a serious struggle and a lot of money to get that planning permission. I asked him does it make any difference that i have planning on the site for a new house, he said no, just amend the existing planning for the grant application.
Because he has not been out to see the house yet, and to say whether it condition is acceptable for the grant i feel it a bit much to be preparing a planning application and getting quotes from contractors for something that mght not be approved for the grant due to its condition, ie it needs new walls and roof just to start with before anything else, he might come out and say, oh that house is too far gone. I phoned the architect who did my previous planning permission and he said has did a few of these applications, he said he might come out and say that house is too far gone, its not a house anymore. You would think you could email a photo of the house and they could say yes that is acceptable to apply for the grant , at least then you are not wasting time and money employing and architact and builders quotes oly for him to come out and say that house is too far gone.

ajarms86 · 23-10-2023 12:32pm

I believe it says you are OK to move into the property once you have made your application and can prove it was vacent for 2 years: gov FAQs here:

bf727a33-a830-4b09-8917-aaf4e324a886.pdf https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/256936/bf727a33-a830-4b09-8917-aaf4e324a886.pdf#page=null

Dr.Tom · 24-10-2023 6:30am

Hands up who has or knows of someone that has achieved this grant.

We are seriously considering not applying for it due to the timeframe and uncertainty regarding qualification and payments.

A work colleague of a friend of mine is on his eight week waiting for an assessor to call to his property in Cork city.

Diyselfbuilder · 26-10-2023 12:39pm

Has anyone been paid the grant after inspection ?

syrgian · 09-11-2023 3:45pm

Hi! I sent an email to the South Dublin County Council Vacant House Unit, asking if I could move in after applying to the grant. It's been 3 week, no answer. Is it possible that they don't have anyone working in that department at all? Can these issues be escalated to someone from the national government if the council specific address is unresponsive?

harry999 · 18-11-2023 4:48pm

Query on SEAI & Vanant Property Grant => My understanding is you can put an expense against seai grant or vacant home grant - but not both... So could you put the heat pump against one stop grant and get the 10.5k grant from seai ?(or to claim any grant from seai - all items on the one stop grant must be claimed from seai ? i.e windows, doors, insulation etc) All the other work for one stop like windows, vents, ext insulation etc would be done but this expense not claimed from seai - it would be put into vacant home grant ? Anybody put in vacant grant application and done similar to this ? Thanks

ldoll · 06-12-2023 12:34pm

I didn't realise there was a deadline for works to be completed!!

ldoll · 06-12-2023 12:35pm

@syrgian Absolutely get in contact with a local councillor! Ridiculous that you can't get a definit answer. To my knowledge it only need to he vacant before you're approved but I get why you're hesitant

ldoll · 06-12-2023 12:39pm

@Dr.Tom have a look at this:

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/louth/dundalk-news/louth-womans-dream-cottage-renovation-turned-into-a-nightmare-after-vacant-homes-grant-shortfall/a1931014236.html

ldoll · 06-12-2023 12:40pm

@Dr.Tom I'm been O.K.'d 50k but who knows what they'll actually give! Ot to mention will my bank (AIB) actually agree...

Croi Conaithe (Towns) - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant

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