The Selfbuild Podcast
Episodes
Ep95 - How does a quantity surveyor save you money?
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Quantity surveyor (QS) Keith Kelliher chats about what a cost plan is and how a quantity surveyor can save you money:· &...
Ep94 - Driveway, gates and other costs not to forget about
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Keith Kelliher chats through the cost components of your driveway, gates and other groundwork you may forget about, including:Comparing different driv...
Ep93 - 2026 Cost outlook for construction materials
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where are material costs heading into 2026? Quantity surveyor Keith Kelliher takes stock of the overall material cost picture at the end of 2025:·&nb...
Ep92 - Where does the money go when you're building?
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Quantity surveyor Keith Kelliher’s step by step guide to extending or building a new home in Ireland today including percentage share for each eleme...
Ep91 - Wastewater and rainwater system costs
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cathal Keane of Graf and John Brennan of Molloy chat about on-site wastewater treatment system costs and rainwater harvesting tanks: · &nb...
Ep90 - Mass timber and ICF: How they compare to traditional builds
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Modern methods of construction mass timber and ICF are two options for those looking for quick, good quality builds. Self-build expert John Corless ch...
Ep89 - Floor Plans: Watchpoints
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a podcast recorded at Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Leinster 2025, self-build expert John Corless shares what to look out for when assessing...
Ep88 - Passive house tips
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The passive house methodology has become the go-to standard for build a new home, a renovate one, to be energy efficient; Seán McKenna of the Passive...
Ep87 - 2025 build costs in Ireland
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Construction expert John Corless and builder/estimator DJ Rasdale chat about the current state of play in Ireland for build costs at Selfbuild Extend ...
Ep86 - Is SIPS worth investing in?
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Derek McIntyre of JML SIPS chats about the modern building methods that is Structural Insulated Panels:Are SIPS worth investing in? How much does it c...
Ep85 - Hidden costs of a self-build
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chartered surveyor Keith Kelliher chats to Cathal Keane of Graf who’s just finished building his own home, and to quantity surveyor Jimmy Walsh of M...
Ep84 - Budget pitfalls to avoid
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 4 of a four part series about build costs in Ireland, quantity surveyor Keith Kelliher explains how to budget for your build and what pitfalls...
Ep83 - Bathroom costs: how much and how to save
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 3 of a four part series about build costs in Ireland, quantity surveyor Keith Kelliher sheds light on how much you can expect to pay for your ...
Ep82 - How much does a kitchen cost in Ireland today?
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of a four part series about build costs in Ireland, quantity surveyor Keith Kelliher sheds light on how much you can expect to pay for your ...
Ep81 - Why do windows cost 15k on one house and 50k on another?
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 1 of a four part series about build costs in Ireland, quantity surveyor Keith Kelliher sheds light on how much you can expect to pay for your ...
Ep80 - Solar panels that generate electricity: are they worth it?
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Belfast 2024, Michael O'Donnell of Solarfix NI and Suzie McKee of Start Solar joined us to chat about pho...
Ep79 - Costed project in NI with update on costs per sqm in Ireland today
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Belfast 2024, DJ Rasdale of Build Cost Estimations runs through a real life example of costing a build from st...
Ep78 - Show Highlights: Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Belfast 2024
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A snapshot of what to expect at Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Belfast 2024, including testimonials from self-builders who attended the event an...
Ep77 - Bathroom design trends for 2024
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bathroom consultant Gareth Holland chats about how to go about your renovation or new build project, including:· &...
Ep76 - Window design
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Acheson of Internorm chats about window and door design, including:How to compare windowsHow much self-builders are spending on windows and doo...
Ep75 - Budget busters
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Craig Jones of Land Options Ireland chats about how much it costs to build a house in Ireland today, including:Budgeting for your build: why a cost pe...
Ep74 - The process of building your home: cost saving tips
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pete Finn, AKA Pete the builder, of RTÉ's Home Rescue and advisory firm Let's Talk Homes joins tiny house builder Paul Lawford of smallchange.ie to c...
Ep73 - Kitchen design trends for 2024
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Ep72 - Bathroom design trends
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Kinloch of SONAS Bathrooms and Darrel McCauley of Spectrum Bathrooms joined us at Selfbuild Live Belfast to talk about what’s trending in ...
Ep71 - Top 5 pitfalls to avoid when self-building
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 y...
Ep 70 - How much does it cost to build a house in Ireland?
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
DJ Rasdale of DJ Build Estimations updates us on builds costs in Ireland at Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Live Limerick in January 2024. He covers:H...
Ep 69 - How to get planning permission in Ireland
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Architect Mark Stephens, who is based in Co Mayo, chats about how to get planning permission in ROI including:- &nb...
Ep 68 - Insulation for new builds and renovations
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Self...
Ep 67 - Build costs in Ireland for 2023
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Ep 66 - Getting insurance for your self-build in Ireland
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kieran Dwyer of insurance broker SelfBuild Protect chats about: What self-build insurance is and why you need itIs self-build insurance mandatory like...
Ep65 - Passive house retrofit in Co Monaghan
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Barry McCarron, Chairman of the Passive House Association of Ireland, chats about doing up his family to make it energy efficient, including:Going fro...
Ep64 - Tiny house building and living
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Lawford explains how he built his tiny home on wheels from scratch, including:What is a tiny houseWhy he decided to build a tiny house to live in...
Ep63 - Which energy grants should you invest in?
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rodger O'Connor of ROC Energy explains when it makes sense to apply for an energy grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, including:Wh...
Ep62 - Are energy upgrades worth it?
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Ciara Ahern chats about what energy upgrades and if they're worth doing, issues people are having with heat pumps and heating systems and what can ...
Ep61 - Steel frame self-build in Co Wicklow
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, David Magnier chats about his self-build in Co Wicklow:Design processSecuring planning permissionChoice of building method: pros and ...
Ep60 - Heat pumps and MVHR: are they worth it?
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gavin Millar of BPC Ventilation chats through the benefits of heat pumps and MVHR, including:- What is mechanical ventilation with he...
Ep59 - Kitchen design
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jonny Orr of Daniel George Kitchens chats about how to design your new kitchen in Ireland today:-  ...
Ep58 - Building homes free of defects
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eoin Ó Broin, a TD who’s written a book called Defects, chats through the issue of quality control when building a house in ROI. He talks abou...
Ep57 - Dublin new build on laneway site
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Laura and Ronan Campbell built themselves a house on Ronan’s parents’ laneway. Here they chat about:Difficulties with planning permission and why ...
Ep56 - The new concrete levy and how to save on your self-build
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kieran McCarthy of KMC Homes talks about:The new concrete levy due to come into force September 2023 in IrelandHow to reduce the amount of concrete yo...
Ep55 - How to apply for your home energy grant in Ireland
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Andrews of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland chats about how to get a grant for your home energy upgrade, including:- The three types ...
Ep54 - Buying windows in Ireland
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tony Dunne, Managing Director at MBC Project, chats about the ins and outs of buying windows in Ireland today, including:- Main types of windows avail...
Ep53 - Onsite wastewater treatment in Ireland
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Connecting your sewage to the mains is not always an option when you're building in the countryside. You might need to install an onsite wastewater tr...
Ep52 - What to consider when self-building plus thoughts about the mica grant scheme
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Resident construction expert John Corless chats about flash points to consider when building your home, including:•Managing heat loss, U-values and ...
Ep51 - Modern Building Methods in Ireland Part 2
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Corry of Selfbuild+ introduces self-builders to modern ways of building in Ireland today. In Part 2 he chats about:- Insulating Concrete Formwor...
Ep50 - Modern Building Methods in Ireland Part 1
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Corry of Selfbuild+ introduces self-builders to modern ways of building. In Part 1 he chats about:- Timber frame construction with Redwood Timbe...
Ep49 - Where to start with your self-build
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is the first in a series of talks for mica affected homeowners. Mica is a naturally occurring material that has been the cause of thousan...
Ep48 - Mechanical ventilation systems
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
David McHugh of ProAir chats through your ventilation options and answers commonly asked questions about mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, in...
Ep47 - Guide to house design
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Zeno Winkens of Winkens Architecture chats through spatial design, including:- How to choose the right location for your house- Designing your home fr...
Ep46 - Direct labour steps for house without central heating
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Niamh O'Donovan of Instagram account @passive_build shares her experiencing building her home in Co Waterford, including:- Direct labour tasks from st...
Ep45 - Stages of Eco Home Building in Co Down
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mark McCall, of Instagram account @automatedhome, runs through his Co Down home building project including:- the design and build process- issues with...
Ep44 - Cost of steel, timber, insulation: Where to next?
05 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 44 – Quantity surveyor Keith Kelliher discusses the recent material price increase and what it means for self-builders. He covers:– Which ...
Ep43 - Secrets to building an eco house
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Energy consultant Patrick Waterfield shares his tips and insights into building an eco house without breaking the bank. He covers:- The tricks to buil...
Ep42 - Site visit on Co Mayo contractor led build
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Miyuki Katsu Maloney, of Instagram account @our.japandi.selfbuild , walks us through her self-build project, including:- Japandi design features inclu...
Ep41 - Passive house design with PV panels
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rodger O'Connor explains how he designed his home to be super energy efficient, including his insulation and airtightness strategy, choice of heating ...
Ep39 - Underground House
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Seasoned self-builders Paul and Anne Dyer share how they managed to get planning permission in an area with a presumption against development (hint: i...
Ep26 - Bungalow new build in Co Wicklow
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Self-builder David Dobbs shares his experience getting planning permission from Wicklow County Council and running into some trouble with his main con...
Ep28 - Roofing methods and roof coverings
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The type of roof covering you choose for your house will have a huge impact on the final appearance of the house. Lagan chats through your options, fr...
Ep27 - Bathroom design
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Sloan of Sonas Bathrooms and Gwen Kenny of Divine Design explain how to tackle bathroom design in a new build, what the process is and how to ...
Ep 25 - Overview of kitchen design options
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The kitchen requires a lot of advance planning, and a good budget, which is why many self-buidlers turn to kitchen companies to help them with design ...
Ep 24 - Guide to carpets
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Carpets add a feel of luxury to any bedroom; here Mark McCallister Carpets explains the different types and how they are installed. Hosted on Acast. S...
Ep 23 - Floor covering options from tiles to vinyl
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There are many choices of floor coverings out there, with laminate and LVT two popular low maintenance options. We find out more about what they are a...
Ep 22 - Interior design: room by room
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Interior design is essential to get right at the design stage of your build; here Hamilton Interiors shares top tips and advice. Hosted on Acast. See ...
Ep 20 - Guide to stone cladding
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Building your home with stone usually means building a cavity wall with the external leaf solid stone. This method tends to have costly knock on effec...
Ep 19 - Oak frame construction
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Building with solid oak is a skill that takes years to master; Grace Design walks us through how to use oak in your self-build project and what to loo...
Ep 18 - Building with laminated timber: CLT & HBE
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cross Laminated Timber construction is a new and exciting method of building, now often used on commercial building and some notable examples of self-...
Ep 21 - What does an interior designer do?
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We chat with Stephen Blakely about the role of an interior designer, from working with the architect at the design stage to furniture choice and windo...
Ep40 - Material price increases
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Padraic Rogers of mybuildingsupplies.ie talks through how material prices increases are affecting self-builders:- Causes for price increases- What mat...
Ep38 - Concrete paving options
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tobermore's Tarlach Quinn runs through concrete paving options for your garden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep37 - Thermodynamic solar panels
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Solar panels come in many forms: those that generate hot water, electricity or both. The way energy is collected from daylight, through collectors in ...
Ep36 - Budget friendly renovation in Kerry
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Coleman explains how he renovated a tired old bungalow into a stylish family home. His choices were guided by the budget and achieving an afforda...
Ep35 - EPS insulation overview
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Expanded PolyStyrene (EPS) is a cost effective insulation product that usually comes in board or bead form. Steven Magee of KORE Insulation Solutions,...
Ep34 - Guide to home automation
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
George McStravick of GMS Intelligent Systems talks about the "smart home" and the internet of things. He chats through the process of installing a hom...
Ep33 - Ventilation and central vacuum systems
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
All properties require an adequate ventilation strategy; Dave Redmond of Beam Vacuum and Ventilation here outlines the options that are open to self-b...
Ep32 - Hemp insulation
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hemp is best known for its insulating properties, and when combined with lime it has been used as a structural building material to make walls for gen...
Ep31 - Home cinema house in Co Fermanagh
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Self-builder Orlean McCaffrey shares her tips and advice building her home in County Fermanagh, including:- Planning restrictions- Choice of how to bu...
Ep30 - Guide to self-build mortgages in NI
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wendy McClintock of the Progressive Building Society explains what it takes to secure a self-build mortgage in NI, including:- What you need to app...
Ep29 - Installing a safe in your home
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To protect your valuables, a safe will be high on the list of things you need to include in your project. Trustee Safes outlines what to check for and...
Ep 17 - Building Methods
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A question on every self-builder's mind is "How am I going to build this thing?" It's a key decision to make and one that will follow you throughout t...
Ep 16 - Insurance and warranties
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It is a legal obligation for the homeowner (self-builder) to be on top of health and safety on site and there are procedures in place for you to prove...
Ep 15 - DIY builds that save money
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Two DIY self-builders have put pen to paper in the Summer 2020 edition of Selfbuild magazine and they've come back to share their stories on this podc...
Ep 14 - Houses we can afford to build
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brendan Begley is a man on a mission, a mission to reform the planning system which he views as unaccountable and oblivious to local knowledge and tra...
Ep 13 - Renovating with COVID-19
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Self-builder Bobby Fitzpatrick shares his story of what it's been like working in the construction industry whilst juggling a renovation project at th...
Ep 12 - How architects and quantity surveyors help self-builders save money
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arguably the two most important advisors to hire on your self-build are the architectural designer and the quantity surveyor. Edel Regan of Edel Regan...
Ep 11 - Self-build process overview
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John Corless is Ireland’s leading independent self-build advisor and the host of the Selfbuild Live Bootcamp. We caught up with him at Selfbuild Liv...
Ep 10 - Tips to build on a budget
24 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Co Antrim self-builder Vivienne Hanna shares what it was like building her home on a budget and provides tips and advice on how to get the dream home ...
Ep 9 - Bespoke design for Co Laois family home
17 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Instagrammers Gillian and Seamus Brennan share the ups and downs of building their own home, from the design stage to furnishing it with upcycled furn...
Ep 8 - How to get planning permission in Ireland
22 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Planning permission is the first stumbling block to building or extending your home. This episode Patrick O'Reilly, Managing Director of niplanningper...
Ep 7 - Co Down project with main contractor
25 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Taylor of Co Down chats about how he designed and managed his new build project and how he kept a rein on the budget; read up on his project on ...
Ep 6 - NZEB: New building regulations' impact on your self-build
23 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The building regulations for ventilation (part F) and energy efficiency (Part L) are coming into force on the 1st November 2019 in the Republic of Ire...
Ep 5 - County Tipp's Dan and Jessica Tynan on going direct labour with their self-build
27 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dan and Jessica hired every tradesman and did a lot of the work themselves, from tidying up the site every evening to laying floors. We chat about wha...
Ep 4 - Getting paid for exported electricity
29 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Climate Action Plan launched in June promised that homeowners in ROI would be able to sell electricity from their PV panels back to the grid by 20...
Ep 3 - Heating systems: what’s the best option for a self-build in Ireland?
29 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We have a chat with Belfast-based energy advisor Patrick Waterfield about how you will generate heat and hot water in the home. Some of the main point...
Ep2 - How much does it cost to build a house in Ireland
13 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We have a chat with building costs expert Keith Kelliher, a quantity surveyor based in Dublin about where to start with the budget, how to deal with t...
Ep 1 - Self-builder Nicola Thorpe of Co Down chats about her Clachan style new build
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 1: We have a chat with Nicola Thorpe of Co Down whose house is on the front cover of the Spring 2019 issue of Selfbuild magazine. She shares h...