The participants of RTE Great House Revival admitted that “maybe” a little more planning “needed to combat their restoration of the 1800s.
The well -known architect Hugh Wallace returned to air to transform dilapidated and unpopular properties into breathtaking dream homes.
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In this series, Hugh leads the audience through a variety of restoration projects in the Irish landscape.
Hugh went to Carlow for the seventh episode of the new season to meet Tommy McDonald and his partner Emily.
Where Tommy's childhood stream to restore a Cloghan from Cottage from his family home from his family.
Emily originally comes from Wales and fell in love with the house not only because of Tommy's connection to the place, but also because of the connection of Tommy, but also because of the memory of her home.
Read more great revival of the house
He and his partner have decided to transform their ruinous property into their first home.
The couple bought the ruinous house of the 19th century with agricultural sheds at a low price of € 45,000.
Tommy's building experience does not go any further than a motorhome, but he took over the project himself to reduce the costs and choose the job.
They had no project plan and this, combined with monthly bad weather, slowed the progress far beyond their planned timeline
In the middle of their renovation and in a mobile home on site, Tommy and Emily greet their first child, Baby Elis.
Tommy was determined to bring the renovation with an already scarce budget of € 250,000 under budget.
In order to breathe a new life into the build, the couple decided to build their new house to build the current structure of the cottage.
And the idea that Hugh loved and that could give the finished project a lot.
But together with the budget restrictions, the grant periods and the many hurdles that hit the project, the chances against the couple seemed to be stacked.
Househole
Although the couple initially no longer declined the requirement of his grant, it was able to breathe after receiving the application to April 2025.
After they were inspired by a build that Hugh also brought the couple with them, they agreed to a higher roofer to accelerate part of the process to ensure that they can shape the deadline of the fallen house.
For his last visit in January 2025, after more than two years of the build, the couple still didn't move in … or ended his construction.
When Hugh visited the build for the last time, he said: “Was it fair to say that you underestimated the extent of the build?”
The couple emphatically agreed with Hugh, but insisted that they would not change their approach if they could return into the past.
Tommy said: “No, I would still have done it the same way. Maybe a little more planning.”
Emily added: “Yes, but if our plan did not work, we would be disappointed. I just don't see the point to plan ahead.
“We did it. And we did it in our own way and it worked.”