“I love seeing older houses on farms brought back to life but farmers have a set of obstacles like no-one else when it comes to bringing these buildings back into use,” Maggie Molloy, the presenter of the RTÉ programme ‘Cheap Irish Homes’ said.
“Some are lived in by the older generation until all the sons and daughters are sorted and living in their own houses and then when the main house becomes empty, it’s almost surplus to everyone’s needs,” she said.
“You can’t easily sell it because it’s normally down in the middle of the farm and even renting it isn’t straightforward, with a working farmyard more than likely based outside the back door.
“But these older buildings within a farm contain so much history when it comes to the families that were reared in them.
“Even the traditions practiced inside their walls and the memories associated with ancestors now gone are so important,” she added.
“The solution may not be as straightforward as a simple switch over once the house is vacated, but even maintaining and valuing the building until the next generation is grown could see some willing grandchild raise their hand, ready to take on granny’s old place,” Maggie said.
This is the 4th season of ‘Cheap Irish Homes’ in which Maggie presents people interested in older properties around the country with options to meet their requirements and budget.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I expect the series to be so popular,” she said.
“I always thought I was in the minority when it came to old houses. But it turns out a lot of people around the country are willing to roll up their sleeves and take on a renovation project,” she said.
“I think in a small way we have managed to change thinking about how derelict or dilapidated houses in rural areas can be revamped to provide housing for people.
“I see so many empty cottages and farmhouses now being rented, sold, renovated or just passed on to family members and I think before the show and before my Instagram feed, the conversation around these older houses just wasn’t happening on such a national scale.
“I even hope we played some part in opening the government’s eyes to the potential in old vacant houses. The new grant we have for these houses offers home buyers some much needed money to invest in essential upgrades,” she said.
Too quick to demolish old houses?
We have absolutely been too quick to demolish in the past, Maggie contended.
“There’s a phrase I hear constantly and every time it comes up it just makes me worried for the state of the houses we have left. It’s; ‘Sure it’d be cheaper to knock that and rebuild’,” she said.
“Firstly, in a lot of cases, this simply isn’t true.
“If you want to turn your three-roomed cottage into a five-bedroom bungalow complete with glass box extension, then maybe, but if all you plan to do is insulate it, upgrade your windows and fit a new kitchen then it’s a fantastic home for you,” Maggie said.
“A lot of vacant houses around rural Ireland already have all their services, internal bathrooms, sitting rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and roofs. And these kinds of houses don’t need as much done to them as people think.”
Maggie is delighted that there are new grants now that will incentivise the owners of derelict houses to do them up.
“The vacant property refurbishment grant makes €50,000 available to people willing to renovate a house that has been empty for at least two years,” she said.
“If the house is classed as derelict you can apply for a further top up of €20,000 and if you have a traditional farmhouse and are considering applying for the grant, you can get an additional allowance of up to €7,500 for expert conservation advice on how to refurbish your property.”
A ‘buzz’ in rural Ireland
“Covid-19 changed a lot of things for a lot of people and definitely there’s a buzz about living in rural Ireland like I’ve never seen before.
“Sure it’s expensive to run a car and you can’t get the bus everywhere, but rents and mortgages are more affordable and remote working is making the move a realistic option for a lot of people who never dreamed they’d have the chance at a better way of life,” contended Maggie.
“If we embrace this new found bubble of enthusiasm for rural Ireland by encouraging young people to live here, incentivising them to set up new businesses here, to work from home if their broadband is good enough, to set up co-working spaces in our towns and villages if the broadband is better in there, then everything will snowball.
“Other supporting businesses will come, the local mechanics will be back, the corner shop will re-open, the pubs will be alive again, our schools will fill again, and it could very easily in our lifetime all come back to how it was, only better than before.
“It’s been a long time since people have so openly on a national scale talked about moving out of our cities and into the countryside, but it’s ours to lose if we don’t fight for it.”
Maggie has been inundated with requests to do follow-ups to give an insight into whether people featured on the programmes bought the properties showcased on the series.
“I’d love to do a follow up show and we’re currently exploring the possibility of doing one,” she said.