Budget 2025

While not the panacea to solve the housing crisis, Budget 2025 includes some good news for those who rent their homes and those who intend to buy.

Improving your properties energy efficiency

A Building Energy Rating (BER) evaluates your home based on how energy efficient it is. The scale goes from A to G, with A-rated homes being the most energy efficient and G-rated homes the least. The BER of a property is calculated according to the energy your home requires for heating, hot water, ventilation, and lighting.

Putting your home on the market

Q: I’m planning on selling my property but the process sounds so complicated! What do I need to consider?

A: Putting your home on the market is a complicated journey but an experienced estate agent will demystify the process and guide you through each of the five key stages.

Sad day as McD's stores close

The well-known garden and home retailer McD's has closed its three branches, Galway Beo understands.

The garden and home brand was well loved by Irish homeowners for fifteen years, but the brand suddenly shut their three stores, two in Co Galway and one in Co Cork.

Thinking of letting your property?

Q: I’m thinking about letting a property but the process seems so complicated! Where do I start? 

Eileen Sheehy, managing director Sherry FitzGerald Sheehy Lettings, offers her expert advice.

Buying and selling your home

Q: I want to move house but I need to sell my own home to buy another. How can I make this go smoothly?

“A Guide to the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant”

 “A Guide to the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant”

Inspiration on Interior Design

Are you looking to update your home and need some inspiration on interior design?

             

              Here are the key trends to watch out for this year.

 

Interior Article

Paint colours, just like fashion, are always evolving. It’s important that your home reflects your taste.

             

The most popular living room colours for 2024 – is yours up there?

Interiors are an opportunity to make a house your home.

Interiors are an opportunity to make a house your home. Adding concrete to your interiors is a rising trend and there are endless options.    

Here’s some tips on how to make the concrete trend work in your home – no hard hat required.

Gardens

Gardens are fast become another living space. Here are six ways to get your garden ready for spring.   

With the evenings starting to stretch, and spring bulbs starting to bloom, it’s time to get back outside.

Top kitchen trends of 2024: Where to invest and what to avoid 

 

As the heart of the home, the kitchen is a room that needs some thoughtful consideration. An expert at The Irish Independent looks at the top trends of 2024, what is worth the investment and what could be avoided. From the latest kitchen tech to the aesthetics to functionality they discuss it all.

 

Interior trendsetters

“Interior looks for the coming season are already reflecting grown-up sophisticated vibes and a fair amount of retrospection without quite replicating past trends — reminds me of how the 70s bell-bottomed jeans were reinvented from the late 1990s as the ‘neo’ bootleg.”

BER

Q: I’m hearing a lot of talk about BER ratings, and know there are grants available, but is it worth retrofitting my home if I’m planning on selling in a few years’ time? David Flannery, Heat Retrofit Advisor with Electric Ireland Superhomes, offers his expert advice.

Home renovation on a budget: the dos and the don’ts

‘Making your home renovation dreams come true can be a challenge, especially when your budget doesn’t quite align with your wishes’. Denise O’Connor, who is an architect and design consultant has listed some helpful tips on irishtimes.com to navigate this process and ensure you make the most of your budget.