Episode Four: Thurles
This week Dermot Bannon travels to Thurles in Co. Tipperary, to transform the home of Jim and Mary Moloney. Jim and Mary want to bring their home up to the 21st century and do a deep retrofit of their home, as well as make their home meet the outside for these passionate outdoor people. Jim and Mary built their home 30 years ago and have not really changed it in any way since 1990. Both their adult children have flown the nest and they want to make the house ready for the next chapter in their lives.
Dermot has a challenge, as he has to work within a tight budget of €210k and has a lot to do for what Jim and Mary want. Clare the QS is clever as she presents spending options, so the Moloney’s have tough decisions to make – and that is before the build even starts!
The homeowners hire the services of Paul O’Brien from Sola Construction to bring their dream to a reality. Dermot knows that he has to be careful with the couple as they require time in reaching decisions, which unfortunately due to the current demand of sub-contractors in the construction industry, decisions cannot be delayed. Dermot has to bring the Moloneys on a journey and demonstrate that the result in delayed decisions will inevitably lead to an increase in spend.
The garden is a huge part of Jim and Mary’s life and would like to incorporate their garden into their home as much as possible. The couple hires Patricia Tyrell as their landscaper but being on a restricted budget, it is not always possible to get what they want. There are tough negotiations but will Jim and Mary’s dream come to fruition?