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I also chose the IKEA route and can't recommend it highly enough! My kitchen is approx. 13sqm and I bought all units, doors, legs, handles etc. for £670 (four years ago), finished it off with a solid beech worktop from Woodworkers (also very good service) - by the time I added flooring, fittings...

At the risk of being unpatriotic, would it not be worthwhile to jump on the train and go to IKEA in Belfast - I'm sure they deliver to the Republic and would probably fit within your two week timeframe..

The services provided by an Architect break down into 4 areas: Initial Design: Meeting the clients, discussing the brief (client's requirements), timescale and budget, carrying out a site inspection and survey, preparing initial design proposals for discussion with the client, advising...

The SEI are currently recruiting contractors to be registered under the scheme to carry out the work - I spoke to them yesterday and they advised that they would be open to homeowners grant applications before the end of March.

I spoke to SEI yesterday and they confirmed that they will be open to processing homeowners grant applications before the end of March.

I have information on Planning Criteria and Exempt development on my web-site (see signature) and there's also an article about it in the blog, which may be of interest - [broken link removed]

If you're worried about how potential extensions could affect your home in the future, take a look at the planning permission granted for this development - in recent times, many housing developments have a clause that prevents owners from extending their homes without applying for planning...

I checked the SEI web-site yesterday and there was no date on the post about the Home Energy Saving Scheme which made me wonder if it hadn't been updated to take account of the official announcement. The Irish Times reported Prof. Owen Wilson of the SEI saying that the scheme was 'open for...

I also experienced this when applying for a mortgage through a broker, about 4 years ago. The broker forged my signature on documents sent to the bank and the bank contacted me to verify the release of the documents requested. The broker tried to pass the whole thing off saying that I had...

When working from home you can claim a proportion of common expenses - ESB, gas, telephone, insurances - as allowable expenses. How you calculate this should be clearly set out eg. 1 room used in 5 room property = claim 1/5 of expenses. I think it is possible to claim on a time basis as well -...

I also looked into this - [broken link removed] - and contacted a number of Assessors in the Dublin area, at least 3 of which never returned my call. Of the 3 assessors I spoke to, each quoted a different price (€275 - 350 for 3 bed period terr. house) and some referred to a 1 hour inspection...

Wheels, I think it's still available at IKEA, though it's a few years since I bought mine. It's called the 'Imperativ' rail system and there is an 'Imperativ' splashback sheet as well - the sizes didn't work for me so I had my own made up.

I had my own glass splashbacks made up by a local glazier (Myra Glass, Dublin) for a 2.6m run of worktop, including the area behind the cooker, as a low maintenance alternative to tiling (I hate dirty grouted joints). The glass had to be heat resistant which put the price up slightly but was...

This question was asked at an energy efficiency workshop hosted by Sustainability Ireland, that I attended before Xmas. The advice given was that if you're going to use the chimney balloon, then it is advisable to put a cap on the top of the chimney as well, to prevent water entering. If you use...

I'd recommend a neutral colour as carpets tend to last longer than our decorating choices - if you change the wall colour in the hall in the next few years then your options for repainting will be limited to what matches the carpet. The problem with neutrals is that they tend to be light in...

It shouldn't be necessary to replace the existing first floor ceiling with a fire proof plasterboard when converting the attic space - just use a thicker floor covering in the attic, I think the Reg. requires an 18mm board to be carried through to the external walls (even in eaves areas) - check...

Regarding your question about a cavity between the two houses - it wouldn't be standard practice to have a cavity party wall in a typical semi-detached build. The builder will have added an outer leaf at roof level, where the step in level between the houses occurs, and the cavity will only...

Just a few points regarding the planning potential of the land: Check that the land is zoned for residential use or a use that would permit the building of a house - don't assume anything from the fact that there are houses nearby. There could be zoning boundary between this site and their...

Oh dear - v. confusing! Used the old architect's name on the new application? My take would be that new architect should prepare new drawings, even if they are just the same as old ones, although submitting the same drawings presumably isn't going to get them any further with the planning...

One of the main advantages of timber frame is that you can achieve very high levels of insulation in the walls, much higher than with block - improve energy performance and reduce bills. I was involved in a housing project a few years back where the client commissioned a study to see which...