Vacant homes: ‘Err on the side of caution when going for a grant’

After nearly two decades working for giants like Unilever and Google in countries such as Singapore and the Netherlands, Ciara O’Brien wanted to move in a new direction.

The decision to leave the corporate world and renovate an old farmhouse in her hometown of Mitchelstown, Co Cork, was more than a career change – it was a life overhaul.

The idea took shape when she moved back in with her parents in 2020 during lockdown, and saw there was very little traditional B&B hospitality in the region.

It was a 19th-century farmhouse at the foothills of the Galtee Mountains that caught her eye and captured her heart. Bought in July 2021 – after two other attempts to buy in the area – Ciara saw potential in the location of the property, the traditional layout and the acre of land that came with it, developing it into the beautiful Barnahown B&B.

“I was spending so much time looking at a computer screen. I wanted to move more, get away from the desk, get outside,” explains Ciara.

“The property was vacant for about five years but in fairly good condition. I wanted to bring it back to its original state, so we hacked off all the old cement and stripped it back to the original structure of the stone walls.”

Ciara’s first challenge was finding an architect with a passion for renovating old properties.

“It was nearly impossible,” she says. “In the end, a local architect practice in Midleton took me on.”

In December 2021, the planning permission application went in and the first round of feedback came back the following March.

“The council wanted my justification for why the property was appropriate to be a B&B, and I had to make one adjustment to the studio apartment that I was adding to the farmhouse,” explains Ciara.

In July 2022, Ciara’s planning was approved and she selected a builder contractor by the end of that year.

Ciara recommends engaging the building contractor as early as possible.

“Your builder can bring so much to the project, but they’re almost at the tail end. The more I asked my builder, the more he told me.”

By the time that work started in April 2023, Ciara had left her job at Google to project manage the build.

“I used to be on site every morning for 10 to 15 minutes. I got so much value from seeing where my money was going. It meant nothing got delayed and there was no ‘we thought you’d like this’.”

Grant assistance

Ciara’s renovation journey was aided by the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (VPRG), a grant of up to €50,000 to renovate a property or up to €70,000 for a derelict building. Ciara describes it as a “nice bonus” but not without its challenges.

To apply for the VPRG, a property must be vacant for two years, built before 2008 and used as the owner’s primary place of residence (or a long-term rent). Ciara submitted utility bills along with a letter from the estate agent to confirm the house had been vacant, as well as ownership of the deeds and planning permission, including for the studio apartment where she lives.

Following a site inspection, Ciara received an offer letter in April 2023, awarding her full entitlement to the grant which enabled her to commence work on the property.

However, the VPRG payment is not issued until after a final property visit to review that the work has been completed in line with the application. For Ciara, this site inspection took place at the end of May 2024.

Six and a half months later, on 12 December 2024, Ciara received the grant payment. It had been over a year and a half since she broke ground on the property. She advises others to “go in with your eyes open”.

“For people trying to manage cash flow, it’s just impossible,” Ciara reflects. “Err on the side of caution and think about when you’ll get this grant back.”

The VPRGs are administered by local authorities, and Ciara corresponded with Cork County Council to track progress in the interim.

She also took out a bridging loan which she paid interest on.

“It’s hard because you’ve spent so much money and you’re having to spend more servicing a loan,” says Ciara.

In addition to the VPRG, Ciara used the SEAI One-Stop Shop, which brought the property from a G to an A BER rating.

“I wanted the house to be energy efficient,” says Ciara. “We dug out the floor and put in floor insulation and underfloor heating.” Ciara also put in wall installation, retrofitted the property, installed solar panels and a heat pump.

The second-hand furniture adds character to the house. It builds up a kind of a cosiness and warmth. Having well-worn and loved furniture gives that impression

Ciara only received her money from SEAI in the middle of November 2024.

Between clawing back grants and managing personal finances, it is important to budget well for a house build. Ciara only went about five percent over her €375,000 budget, and cautions against being overly optimistic with the sums.

“Somebody gave me a figure of €2,000 per square metre. That’s everything from insulation to finishes. I think it’s a good rule of thumb.”

“My one tip is not to build a house that is too big. Design for how many square metres you can afford.”

Once you have budgeted, start thinking about trade-offs, advises Ciara.

“I put the money into the bones of the house and re-pointing the stone walls but my kitchen is secondhand. I bought it for €500 and re-sprayed it. For me, that’s the better trade off.”

Another trade-off came when Ciara had to forgo her landscaping plan to replace the flat roof that was leaking into the two back bedrooms.

Things are often overlooked when planning a budget too, such as connecting to services.

“I had to sink my own well and get water connections. It cost maybe €2,000 to sink the well and €2,000 to connect to the mains for drinking water. Those are things that you may forget to budget for,” Ciara explains.

She was also able to make her budget stretch by buying preloved furnishings.

“The second-hand furniture adds character to the house,” Ciara says. “It builds up a kind of a cosiness and warmth. Having well-worn and loved furniture gives that impression.”

While Mitchelstown is traditionally a stopover point between Dublin and Cork and Kerry, Ciara does not want people to feel like they are passing through.

“My ethos is about introducing people to the area, whether it be the mountains, food or drink.”

Part of the charm of Barnahown is that it’s used to showcase talent from the region. So much so, that her studio apartment is often rented out by influencers to film cooking videos. Ciara’s flower arrangements come from Down to Earth Flowers in Co Limerick, her wall art features Galtee Mountain landscapes by local photographer Tommie McDonnell, and bespoke wooden keyrings for guest rooms are made by Pat Murphy, a woodworker based in Kildorrery, Co Cork.

At breakfast, almost everything comes from within 30 kilometres of Barnahown. Guests enjoy honey from Galtee Honey Farm, jam from The Little Deer in Co Tipperary and eggs from Barnahown’s hens.

Ciara also allows other businesses and community groups to use the space for events, including crafts and yoga.

“It’s back to the sustainable mindset,” she says. “Use every bit of floor space before you build more. If you can give this space to somebody to run their own business or do something community minded, it’s a good thing to do.”

Next phase

Ciara is recycling the payment from the VPRG back into Barnahown for phase two.

“I’d like to employ one or two people full-time to do the laundry or breakfast, and then all my effort can go into the marketing and guest experience. I want to go from eight to 14 guest spaces, one of those will have disability access.”

Ciara has fulfilled her wish of building a house in the country, a dream shared by many. And she has found special satisfaction in bringing a property back to life rather than building new.

“It is more sustainable and you’re enhancing the community by ensuring something doesn’t become derelict.

“People remember the people who live here before. Paddy and Chrissy O’Keefe, and it’s like you’re breathing life back into their memory,” she adds.

See barnahown.com