Rodger O'Connor explains how he designed his home to be super energy efficient, including his insulation and airtightness strategy, choice of heating systems, photovoltaic panels and how he managed the build.

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Seasoned self-builders Paul and Anne Dyer share how they managed to get planning permission in an area with a presumption against development (hint: it took a while), and how they hand built their underground house, leaving only specialist work such as tanking the roof and walls, to specialist trades. They discuss: - Wildflower roof design and installation- Underground structure and what they would differently- Polished concrete floor disaster- Heating and ventilation systems- Tips and advice from decades of experience self-building

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Self-builder David Dobbs shares his experience getting planning permission from Wicklow County Council and running into some trouble with his main contractor. He talks about:- How the existing cottage on the site helped secure planning permission- Bungalow design tips- Experience with architect and quantity surveyor- Opting out of appointing an assigned certifier and health and safety requirements- Sourcing products from abroad to save money- Finding a new contractor midway through the build- Tips and advice for a novice embarking on a self-build project

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The type of roof covering you choose for your house will have a huge impact on the final appearance of the house. Lagan chats through your options, from lower end to high end finishes.

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Richard Sloan of Sonas Bathrooms and Gwen Kenny of Divine Design explain how to tackle bathroom design in a new build, what the process is and how to approach a renovation project.

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The kitchen requires a lot of advance planning, and a good budget, which is why many self-buidlers turn to kitchen companies to help them with design and installation. Here Neptune advises on how to go about it and whether an island is right for you.

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Carpets add a feel of luxury to any bedroom; here Mark McCallister Carpets explains the different types and how they are installed.

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There are many choices of floor coverings out there, with laminate and LVT two popular low maintenance options. We find out more about what they are and how they are installed.

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Interior design is essential to get right at the design stage of your build; here Hamilton Interiors shares top tips and advice.

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Building your home with stone usually means building a cavity wall with the external leaf solid stone. This method tends to have costly knock on effects on the foundations, window detailing and structural supports such as lintels. An alternative is to use stone cladding, or slices of stone stuck to blockwork with an adhesive, as explained here by Fernhill Stone.

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