We can thank our lucky stars because we finally know when the new season of Room to Improve is back!
They will travel around the country to help create people’s dream homes.
And it all kicks off this week!
Yes, the first four episodes will start to air on Sunday.
The first episode will premiere on January 7th so we won’t have too much longer to wait!
Dermot Banning and Claire Irwin will head down to Urlingford in Kilkenny to meet Gráinne Murphy and Ivan Williams who have been dreaming about renovating Ivan’s ancestors’ old farmhouse.
Gráinne is a school teacher and teaches yoga, and Ivan is a full time farmer. They have two boys, 10-year-old Senan and six-year-old Luan.
The synopsis reads: “When Dermot first visited the house, Gráinne and Ivan had started renovating the exterior of the farmhouse with limestone render, with the help of a local council grant. Inside, they were working on the preliminary demolition of the interior of the farmhouse in their spare time.
“Gráinne and Ivan managed to attain the vacant homes grant of €50,000 due to the fact the house had not been lived more than two years, thus derelict. Given that the house needed structural work they were able attain the top up of €20,000, as well as a SEAI grant. Their budget was very tight, but the grants have helped them with the project, as well as their mortgage of just under €250,000.”
It continues: “Their request from Dermot was to add an extension to the side of the house of a kitchen & open plan living area, as well as a utility room & a boot room, as well as renovating the old farmhouse. They hope to have a four-bedroom home with a den, along with modern contemporary timber frame extension with a beautiful view of their green fields and Aoife’s Castle.
“Ivan and Gráinne’s wish is for the personality and character of the old house to be brought back to its former glory but keeping the old style in the farmhouse. The total budget, including grants was particularly tight for this ambitious project, Ivan and Gráinne have been managing the budget themselves for the project without a Quantity Surveyor which has added extra stresses to the project for them. Will they get everything that they have dreamed of on this tight budget?”
Room to Improve returns to RTÉ One on Sunday January 7th
