Episode 4: Rory & Aileen McGrath and architect Hugh Murray

Monday 27th April 2009 (Last in Series)

In the final programme in the series presenter and architect Gary Miley introduces us to the McGrath family from Naas, Co. Kildare.

Rory and Aileen McGrath and their two young children wanted to move from Naas, Co. Kildare to Killaloe in Co. Clare. They would have liked to have bought a site and built a house but knew that it would be difficult to get planning permission as they weren't from the area. So they decided to buy an existing bungalow which they planned to do a major refurbishment on.

However after they met architect Hugh Murray the quality of the existing house was called into question and it was decided that the best way forward was to demolish it completely. It wasn't an easy decision as it was to have cost implications plus planning restrictions means they were still limited in what they could build in its place.

From the beginning, the budget was difficult to tie down . The McGraths decided to take the self build route to cut costs but hired a project manager to ease the workload. Building an energy efficient house was a priority and Rory strived from the outset to get the highest energy rating he could which added its own delays and complications.

There was added stress when their house in Naas failed to sell in a slowing market and as costs on their new house began to increase. And though all of the Design for Life projects started in summer of 2006 this was the last to finish and the McGraths did not move in until March 2008.