After visiting 21 extraordinary homes across the country, judges Amanda Bone, Hugh Wallace and Sara Cosgrove will gather together on Tuesday evening to celebrate this season's inspirational finalists, and name the 2024 Home of the Year winner.
Ahead of the hotly-anticipated finale, we caught up with HOTY judge and architect Amanda Bone to find out what she most enjoys about working on the long-running show.
"I absolutely love my work but it's brilliant to have something completely different," she says.
"My favourite thing about Home of the Year is getting out and about because I've got to really know the entire island of Ireland. I've been holidaying in Ireland since I was a child, but we end up in places that I would never have had a reason to visit - I really enjoy that variety."
As well as praising the cast and crew of the show, ("they're a joy to be around"), Bone says that getting the chance to spend time in a wide variety of buildings is her dream come true.
"When we're filming, we spend the guts of a day in a home," she says, "but I always try and get out and about, and walk around the home, and get the context of the site."
Choosing the country's best home is serious business, and the judges have been known to argue their points passionately - have things calmed down as time goes by?
"We still have heated rows," she insists, laughing. "They're very much removed from the final programme, I think. Everyone has their own interests, their own style. Contemporary buildings, minimalist and timeless architecture appeals to me, but that's not how I judge a home.
"I judge a home - and this is completely honest - on how it makes me feel," she insists. "It actually is irrespective of style or type. Yes, I am drawn to a minimalist home, but some of the homes are the complete opposite but there's something magical about them."
With the cost-of-living crisis and climate change constantly making headlines, Amanda says that clever design hacks and sustainable features are always noticed.
"Good design has always been inherently sustainable," she insists. "Anything that is well designed will make the most of the sunlight, have a functional layout, and feature timeless design. Really, the way things have changed is the way in which we provide energy to our homes and taking into consideration where our materials are coming from."
Prior to working on the show, Amanda says she had no idea just how much work the homeowners did on the house themselves.
"They are very much hands on," she says. "These are long-term projects and they have slogged to get these projects done. Of course, some have worked with fantastic architects and interior designers, but I would say more than not, the homeowners have done the work themselves."
