Editor, SelfBuildGuide.ie
Rudy Greene
Rudy Greene manages SelfBuildGuide.ie and reviews and edits its guides and news articles.
Editorial work
Rudy Greene checks facts against primary Irish sources, records review dates on guides and corrects errors. Drafts are researched and written with an AI system, also called Rudy. Our editorial policy explains how the human editor and the AI system work together.
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Reviewed and edited by Rudy Greene
These articles have Rudy Greene’s sign-off. Each list shows the most recently reviewed first; articles reviewed on the same day are ordered by their latest content date.
Guides
- Buying an unfinished house in IrelandEditor reviewed
- Designing a one-off house in Ireland: the brief, county design guides and stock plansEditor reviewed
- Insurance for an extension or renovation of a home you ownEditor reviewed
- Insuring a site you own before you buildEditor reviewed
- Insuring a timber frame or modular build in IrelandEditor reviewed
- Moving into your self-build: switching from site insurance to home insuranceEditor reviewed
- Securing your building site: theft, trespassers and what your insurer expectsEditor reviewed
- Self-build grants in Ireland: which supports can you actually get?Editor reviewed
- Self-build insurance in Ireland: what you need and whenEditor reviewed
- Structural defects cover for a new home in IrelandEditor reviewed
- The stages of building a house in IrelandEditor reviewed
- What insurance does a self-build mortgage lender require?Editor reviewed
- Who offers self-build insurance in Ireland, and how to compare quotesEditor reviewed
- Windows and doors for a self-build: frames, triple glazing, ordering and insuranceEditor reviewed
- One-off house planning refused: the reasons and how to fix eachEditor reviewed
- Buying a site for a self-build in Ireland: checks before you signEditor reviewed
- Getting an ESB Networks connection for a self-buildEditor reviewed
- Site works and connecting services to a self-buildEditor reviewed
- Building a house without a mortgage in Ireland: cash first, mortgage afterEditor reviewed
- Cost to build a house in Ireland: how to budget for your self-buildEditor reviewed
- Funding a gap in your self-build budgetEditor reviewed
- Heat pump for a new build in Ireland: type, sizing and costEditor reviewed
- Help to Buy for self-builders in IrelandEditor reviewed
- How long does it take to build a house in Ireland?Editor reviewed
- How long does planning permission last in Ireland?Editor reviewed
- If your builder goes bust or walks off the jobEditor reviewed
- Mortgage interest during a self-buildEditor reviewed
- Planning permission for a one-off house in Ireland: what to expectEditor reviewed
- Rural housing and local need: do you qualify?Editor reviewed
- Self-build mortgage stage payments explainedEditor reviewed
- Septic tank or treatment system for a new house in IrelandEditor reviewed
- Solar PV on a new build: the Part L renewable requirementEditor reviewed
- Timber frame, block or ICF: choose a build methodEditor reviewed
- Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant: refurbishing a vacant or derelict houseEditor reviewed
- VAT on a self-build in Ireland: rates and what to budgetEditor reviewed
- Water supply for a one-off house: mains, group scheme or wellEditor reviewed
- Will your site pass a wastewater assessment?Editor reviewed
- Building a house on your parents' or family landEditor reviewed
- Building the walls up to roof levelEditor reviewed
- First fix: electrics, plumbing, heating and ventilation before the walls closeEditor reviewed
- Insulation, airtightness and the air test: what to check before it is coveredEditor reviewed
- Insurance when you project manage your own buildEditor reviewed
- Living on site while you build: mobile home, caravan or cabinEditor reviewed
- Plastering, screed and drying out: how long to allow before the finishesEditor reviewed
- Renovate, extend or knock down and rebuild an old house in IrelandEditor reviewed
- Roof and weathertight shell: the milestone lenders and insurers watchEditor reviewed
- Second fix and finishes: from kitchen and bathrooms to snaggingEditor reviewed
- Site setup and foundations: what happens and what to checkEditor reviewed
- Substructure and ground floor slab: damp, radon and insulationEditor reviewed
- Where to start a self-build in Ireland: what to do first, second and thirdEditor reviewed
- Architect, architectural technologist or engineer: who do you need?Editor reviewed
- Assigned certifier: who to appoint and what to agreeEditor reviewed
- Building Regulations: what your house must meetEditor reviewed
- Choosing a builder and the building contract for a self-buildEditor reviewed
- Commencement notice: what to file before you startEditor reviewed
- Development contribution waiver: meet the completion deadlineEditor reviewed
- Financing a site for a self-build in IrelandEditor reviewed
- Fire safety and access rules for your new houseEditor reviewed
- Get a BER certificate before moving into your new homeEditor reviewed
- Get your completion certificate registered before moving inEditor reviewed
- Getting a self-build mortgage in IrelandEditor reviewed
- How to compare self-build mortgages in IrelandEditor reviewed
- Making a claim on your self-build insuranceEditor reviewed
- Manage your self-build or hire a main contractor?Editor reviewed
- Meet the nZEB and Part L energy rules for your houseEditor reviewed
- Modular homes: planning, building rules and your budgetEditor reviewed
- Passive House or nZEB: what are you paying for?Editor reviewed
- Planning application fee for a new house in IrelandEditor reviewed
- Planning conditions for your houseEditor reviewed
- Planning objections and appeals in IrelandEditor reviewed
- Ready to Build: up to €30,000 off a serviced siteEditor reviewed
- Snagging your new house before final paymentEditor reviewed
- When do you need retention permission?Editor reviewed
News articles
- Development contribution waiver: 72 days to complete your houseEditor reviewed
- One-off house starts are up 23% in 2026, Department of Housing figures showEditor reviewed
- House prices up 4.9% in the year to August 2026, CSO saysEditor reviewed
- Budget 2027: what it means for your self-buildEditor reviewed
- Help to Buy rises to €35,000: what it means for self-buildersEditor reviewed
- Building materials cost 3.3% more than a year ago, CSO figures showEditor reviewed
- Planning permissions for dwellings rose 8% in the first half of 2026, CSO saysEditor reviewed
- ECB rate rises to 2.5%: what it means for your self-build mortgageEditor reviewed
- 1,427 one-off houses were finished in Q2 2026, CSO figures showEditor reviewed
- Draft rural housing rules: what the local need test would look likeEditor reviewed
County guides
- Building a house in County Carlow: urban influence almost everywhere, the 5-year and 8 km test and the €4,800 rural chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Cork: rural housing rules, charges and site checksEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Donegal: rural housing policy, charges and siting rulesEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Laois: three rural area types, the local rural person test and the €5,000 base chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Meath: rural housing policy, rural nodes and the council chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Longford: the 5-year local rural area test, the 7-year condition and the €2,140 chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Cavan: three rural area types, the 10-hectare landowner test and the €5,000 minimum chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Dublin: three councils’ rural rules, 15 years’ ties in Fingal and the €26,934 chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Kilkenny: the urban influence map, the five-year local test and the €7,000 chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Leitrim: Low Capacity Areas, the 18-month rule and the €2,000 rural chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Limerick: strong urban influence, the 10 km and 10-year tests and the €5,200 chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Louth: two rural policy zones, the 18-year rule and the €11,646 flat chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Monaghan: the four towns’ surrounds, the 5-year test and the €1,900 rural chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Offaly: the 5-year local test, the open countryside presumption and the €3,500 chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Roscommon: two rural policy zones, the 5-year link test and the €3,600 rural chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Sligo: urban influence around Sligo town, five need categories and the €20 per square metre chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Waterford: one rural area type, the 7-year local test and the €5,750 chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Westmeath: strong urban influence, structurally weak areas and the €3,000 chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Wicklow: functional need in the open countryside, the born-and-reared test and the €7,025 rural chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Clare: Areas of Special Control, the 12.5 hectare farm test and the €5,549 chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Galway: rural housing zones, charges and site checksEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Kerry: exceptional rural need, seven-year occupancy and the €1,500 plus €20 per m² chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Kildare: the 15 hectare farm test, 16 years' residence and the €62 per square metre chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Mayo: rural housing policy, scenic routes and the €20 per square metre chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Tipperary: economic and social need, Primary Amenity Areas and the €31 per square metre chargeEditor reviewed
- Building a house in County Wexford: rural housing criteria, ten-year occupancy and the 2026 chargeEditor reviewed