Saturday, 18 June 2022 | 14.4°C Dublin
A log house could be your dream home – but you might find it difficult to get planning permission. Picture by Andy Dean
With little sign of the sharp rise in house prices abating, many people are being forced to think outside the box in their quest to own their own home. Property prices are increasing at a rate not seen since May 2018. Many believe that these runaway house prices — coupled with the Central Bank’s mortgage rules — prevent, or delay, a lot from getting onto the property ladder. Last month’s decision by the Central Bank to leave its mortgage rules unchanged will have disappointed many house hunters.
S o if you’ve lost patience with the housing crisis and believe your only chance of owning your own home is to explore a more unconventional path, what options are open to you?
“The housing crisis and the necessity of people to think outside the box has brought the idea of living on house boats to the fore,” said Alan Kelly, president of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI), a voluntary organisation which advocates the use, maintenance and protection of Ireland’s inland waterways.
Kelly himself has lived on houseboats in Ireland — the first time was between 2003 and 2005 on a narrowboat (a type of canal boat). He also lived on his current boat ‘Rigmarole’ from 2005 to 2007.
“You could pay anything from €30,000 for a second-hand vessel that needs some work — such as a retrofit of the interior and redoing the insulation if you were going to live aboard — up to €150,000 for a brand new fully fitted out 60-foot by 13-foot barge,” said Kelly.
A lot of the canal boats and barges owned by Irish people are bought from the UK, according to Kelly.
One of the biggest challenges you’ll face if you plan to live in a house boat is finding a location where you can moor your boat for long periods of time.
There are 20 residential berths in Grand Canal Dock and eight residential berths in Shannon Harbour — these residential moorings, along with their supporting facilities, are managed by Waterways Ireland.
“Currently, permits have been granted for all 20 residential berths in Grand Canal Dock and for all eight residential berths in Shannon Harbour,” said a spokeswoman for Waterways Ireland. “These residential moorings are fully occupied currently.”
All residential moorings in Grand Canal Dock were allocated on a first come first served basis and it is unlikely that one of these licenses will become available in the near future, according to Waterways Ireland. “There is also a substantial list of interested parties seeking to avail of these moorings in Grand Canal Dock,” states Waterways Ireland on its website. “This list is now extensive and unlikely to move in the short or long term — so it is now closed to new applicants.”
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The limited facilities along Ireland’s waterways is another challenge faced by those living in houseboats. “There’s not much in the way of infrastructure [on the Irish canal system] to support living on a barge,” said Kelly. “Even something as simple as a mooring jetty can be hard to get. Security too is something you need to think about as it’s not as readily available as it might be in say an apartment.”
Go in with your eyes open if buying a house boat, advised Kelly. “You need to become very self-sufficient,” said Kelly. “You’ve got to be cut out for the outdoors. There’s ongoing costs and maintenance isn’t cheap. Running costs for an apartment [or house] won’t be the same as they are for a boat — but you may have larger occasional bills with a boat as you’re relying on an engine.”
It’s important to insulate your boat correctly if you intend to live in it, advised Kelly. “If it’s poorly insulated, you will be freezing in the winter — and the condensation will drive you mad,” said Kelly. “If your boat is well insulated and well ventilated and you’ve a means to heat it that won’t cause health risks, it can be a very comfortable space.”
There have been a number of moves recently which could give more people the option to live in houseboats in the future. Waterways Ireland has commissioned a feasibility study on options for sustainable on-the-water living on Ireland's canal network. This study is due to be completed in early 2022.
“Any potential future development of our sustainable on water living programme will take place in consultation with local communities and be cognisant of the local canal environment,” said a spokeswoman for Waterways Ireland.
Modular homes have risen in popularity recently. A modular home is essentially a home made up of sections or modules which is largely built off-site — and then delivered and finished on site. It could cost €150,000 to €225,000 to build a 150-square metre modular home if you are hiring someone to build it for you, according to estimates from some construction experts — though this does not include the cost of preparing the site before construction goes ahead.
“Be aware that when you are looking at modular structures, the price quoted by the vendor of the modular structure is only the starting point,” said Merriman. “You need to factor in the cost of operational things too: like getting access to the site; the erection process; and services such as sewerage, electricity and water. Factor in the physical completion of the home too — including things like roof, gutters and downpipes; and the internal decoration of the home. Before committing to a modular home, read the small print and add up all the things not included in the price.”
Ensure that any modular home you are considering meets building and health and safety standards.
“Not all modular buildings are the same,” said Rawicz. “It’s important that any modular home you are considering is up-to-spec with building regulations — including insulation requirements and cold bridging. I’ve seen one case where an individual bought a three-bed modular home and where the vendor said on all the documentation that it was fully compliant — however, there was no paperwork showing it complied with anything, including modern insulation standards. You also need to satisfy your local authority that you have met all the rules around wastewater and waste. I’ve seen some really interesting composting toilets in Europe — but I feel it may be hard to get approval from your local authority for a composting toilet here.”
Modular homes are often timber-framed but some are steel-framed. “Make sure the steel is CE marked [a manufacturer’s declaration that the product complies with EU safety regulations and safety standards] if getting a steel-framed modular home,” said Rawicz.
Consider practical issues such as transport too. “If you’re living in an isolated spot or down a back lane, think about the physical size of the modular structure — and the practicality of transporting it to the site,” said Merriman. “Think about working with a panelised construction system — where components are flatpacked and assembled on site — rather than transporting an entire building to the site. Otherwise you could need a separate truck to transport each room in a modular structure.”
You could buy a new four-bed log house for anything from €50,000 to €80,000 and upwards — though the total cost of your home is likely to be a multiple of the initial quote of the structure by the time extra costs (such as electricity, septic tank and so on) are factored in.
One way to build a log house is to buy it from a company that sells such structures and then erect it on your site. A number of Irish and international companies sell log houses. You could face an uphill battle to get planning permission though. “It’s very difficult to get planning permission for log houses in Ireland — though people do it and there are a number of log houses around the country,” said Merriman. “You’re unlikely to achieve building regulations with a log house unless you build it with very thick timber. You may need to put additional insulation onto it.”
Be mindful too that you may not get your money back for your log house if selling it down the line.
“It is very difficult to get mortgages or finance for log houses so if selling it on, or leaving it to children, you may not get the [sell-on] value for it,” said Merriman. “There is a lot of risk attached to going ahead and building a log home – make sure you hire a professional beforehand.”
As always, buyer beware — particularly when it’s a home.
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