House renovation
Renovating a house or flat: order of works, rules and one builder in Ireland
One local tradesperson gets your request – no ring-round.
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A full renovation is many trades in one house: stripping out, structural work, first-fix wiring and plumbing, plastering, second fix and decoration. The quality of the result depends as much on getting that sequence right as on any single trade. Tell us what the property needs, and your request goes, without your name, to renovation firms near you. One of them can take it, and we tell you which one before it sees your details.
- Exactly one business. Your request is handed out once. After that, no other business sees it.
- You know who will be in touch. Before the business receives your contact details, we send you its name, address and phone number.
- Withdraw at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time – using the link in our email.
Survey first, then the scope
Most budgets go wrong because the scope was written before anyone lifted a floorboard. For an older house, a building survey from a chartered surveyor or a visit from a structural engineer tells you what is failing and why: roof coverings, chimneys, damp, timber decay, wiring age, drainage. That report becomes the backbone of the specification you give builders.
Separate what must be done from what you would like.
- strip-out and any asbestos survey
- structure, roof, chimneys and external walls
- damp and timber repairs, drainage
- first fix: wiring, pipework, heating, ventilation
- insulation, plastering and screeds
- second fix, kitchen and bathroom, flooring, decoration
In Ireland: planning, registration and VAT
Whether the project needs planning permission depends on what is built and where. Many small works on a house are exempted development within set limits, but that exemption does not apply everywhere, for example to protected structures. Ask your county or city council's planning office before you commit if you are unsure.
Electrical work in homes is carried out by Registered Electrical Contractors, and gas work by Registered Gas Installers; ask to see the registration before work starts. Check whether the quote includes VAT, which Revenue charges at different rates depending on the goods and services involved.
Source: revenue.ie
Make a requestHow your request reaches one business
You confirm your mobile number with a text code and your email address with a link. We then show the request to businesses in your area, without your name or contact details. Only one business can take it on; it pays Offrano for the request, and it costs you nothing.
Before that business sees your details, we email you its name, address and phone number. We check only that it is a registered business, for example through its Companies Registration Office entry or VAT number, not the quality of its work. We cannot promise that a business will respond; if nobody takes the request within 21 days, we withdraw it. Offrano is not a party to any contract for the work.
Frequently asked questions
In what order should a house renovation be done?
Roughly from the outside in and from the structure out: survey and strip-out, structural and roof work, damp and drainage, then first-fix wiring and plumbing, insulation and plastering, and finally kitchens, bathrooms, floors and decoration. Doing the finishes before the services is the most common and most expensive mistake.
Should I use lime or cement on an old house?
For solid-walled houses built with lime, repairs usually need lime mortars and plasters so the walls can dry out. Cement-based materials can trap moisture.
Who checks the builder's work?
Offrano does not inspect work. For everything else, a written specification and staged payments linked to completed work protect you best.
Does the quote include VAT?
Ask the business to show VAT separately. Irish VAT rates depend on the goods and services involved.
Source: revenue.ie
What does the request cost me?
Nothing. The business that takes on your request pays Offrano for it. Whether you accept its quote is entirely up to you.
Why does only one business get my request?
So that you are not called by several firms at once. The business that takes it on has the request to itself.
Ready to make your request?
Describe your project – your request goes to exactly one business.
Make a request