At Home with Breffnie

Are you thinking about buying a property in Dublin? Wondering about renovation costs, common issues like damp and subsidence, or how to maximise resale value? In this episode, Breffnie O’Kelly, Buyer’s Agent, sits down with Shay Lally of Houses to Restore to share expert insights on Dublin’s property market.   📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✅ The benefits of buying in the city vs the countryside ✅ Renovation costs per square metre - what to budget ✅ How to spot costly issues like subsidence, damp & rewiring needs ✅ The real cost of adding a downstairs loo or replacing windows ✅ BER ratings & why energy efficiency matters ✅ Why a home renovation assessment can save you thousands   🎙️ About Our Guest - Shay Lally With 65,000+ followers on Instagram, Shay Lally is one of Ireland’s go-to renovation cost consultants. He provides home renovation assessments, helping buyers understand the true cost of bringing a house up to standard before they commit to a purchase. Learn more at www.housestorestore.ie. [http://www.housestorestore.ie.]   🎙️ About Breffnie O’Kelly - Buyer’s Agent in Dublin I’m Breffnie O’Kelly, a licensed property-buying agent in Dublin, Ireland. I specialise in helping buyers navigate the complex Irish property market, ensuring they make the right investment for their future. 📍 Need Help Buying Property in Dublin (or throughout Ireland)?   💻 Website: www.breffnieokelly.ie [http://www.breffnieokelly.ie] 📩 Email: breffnie@breffnieokelly.ie [breffnie@breffnieokelly.ie] 📞 Book a Quick Chat (15 mins): https://calendly.com/breffnieokelly/15min [https://calendly.com/breffnieokelly/15min] 🕐 1-Hour Buyer’s Coaching Session: Click Here https://calendly.com/breffnieokelly/1-hour-property-buyer-s-consultation [https://calendly.com/breffnieokelly/1-hour-property-buyer-s-consultation]   👍 Like this episode? Give it a thumbs up! 📢 Subscribe for more property insights   #DublinProperty #HomeBuyingTips #PropertyInvestment #RenovationCosts #DublinHomes #IrishProperty #FirstTimeBuyer #PropertyAdvice #RealEstateDublin #HouseBuying #RenovationDublin #BreffnieOKelly #ShayLally

Get the inside story on Irish country house purchases in this week’s podcast as we look at the transaction from the inside out with Philip Guckian, SCSI, Associate Director of Sherry Fitz, Country Homes and Estates You might have seen Philip making lots of sense and being a brilliant agent on the recent RTE series of Selling Ireland’s Dream Homes? If there’s one thing that becomes crystal clear during my conversation with Philip it’s that buying a country home is a marathon, not a sprint.  Join us as we talk about: * What distinguishes a country home from the many homes that are currently for sale in this country * Who are the main buyers of these houses and are they cash buyers or borrowers? * Why do estate agents like to feel that viewers have done a bit of homework before arranging to view a property * Is there one nationality more than another who is buying these properties? * The advisability of doing a survey before going sale agreed especially if the property is particularly old or rambling * Where the delays can occur in the buying process.  Philip’s contact details are:  philip.guckian@sherryfitz.ie [philip.guckian@sherryfitz.ie] Tel: 01 237 6309 About Breffnie O Kelly Buyer’s Agent.  I’m Breffnie, a licensed property-buying agent practising in Dublin, Ireland, where I was born and bred. I love the process of assessing neighbourhoods and properties, looking for the features that will enhance the lives of my clients as well as the resale value of the property. I'm a graduate of the Institute of Technology Tallaght (winning the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers Prize for Leadership) and a prize-winning (Sheehy Skeffington Prize in French) graduate of Trinity College Dublin. I'm also an external examiner on the newly launched National Auctioneering and Property Services Apprenticeship programme. I love what I do. I know that finding and agreeing terms on a property can be stressful, and I relish the fact that I can offer you a road map of the journey ahead, expert knowledge and a guiding hand until you have keys to your new property in your hand. Thank you. Book an introductory call with Breffnie: https://calendly.com/breffnieokelly/15min [https://calendly.com/breffnieokelly/15min]

Do you really know what you're buying? Let's talk property boundaries If you’re buying a country house in Ireland, you’ll almost certainly be buying an acre or several acres of land around that house.   Most buyers have no difficulty comprehending the size and extent of the house they are buying, but the extent of the land can be trickier to understand.   It’s the land part of your purchase that we’re talking about today.   I am thrilled to be joined by Sarah Sherlock, former Chair of the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland Geomatics (Geomatics refers to the methods and technologies used to collect, distribute, store, analyze, process, and present geographic data.) Sarah has several years of experience spanning many sectors, involving many notable and high-value real estate transactions both in Ireland and the UK. Standards are a matter that Sarah considers very important. She currently sits on a number of standard-setting committees – making sure measurement is carefully considered– in Ireland, the UK, and Internationally. Sarah served as a member of the Irish Defence Forces for c. 17 years.   You can contact Sarah at: sarahmsherlock@protonmail.com [sarahmsherlock@protonmail.com]   During our conversation today, Sarah mentions a “16 Prepurchase Boundary Questions” Guide, prepared by the SCSI ( Society for Chartered Surveyors Ireland). You can download this prepurchase guide here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iM96uvwaB_oDs6dfQF73AKpA3fnOVyVX/view

Today we’re looking at your house purchase from a legal perspective. Your offer has been accepted on a property… you’re excited, maybe a bit nervous and you’re starting to make plans. Yes, you’re right to feel thrilled that your property search has got to this important stage but there is a bit more plot left in this saga yet!  Enter, centre stage, your solicitor.  It’s your solicitor who will direct the action from here on in and be assured, there can be plenty of twists in the tale before the happy ending.  In this episode, I talk to James Ryan, a solicitor with PP Ryan & Co [https://ppryan.com/].   James is a solicitor I work with regularly. I value his pragmatic, calm approach and I value his good humour and responsiveness too.  In this episode, James talks me through exactly what a solicitor does, where the delays can occur in the conveyancing process and shares some examples of tricky issues he encountered while working with clients purchasing property….always resolved in the end of course! James Ryan, solicitor, our guest today works with PP Ryan & Co. [https://ppryan.com/]  You can contact James at Tel (+ 353 ) 505 46145. About Breffnie O Kelly Buyer’s Agent.  I’m Breffnie, a licensed property-buying agent practising in Dublin, Ireland, where I was born and bred. I love the process of assessing neighbourhoods and properties, looking for the features that will enhance the lives of my clients as well as the resale value of the property. I'm a graduate of the Institute of Technology Tallaght (winning the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers Prize for Leadership) and a prize-winning (Sheehy Skeffington Prize in French) graduate of Trinity College Dublin. I'm also an external examiner on the newly launched National Auctioneering and Property Services Apprenticeship programme. I love what I do. I know that finding and agreeing terms on a property can be stressful, and I relish the fact that I can offer you a road map of the journey ahead, expert knowledge and a guiding hand until you have keys to your new property in your hand. Thank you. Book a 15 minute introductory call with Breffnie: https://calendly.com/breffnieokelly/15min

In episode 2 of our series on Buying a Country Home in Ireland, Breffnie chats with Colleen about her move from America to Ireland. At first, Colleen was in California just browsing properties online and thinking about a move, next she considered different European countries before deciding on Ireland as a destination. And then... Colleen arrives in Ireland for the first time to set about purchasing a home. * Does she do it on her own or does she need help? * What were Colleen's concerns about relocating to Ireland? * How the process worked and the differences Colleen saw between the Irish and American purchasing processes. * How Colleen's integrated into her local village community. * What advice Colleen would give to those considering moving to the Irish countryside? and much more! Book an introductory 15 minute call with Breffnie: https://calendly.com/breffnieokelly/15min [https://calendly.com/breffnieokelly/15min]