The.Great.House.Revival.S05E01
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00:00Our past is alive in our old buildings.
00:04They speak of our history
00:06and offer solid solutions
00:08for today's housing needs.
00:10I'm following restorers
00:12as they battle through
00:14the good, the bad,
00:18and the awful challenges
00:20of rebuilding ruins
00:22to create homes
00:24fit for the future.
00:31I'm on my way
00:33to the West Cork village
00:35of Butlerstown.
00:37With a view towards
00:39the Seven Heads coastline,
00:41this picture-perfect strip of buildings
00:43is all sunshine and flowers
00:45on this July day
00:47in 2023.
00:49But there's one less
00:51than pristine blot
00:53on the landscape.
00:55The village's 19th century
00:57post office and shop,
00:59one lived in for 12 years.
01:01I'm meeting with local man,
01:03carpenter Timmy O'Brien,
01:05and his partner,
01:07make-up artist Siobhan O'Mahony
01:09from Bally to Hob.
01:11They're planning to move
01:13out of their rental home
01:15and bring the building back
01:17to its former glory
01:19as a home for themselves
01:21and their sons Jimmy and Maya.
01:23Timmy and Siobhan,
01:25let's peep around.
01:30Mind the creaking?
01:32Just a lovely little village, isn't it?
01:34It is. You picked a beautiful morning as well.
01:36The sun's shining.
01:38Only the best for me.
01:40One of you came from here?
01:42That's my mother's house across the road.
01:44Oh, the mammy's across the road?
01:46Yeah, that's how we ended up
01:48coming back here, I suppose.
01:50This came for sale and Siobhan and
01:52Mammy started chatting and
01:54all of a sudden we're bidding on the place.
01:56So we're thinking about
01:59And it's a bit of a daunting
02:01task for Siobhan
02:03coming down into the thick of my crew down here.
02:05So this was the shop?
02:07The shop and the post office.
02:09It's a big premises, isn't it?
02:11Yeah, so the shop counter would have been here
02:13and this was where we'd come for our ice creams.
02:15So that was the slab of ice cream cut
02:17with the wafers?
02:19No, it wasn't that old.
02:21Some people would have even said it was probably
02:23livable until we started pulling it apart.
02:25But certainly we're very glad
02:27we pulled it apart because what Timmy found
02:29between the damp and the roof and the floor
02:31and things like that, you know,
02:33it really showed us that it's better to gut it
02:35and do as much as we can to make it
02:37family friendly.
02:39They bought the post house for
02:41€195,000
02:43four years ago and started work
02:45knocking out damp walls
02:47with their friends and family
02:49helping at every stage.
02:51But hit a complete standstill
02:53eight months ago
02:55when their finances dried up.
02:57Just a perfect storm that time
02:59with the supply chain
03:01problems and the COVID and everything
03:03so the price of the materials just went a bit loopy
03:05there for a couple of years and we got stung.
03:07We had to pull the handbrake at Christmas.
03:09We just had all our savings put into it really.
03:11We were stretched so thin that we just said
03:13we'll just stop now until we can get finance started again.
03:15At this stage now
03:17we just want to get it.
03:19They had €60,000 in savings
03:21but last month they were thrown
03:23out of the lifeline.
03:25They have been approved
03:27for a €120,000
03:29credit union loan.
03:31Come on, let's see the rest of the house.
03:33In the old part
03:35of the building, the walls
03:37have been stripped out.
03:41So now tell me, this is great,
03:43you've been working away on this now for how long?
03:45Is it four years?
03:47Yeah, we've been chipping away.
03:49Not by choice, we were working
03:51with woodworm and all this section, the roof here
03:53was gone. So you've had to
03:55replace your joists, your timbers
03:57and your roof as well?
03:59The roof structure, yeah. The principal rafters were in the old
04:01roof structure and they were rotten as well.
04:03It was beyond saving really.
04:05You actually ended up with four walls.
04:07The great thing now about what you've done
04:09is you've put the roof on,
04:11you've done your floor,
04:13you've put your services in your floor
04:15which is great. The way you've
04:17approached it is absolutely correct
04:19Despite the hard slog,
04:21Siobhan has held on to
04:23big dreams for the building.
04:25I have champagne taste and a lemonade budget
04:27I am very aware of that
04:29so yeah, I have notions
04:31but, you know, that's
04:33my thing.
04:35The problem with the
04:37fire there is there's no chimney above it.
04:39What are you doing now with that?
04:41That is actually going to land above
04:43in the middle of the two bedrooms
04:45and we're hoping that that will be a laundry chute
04:47going down through the old chimney.
04:51So?
04:53We're hoping that there will be a laundry basket
04:55on the bottom here. Jesus, you had a great life
04:57in Bali to have.
04:59Siobhan's champagne taste notions
05:01of a laundry chute fireplace
05:03are matched with
05:05more big ideas upstairs.
05:07So I have another bedroom
05:09Yeah. Yeah.
05:11But I have a corridor all the way down there.
05:13And then we have another corridor just teeing off
05:15to that southern window.
05:17You have a T-shaped corridor.
05:19And where's that go? To a window.
05:21I can't say it because he's actually going to slag me.
05:23No, I'd never slag you. Go on, say it.
05:25No, the reading nook.
05:27But we're not going to be reading in it.
05:29It's just a long picture window.
05:31A window season.
05:33So it's just a waste of space.
05:35I want to see less
05:37laundry chutes and reading nooks
05:39and more practical use of space
05:41for this family of four.
05:45Siobhan and Timmy's surprisingly
05:47large new home is made
05:49up of a series of buildings
05:51from different eras.
05:53The original 19th century house
05:55fronts onto the street with a barn,
05:57outbuildings and a
05:5970s block built extension
06:01and toilet to the back
06:03and a 1960s
06:05single storey shop
06:07alongside.
06:09They plan to build a temporary kitchen
06:11in the 1970s extension
06:13until they can afford to build
06:15a better version in the old shop
06:17alongside a family room
06:19and a dining area.
06:21The extension will become
06:23a den or playroom for the kids
06:25and a studio
06:27for Siobhan.
06:29They've decided that the former
06:31entrance hall will house
06:33a butler's pantry and
06:35a utility room with a
06:37generous laundry and cloakroom
06:39where the main reception room
06:41once was. The end room will become
06:43a snug and music room for Timmy.
06:45Upstairs there will be
06:47four bedrooms with an en-suite
06:49for the master bedroom,
06:51a family bathroom and a
06:53T-shaped corridor.
06:55It all sounds very complicated
06:57to me. I would like to see
06:59them simplify their plans.
07:01In the future this kitchen comes out.
07:03Oh it comes out?
07:05This becomes a den.
07:07A den? I thought that was the den.
07:09We've a lot of house.
07:11So it's a big house?
07:13It is.
07:15So how much is your budget?
07:17So we've spent 60 already
07:19and now we have 120
07:21and not a penny more.
07:23We literally cannot afford to
07:25not be in within 8-9 months.
07:27Like we can't sustain it for any longer.
07:29The quicker they can get in,
07:31the quicker they can stop
07:33shelling out on rent.
07:35But you know it's the pressure that's needed
07:37to work better under pressure.
07:39Your challenge is
07:41with 120
07:43you have to spread your
07:45butter very thinly.
07:47My first impression here
07:49is that the elephant's a bit big
07:51in the room. The budget
07:53you have and your ambition
07:55at the moment.
07:57You think they're not matching up?
07:59I believe that
08:01before you now take your next step
08:03you need to just
08:05re-evaluate the layout
08:07because this is a
08:09smashing room.
08:11Do you think it's smashing enough to leave
08:13it as a kitchen forever?
08:15Absolutely!
08:17And I think that
08:19you don't need
08:21what was the shop.
08:23I believe if they don't
08:25convert the shop now, the project
08:27will be more achievable.
08:29You're never doing this again.
08:31What you have to end up is a house
08:33where you open the door and go
08:35whoopee, I'm home.
08:37We really have to make a saving on every screw and nail.
08:39You know what I mean? It has to be
08:41for us to get done. It's exciting
08:43and terrifying at the same time.
08:45I believe
08:47you can do this.
08:49Yeah.
08:51We really need all our ducks in a row.
08:53Correct. And you need to gut your dog.
08:55Yeah.
08:57For me, the most important
08:59area is actually out here.
09:01By opening up
09:03this wall and getting a
09:05big window here.
09:07This space allows for a perfect
09:09bright kitchen, opening out
09:11onto a sunny terrace.
09:13That should be called this wall?
09:15In that wall. Oh yeah, there's a toilet outside.
09:17Yeah, well just get rid of that. You have enough toilets.
09:19You have a toilet over there. How many toilets do you need?
09:21This is the room
09:23you're going to use and you'll regret it
09:25if you don't do it.
09:27I don't think you've listened to the house.
09:31That's fair enough, yeah.
09:33We've got our work cut out.
09:35Sorry. Right, don't ruin your makeup.
09:39Well, I've reduced Siobhan
09:41to tears already.
09:43Hugh came in today. He was a bit like a whirlwind, wasn't he?
09:45We've literally cut the shop off
09:47since he's been here and that's only in the space of
09:49I don't know, a couple of hours?
09:51In a way, I feel it's taken a weight off my shoulders
09:53because I'm not looking at that
09:55for long term anymore. I'm actually just looking
09:57at the house for long term.
09:59I've got the house in my head already
10:01so I know where every wall is going.
10:03Most of it's kind of figured out
10:05and then that's all been turned upside down.
10:07But I think we had to have it turned upside down a little bit
10:09because we have to really cut our cloth.
10:11We really do.
10:13So I've given you a little bit of thought there.
10:15A small bit. Unexpected.
10:17I'm not going to...
10:19Might need a half an hour to digest some of that.
10:21Motivation is starting to creep back into us.
10:23We're getting excited about it again.
10:25Hell, I don't know where we're getting in.
10:27Thank you. Thank you very much.
10:29Great. I look forward now to following you.
10:31They've long spent
10:33their €60,000 savings
10:35but after my visit
10:37there's good news at last.
10:39They've been approved for
10:41a €50,000 vacant
10:43property grant which will offset
10:45their €120,000
10:47credit union loan.
10:49Still,
10:51to make their budget work
10:53they need to get in fast
10:55to stop paying rent.
10:57Timmy is only able to step
10:59away from his work as a carpenter
11:01at the weekends.
11:03So at the end of a sunny August
11:05Siobhan arranges
11:07babysitting and gathers
11:09the troops again.
11:11All hands on deck now today.
11:13So helping Tim on site today are a lot of his friends.
11:15They're actually working in construction.
11:17They have given up their satellites to come down
11:19and help us here today and we're just...
11:21We're overwhelmed with the support
11:23they're getting. They're just unbelievable.
11:25They're ferocious to people. Their community here is brilliant.
11:27We're really proud of people
11:29coming, helping and
11:31knowing that hopefully we'll be able to give it back
11:33someday as well. We're hoping
11:35to knock the outside toilet.
11:37Mr Hugh Wallace recommended that we get rid of it.
11:39In order to make it through
11:41with their slim budget
11:43Siobhan's notions are being
11:45replaced with some practical
11:47cutbacks. So the laundry chute's been
11:49covered over today. We're not going to do it at all.
11:51We're actually going to keep the
11:53old fireplace as is
11:55and use it
11:57in a decorative way and then put a
11:59counter into it hopefully by the time we're finished.
12:01So the chute is now gone. We're going to have to carry the
12:03clothes up and down the stairs.
12:05And we are going to, well I am going to
12:07attempt painstripping the doors
12:09that were in the house, the existing house
12:11already because they
12:13need to be brought back hopefully to some
12:15sort of natural wood. So that's the aim today.
12:17Is that good? Am I doing it the right way?
12:19Okay.
12:21Natural. She'll be out in her own little bit of business
12:23next week.
12:25Westcork painstrippers.
12:27Make sure you put the paint on. Don't call it Westcork strippers.
12:29You could be in trouble. Oh sure, look that's my other
12:31business. Yeah. Tim's actually
12:33quite a good boss I found out today
12:35when it's his area of expertise
12:37and this is certainly his area of expertise. He's been
12:39working on a renovation at
12:41his day job at the moment and I think
12:43he's applying a lot of that to our house
12:45now which I'm delighted about. It's hard to get it wrong.
12:47Just don't get it on the glass.
12:49Just come to here for now. Leave off
12:51this piece to the very end. Okay.
12:53He could have absolutely told me about the glass at the start.
12:55I was gung-ho going
12:57straight for the glass as well. They're under pressure
12:59to get the house finished as soon as
13:01possible and stop wasting money
13:03on rent. But
13:05suddenly their priorities come
13:07into second place.
13:09Timmy's friend Archie has discovered
13:11they've got tenants of
13:13their own. As we just found out a while
13:15ago there's a swallows nest with three
13:17chicks in it that are just
13:19about to leave the nest but at the moment they're not quite
13:21able to fly so they have a big journey ahead of them now
13:23before they head back to Africa. How many are in there?
13:25Three. So what we'll
13:27do is, if you're happy with it, what we'll do is
13:29we'll actually just support that.
13:31We'll pop that section, leave the nest and just get rid of the concrete.
13:33Okay. Brilliant. I'm sorry.
13:35It's more work. You're alright. I'm happy
13:37with that. Okay. It's not going to hold
13:39the place up too much. Another two or three weeks
13:41to be gone so we'll just work away at the rest
13:43of the concrete structure
13:45and just give them a chance to
13:47get their wings and head off from us.
13:49I want the place clear today.
13:51It's not going to be clear today but at the end of the day
13:53it's not the end of the world. It's only another couple of weeks.
13:55The swallows stay
13:57safely in the nest.
13:59But Siobhan, Timmy and their
14:01kids' nest is a rental
14:0320 minutes drive away.
14:05Siobhan has to prioritise the
14:07full-time care of their kids, Jimmy
14:09and Jeremiah, so she can't be
14:11on site to help Timmy as much
14:13as she'd like.
14:15Three weeks later the chicks
14:17have flown the nest and Timmy
14:19and his friends are making hay while
14:21the sun shines.
14:23They're working through another weekend
14:25to let the sun shine
14:27in by cutting new windows.
14:29The weekend
14:31digouts from friends allows
14:33the remains of their
14:35€180,000 budget
14:37to stretch.
14:39The biggest stress we're watching is the pennies.
14:41We have to keep an eye on the budget.
14:43These shows usually come along and they say
14:45we have X amount of budget and they always find €50,000 at the end.
14:47We don't have that. We have no safety net.
14:49What we have now we have to see it through.
14:51We're just boxing clever.
14:53We do what we have to do to get in
14:55and we can come back to it as the budget
14:57lows but we're watching every cent now at the minute.
14:59As I say with guys like this
15:01now coming in and helping us out,
15:03we can't beat the bit of free labour there on a Saturday morning
15:05so if that keeps coming the way it is we should be OK.
15:07I think
15:09every time we're down here
15:11the sun seems to be shining.
15:13There's someone looking down on us.
15:15I'm expecting to be in at Easter but he keeps asking
15:17me when Easter is because we don't know what
15:19month it is this year.
15:21I just keep going, look it's around April.
15:23I don't know when it is but that's kind of
15:25the aim in my head that we'll be in I suppose
15:27and I wouldn't tell him I'd give until the summer
15:29but I'm saying Easter.
15:31It feels like it's moving so fast
15:33that I'm nervous that there's going to just be a major stop.
15:35But as the summer holidays
15:37come to an end,
15:39so does progress.
15:41Timmy's busy on a
15:43paid building project,
15:45Siobhan's time is taken up with the boys
15:47and the house is
15:49boarded up and quiet.
15:51Progress grinds
15:53to a halt.
15:55Despite their obligations,
15:57Timmy and Siobhan somehow
15:59find the energy to run an
16:01annual charity drag night.
16:03And this busy year
16:05is not going to stop them.
16:07Tonight it's for charity and it's
16:09for direct provision kids in Clannachilty
16:11and also the kids that come from Ukraine that are housed
16:13in Clannachilty. So we're going to have
16:15a drag act first and then we
16:17are going to have Timmy and his amazing
16:19band called The Bunks.
16:21Everybody catered for, hopefully it'll be a great night
16:23in Cormac Cherry Hotel.
16:25My name is Siobhan O'Mahony and I want to say a massive welcome
16:27and thank you so much for coming out for our
16:29fundraiser tonight.
16:31I thrive on this. This gives me something.
16:33So I don't think of this as
16:35oh I'm doing something or I'm, you know,
16:37this is something for me.
16:39Putting his high viz aside for now,
16:41the multi-talented Timmy
16:43takes to the stage.
16:45Lads, we're going to play a few songs for you.
16:47Don't be shy. Come out and have a dance.
16:49Have a bit of fun.
16:51The community down here in West Cork is
16:53it's what makes West Cork.
16:55We wouldn't be taking this on if this
16:57house was in the city somewhere and it was just the two of us
16:59and our two kids. There's no way we'd get it done.
17:01We wouldn't have been motivated. It's just
17:03phenomenal. People just keep showing up.
17:05You know, but no, without the
17:07help and without community
17:09we'd have nothing really.
17:15Finally in December,
17:17Siobhan's hopeful that the light
17:19will come back into the project
17:21and the posthouse itself.
17:23Their order of new and
17:25replacement windows arrives
17:27today. So this morning the windows
17:29have arrived to the house. So Timmy's just been
17:31taking out all the plywood and everything that we've had
17:33blocking up the light for the last
17:35I don't know how many months and
17:37I think it's probably the most excited I've been
17:39about this house since we got it.
17:41To be honest with you, it's huge for us.
17:43Okay,
17:45that's good.
17:47I'm really happy with that.
17:49This time next year we'll be sitting here nice and
17:51toasty. It's just one step
17:53closer to finish and it's a big step.
17:55The lipstick is on the pig kind of thing, you know.
17:57It's absolutely
17:59going to lift the mood.
18:01I can't describe how excited I am about
18:03these windows going in. I got text
18:05messages this morning from people going, are the windows
18:07going in? Like, I obviously have been going
18:09on about it an awful lot.
18:11Timmy broke it to me the other day that he's
18:13going to be working more or less all over
18:15Christmas on the house, which
18:17you know, great for us long term.
18:19It's a pity he can't get a break because the man needs
18:21a break. He's absolutely exhausted.
18:23Every step forward for the house
18:25comes at a cost
18:27for the family unit.
18:29What's your
18:31favourite part of the new house?
18:33The playroom.
18:35What's going to be in it?
18:37Surprises.
18:39I'm wrecked. We've probably been burning the candles
18:41at both ends. Timmy is,
18:43he's exhausted. Like, we did
18:45have a lovely Christmas
18:47as best we could, but
18:49like, you can see by him, he's
18:51hit a bit of a wall.
18:53I've been trying to say, like, will you take a day off
18:55when the kids have gone back to school so you can just actually
18:57stay in bed and not hear anything or, you know,
18:59because there's no rest
19:01when they're in the house. Come over here.
19:07What's your brother doing? I think he feels
19:09like it's all on his shoulders, and to be honest,
19:11that part is. Like, I can
19:13only do so much. I have to be here,
19:15I have to be with the kids, and
19:17it's like the weight of the world is on his shoulders now,
19:19so I'd be lying if I didn't
19:21say it causes
19:23issues in the home when you're
19:25doing something like this that's so heavy.
19:27You know, people are snappier. I'm
19:29snappier. He's snappier. We're more afraid.
19:31We're trying to juggle
19:33everything. We're trying to keep the
19:35kids entertained as well
19:37as juggling a budget. Like, you're doing all
19:39of that. We need to just get
19:41through this now. We need six months now. Get through
19:43it. Go hard. You know,
19:45keep the heads down, get in,
19:47and then breathe. But six
19:49months is a long time. Twenty minutes
19:51away from their rented home,
19:53Santa's on display
19:55in the old phone box.
19:57But it's been a tough Christmas
19:59for the family.
20:01Each day and evening, while he's
20:03not at work, Timmy's here
20:05in the cold, slabbing and
20:07laying concrete.
20:09We're dancing on the line of burnout
20:11and progress.
20:13Poor Jimmy got upset. I was working
20:15all night during the week and I didn't see him at all.
20:17He doesn't miss you until he sees you and realizes
20:19he'd missed you. So I came in the door and he was bawling, crying.
20:21That breaks your heart, that.
20:23It's just exhaustion, really, at this point. There's no other word for it.
20:25We have to cut a little slack to each other
20:27because we know we're burning the candle board ends.
20:29I won't be high-fiving myself until
20:31we're in.
20:33Revival.
20:35West Cork locals
20:37Siobhan and Timmy are battling
20:39a limited budget to
20:41DIY convert Butlerstown's
20:43old post office and shop
20:45into a home for themselves
20:47and their two young sons,
20:49Jimmy and Maya.
20:51It's January 2024
20:53and I'm visiting the post house
20:55to ring in the new year
20:57and to do my best to celebrate
20:59their hard slog.
21:01They're worn down and
21:03dispirited after working
21:05throughout Christmas.
21:07But as a result, the Chile building
21:09is sealed in at last.
21:11There are plenty of new starts
21:13to see here.
21:15Do you want to head in and see them?
21:17Love to.
21:19You've got lots done since I was
21:21last here. The floor's in, it's great.
21:23Absolutely.
21:25And I like that we've had friends
21:27help in and dig us out.
21:29Funny enough, the way you're restoring this into your home
21:31reminds me of the 19th century.
21:33Oh, the mael.
21:35Yeah, it very much is like that,
21:37where you feel like the community and your friends
21:39are coming around to assist you
21:41to build your home.
21:43My biggest fear is I'll finish this house
21:45and I'll owe so many favours.
21:47I'll never get a weekend off.
21:49They owe their friends, but it's well worth it.
21:51I'm struck by the brand new
21:53light-grabbing corner window
21:55in their future
21:57upstairs bathroom.
21:59We've done this window, which I adore.
22:01Well, to be honest,
22:03I think that's
22:05just extraordinary.
22:07Like, look at it, look at the sunshine.
22:09Isn't it wonderful?
22:11Seeing the utter beauty of this
22:13has got my architect spidey
22:15senses tingling,
22:17and I've got a brand new vision
22:19up my sleeve.
22:21So do you want the really good bit of news?
22:23Go on, Jack, go on.
22:25We're going to move the bathroom.
22:27It should be at the far end of this room
22:29because, looking at this view,
22:31this is a spectacular
22:33kids' room.
22:35I think when you suggested we were going to swap
22:37the playroom and the bathroom, I was like,
22:39oh God, here we go.
22:41I think he's gas. Like, he is gas.
22:43He comes in and you can see, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick,
22:45and the mind going, and these ideas coming at you.
22:47And the thing is, he might give you
22:49five ideas, but of every five
22:51we've taken two or three,
22:53and that's two or three that we never would have had.
22:55So, look, I see the value in that.
22:57Do you know what?
22:59I'm totally happy to do that if you
23:01fork out for the changes that we're just about to make.
23:03Get out of it, you.
23:05It's only a bit of timber and a couple of wires.
23:07But once that bathroom
23:09goes in there, that's that.
23:11Oh, yeah. It is in.
23:13It's in, yeah. It's there.
23:15Like, the whole thing.
23:17All the HAs, all the stores are outside, everything is there.
23:19Wires, windows.
23:21There's no way this is happening, you.
23:23There's no way.
23:25Let's go back into the bathroom.
23:27Oh, it's the bathroom now, is it?
23:29My flash of inspiration
23:31is going down
23:33like a lead balloon,
23:35but I'm not done yet.
23:37Because you're a master carpenter,
23:39you know, I believe you could do
23:41a beautiful shutter,
23:43not a blind here,
23:45so that you get your privacy from
23:47your neighbours.
23:49I've been to blind shops, I've been online,
23:51and everything I looked at didn't seem
23:53to fit that nice corner window, and all of a sudden
23:55he's come in with this amazing idea of
23:57putting a shutter in behind the wall
23:59that will just pull out, and it's going to be
24:01really different, I think. I haven't seen it done before.
24:03Look.
24:05Congratulations. Love to see you.
24:07Come here. Love to see you.
24:09Be good.
24:11Bye. Bye.
24:13Although they both work
24:15and cover their own childcare,
24:17Siobhan and Timmy can't afford to pay
24:19for anything but the skilled trades
24:21on this project.
24:23What amazes me is that
24:25in this day and age, young families
24:27have to use that old tradition
24:29of méthod, which is really where your
24:31family and friends come
24:33together and build
24:35and restore and
24:37do up houses.
24:39And it's amazing to think
24:41that we've got to that.
24:43The favours can only stretch
24:45so far, so I would be
24:47concerned that the budget will
24:49run out before
24:51they can move their family,
24:53let alone before Siobhan
24:55gets the finishes
24:57she's looking for.
24:59For now, the corner window goes in,
25:01along with First Fix Electrics.
25:03But the majority of the work
25:05is still on Timmy's shoulders
25:07at evenings and weekends.
25:09Yeah, so my next month, as I say,
25:11it's kind of all on me, really.
25:13In fairness, any of the subbies that come in,
25:15the sparks came in in two days and the whole thing were done
25:17out the gap. Plumbers are the same.
25:19I'm not waiting. Anybody who's coming in to do their job
25:21gets in and out fast, and I'm
25:23the reason for most of the delays.
25:25We've loads to do. Of course,
25:27there's good days and bad days, but some days
25:29you just have to dust yourself off and just
25:31get stuck in. When I'm not here, I tend
25:33to get anxiety about it, but when I'm here and I've
25:35the tools in hand, it's like, OK, at least we're just,
25:37if it's just me on my own even, just getting something done,
25:39at least we're going forward, you know.
25:43While Timmy tufts it out
25:45and Siobhan covers all the
25:47childcare, I hope they can
25:49both keep a handle on their
25:51love for the old posthouse.
25:53Butler's town newbie,
25:55Siobhan, has taken the afternoon
25:57off to go to Mary's pub
25:59down the village to talk
26:01to Timmy's dad, Mike, and
26:03Uncle Patty, as well as their friend,
26:05former post boy, John
26:07the Post, about their memories
26:09of the place. There's a man here in the middle
26:11of it as well. That's my father. Oh, is it?
26:13Yeah. And the dog?
26:15And the dog, Towler, yeah. Towler's the dog.
26:17I love this. They've
26:19brought along family photos and pictures
26:21to show how lively the village
26:23was before emigration
26:25and lack of local employment
26:27led young people away.
26:29The first thing that we're really
26:31interested in is, like, the original
26:33building, how much of that is
26:35remaining now, or
26:37was there a lot of add-ons to it?
26:39To show how the posthouse looked
26:41before its extensions, Uncle Patty
26:43has created a beautiful
26:45illustration from memory.
26:47Yeah, I have a painting here, actually,
26:49that I can remember
26:51from the fifties
26:53of the post office
26:55as it was.
26:57That is it, there, yeah.
26:59So was it always a post office?
27:01It was, yeah.
27:03And were all your family
27:05post people? They actually
27:07were. Were they?
27:09Well, my father was going back to the time of
27:11the Troubles, from Butlerstonia,
27:13and I delivered it for 41 years.
27:15And when he'd come here,
27:17it was in the front door, and there
27:19was a small little office, and the lift
27:21inside, inside the door.
27:23That's where they sorted the post at home, sorted it.
27:25That's going to be the downstairs toilet now, John.
27:27Yeah, that's it.
27:29That shed then was
27:31known as, known to us
27:33as the coast door. Yeah. But that's
27:35where we learned to
27:37smoke when we were kids.
27:39That's right. Inside the air-net.
27:41Great place to be smoking, Patty.
27:43In its original form, the post house
27:45looked like a traditional farmhouse
27:47with a barn alongside.
27:49Do you know what year it was built,
27:51the post office?
27:53I think to around the 1840s.
27:55In the 1840s, yeah, yeah.
27:57OK. At a time
27:59when travel was a challenge,
28:01the post office was central to
28:03village life. From the
28:051950s, it provided
28:07access to a phone.
28:09This was a game-changer for those
28:11with family, forced abroad
28:13for a better life, like Timmy's
28:15mother's grandmother.
28:17Marian's grandmother had two daughters
28:19in New York, and when
28:21the voice circuits came
28:23in the mid-1950s,
28:25and those two girls arranged to have
28:27their mother at the post office about
28:293 o'clock in the evening, and she spoke to them
28:31over the phone, and it was regarded as
28:33marvellous. I remember when
28:35in the 50s, when I was growing up,
28:37when we were growing up here, there was
28:39people around the village.
28:41People coming and going to the village.
28:43Now, I can walk down
28:45my village any time during
28:47the day, and I will not meet
28:49or speak to a living soul.
28:51And that's a sad dream.
28:53I don't know, we might be changing that now, Patsy!
28:55When I met Timmy first,
28:57I remember him saying that a lot of his friends
28:59were gone out of the village.
29:01But in the last couple of years,
29:03all of his friends have come back now.
29:05Do you notice that yourselves?
29:07Oh, absolutely, yeah.
29:09There's a rejuvenation.
29:11Do you feel it?
29:13Oh, definitely.
29:15There isn't a house empty on the street now,
29:17is there? Barrowers, and that'll be
29:19hopefully full soon.
29:21That's right.
29:23After years out of the village,
29:25Timmy's hoping to be part of a reversal
29:27of Butler's town's history
29:29of emigration,
29:31which dates back for generations.
29:33The village is going through a renaissance here
29:35in the last couple of years.
29:37There was a lot of vacant properties,
29:39and now they're not anymore.
29:41A lot of people have decided to move back
29:43to rural Ireland and set up shop here.
29:45So there's a great community here now,
29:47and we're really looking forward to coming down here.
29:49Between their restoration work
29:51and childcare obligations,
29:53Siobhan and Timmy seldom get away by themselves.
29:55I want to give them space
29:57to let those notions
29:59Siobhan jokes about
30:01become less foggy.
30:03So I've brought them on a day trip to Dingle.
30:05It's a stormy March morning,
30:07and we're visiting the Hare's Corner,
30:09an early 20th century
30:11farmhouse very similar in shape
30:13and simplicity to the
30:15posthouse's original building.
30:17Oh, this is just
30:19magical.
30:21They can't afford all new furniture,
30:23but I believe
30:25they can make great use of the pieces
30:27they have, just as the owners
30:29of this home have done.
30:31Now, look at this.
30:33Wow.
30:35So the reason I brought you here today
30:37is that this is a farmhouse
30:39very similar to your original home.
30:41Yeah, the heart is the same.
30:43I think what's great about this home
30:45is it respects the past
30:47but has the new in it.
30:49I love the fact that
30:51you can bring in your granny's
30:53pieces or your aunt's and stuff
30:55like that. Well, we have some original
30:57pieces from the shop as well.
30:59We have an old grandfather clock, so we've everything kept.
31:01And I just love that dresser unit
31:03in the corner, which is sort of fierce posh.
31:05A little bit like you.
31:07Notions.
31:09Yeah, well,
31:11I'm not that posh, but I do love the dresser.
31:13It's gorgeous, and I love the way they
31:15blended it with the new kitchen. It's fabulous.
31:17Gorgeous.
31:19I think I'll go a little lighter, but I love it here.
31:21I love the pastel mixed with kind of
31:23heavier colour. I think it's really pretty.
31:25And you can put in a little bit of pink.
31:27Well, we're hoping to.
31:29That's beautiful.
31:31Isn't that fabulous? It is.
31:33Since I'm the only girl in the house, even the dog is male,
31:35I think I'll be allowed pinks in certain places.
31:37Will we go into another room and have a look around?
31:39Yes.
31:41In the serene sitting room,
31:43it's time to get practical.
31:45And how are you
31:47with your budget?
31:49We've put £60,000 in and we have a loan now of £120,000.
31:51We'll probably be up £10,000 late,
31:53and hopefully when the grant will come in, it'll just
31:55soften that a little bit.
31:57That grant's going to do a lot.
31:59Fair play for the grant. We'd be lost without it. We'd be terrified without it.
32:01The vacant property grant will be paid to them
32:03when they finish the project,
32:05covering their overspend.
32:07You're looking up stuff constantly.
32:09They're trying to get bang for buck with
32:11tiles, with lighting, with
32:13sanitary wear, with everything. So we are
32:15shopping around.
32:17Every euro counts. So in fairness,
32:19you're banging that down.
32:21The problem is the notions.
32:23Unfortunately,
32:25nine months since I first met them,
32:27they are nowhere near the interior
32:29notions stage.
32:31I'll probably have to take some time off of work myself
32:33to get this across the line in time.
32:35I might have to take a week or two off and just be there myself working on it.
32:37We're about a month behind where we
32:39hoped we'd be.
32:41And so you'll be hoping to be in when?
32:43We have to be in before the kids go back to school, really.
32:45It has to. July, August.
32:47So four months.
32:49It'll pass quickly, won't it?
32:51It's kind of getting scary now
32:53because you actually feel like you're making choices
32:55that you have to stick with.
32:57That you have to stick with, yeah.
32:59Back on site.
33:01Mae is here. Scary decisions
33:03have been made as to the
33:05insulation and plastering choices.
33:07And Timmy is still
33:09soldering on in the dark
33:11indoors.
33:13I'm just doing the first coat
33:15just to save on the costing, but I'm
33:17letting the second coat to the plasterers
33:19put a proper finish on it.
33:21And that's where the skill is
33:23really, it's the finish coat.
33:25It's taking longer than I thought.
33:27With the budget at the minute
33:29we're kind of worryingly okay.
33:31I'm secretly panicking that there's
33:33something big that I've forgotten.
33:35We're watching every cent at the minute
33:37because we really are
33:39limping in like so.
33:41It's the finishing that'll make or break it.
33:43I suppose it's what we spend on tiles,
33:45flooring, architecture,
33:47that kind of stuff.
33:49We're on target to not
33:51be in trouble.
33:53I'm always terrified
33:55that I'm after overlooking something.
33:57To help keep them out of trouble
33:59and stick to their budget targets
34:01I'm back in Butlerstown
34:03helping Siobhan and Tucks the dog
34:05to sort through the many
34:07upcyclable items that
34:09Siobhan has stashed in the old
34:11shop over the years.
34:13An Aladdin's cave.
34:15A dumping ground.
34:17Oh, goodness.
34:19It's longer than five years of collecting bits and pieces.
34:21Look, the bell.
34:25That's for warning us for when you're coming.
34:27I love it.
34:29That was originally here.
34:31It was the shop bell for when people used to come in.
34:33Oh, it would ring.
34:35I'm hoping to put it outside the back door
34:37so if the lads are playing outside
34:39and I want to call them for dinner instead of roaring.
34:41You'd use this.
34:43I'm your real lady of the house.
34:45Come in and have your dinner.
34:47It's poured out.
34:49Wow, you've all
34:51sorts of everything here.
34:53Santa Claus's.
34:55And you have a lovely sign there, the old post office.
34:57Yeah, I love that sign.
34:59Timmy's uncle painted that sign and we took it down.
35:01And I just think it'd be lovely to put it up in the house
35:03somewhere.
35:05Notions aside, Siobhan has opted to
35:07upcycle rather than splash out.
35:09So, friends of our family
35:11very kindly donated
35:13a storage container full of stuff and we didn't know
35:15what was coming, but beautiful bits
35:17of furniture, beautiful chairs and stuff like that
35:19came out of that container purely from the goodness of their heart.
35:21All of this is really kind of keeping the budget
35:23down, I suppose, by recycling things.
35:25Trying to think outside the box a little bit with stuff.
35:27It's great you're upcycling
35:29so much.
35:31It's only taken us about five years to get here
35:33but I am delighted.
35:35In equal measure, I'm delighted and nervous because
35:37it's coming to crunch time with decisions
35:39with paint colours and with tiles
35:41and bathrooms and stuff and that
35:43which I thought I had it all sewn up in my head
35:45changes every week
35:47so I'm a bit nervous about that.
35:49After all Siobhan
35:51and Timmy's Trojan work
35:53I want to help out
35:55in any way I can, so I'm keen
35:57to speed up their process about
35:59colour choices.
36:01Are you good at painting people?
36:03No!
36:06He's like Picasso.
36:10Tell me I like this.
36:12Yeah.
36:26This should be called Champagne Waste.
36:28Is that what you want?
36:30It's the things that are in my head.
36:32Yeah. I'll be right back.
36:36I like the
36:38pattern.
36:40It's very nice.
36:42Can I wipe your chin as well?
36:44Come on, wipe it down.
36:46That's better.
36:48We didn't settle on the right white
36:50but the right white chose Timmy.
36:55Months pass as they battle through
36:57slabbing, insulating
36:59and upcycling.
37:01By July 2024
37:03they are piecing together
37:05the second-hand kitchen they bought
37:07and stashed years ago.
37:09We are
37:11just after starting fitting
37:13the second-hand kitchen that we purchased.
37:15This is where the problem arose then
37:17in that we ran out of quartz
37:19because we made the kitchen slightly bigger
37:21than what we purchased.
37:23Not enough worktop isn't the only problem.
37:25They've stretched their budget,
37:27upcycled their hearts out
37:29and used every second
37:31to make this project work.
37:33But summer's almost over.
37:35There's no money left
37:37and the hopes of the old posthouse
37:39being a functioning home
37:41by the start of the new school year
37:43are becoming
37:45ever more distant.
37:49Four months since my last visit
37:51to Butlerstown in West Cork,
37:53I'm back to visit
37:55Siobhan and Timmy
37:57who have spent the last five years
37:59working to create a home
38:01for themselves and their young sons
38:03in the village's old posthouse.
38:07This once murky and dusty
38:09street-side building
38:11is now pretty in pink.
38:19Good morning!
38:21How are you?
38:23You look smashing!
38:25And how are you?
38:27Come in, come in.
38:29I'm being allowed in the front door
38:31instead of via the old shop
38:33for the first time.
38:35It's brand new and so is
38:37the roomy entrance hall.
38:41There's a sophisticated sitting room
38:43to one side of the hall
38:45and a loo with notions
38:47on the other, as well as
38:49a butler's pantry housing,
38:51the old post office sign
38:53and shop scales
38:55where the laundry chute
38:57was once planned to be.
38:59But I want to get into the kitchen
39:01as soon as I can.
39:03Why?
39:05They had planned that this space
39:07would only temporarily
39:09hold the kitchen.
39:11But it's so bright and spacious,
39:13it's perfect as the heart of the home.
39:15It's like a new house.
39:19To be honest, I'm a bit speechless.
39:21That's the first.
39:23So the original layout
39:25of the kitchen was different, wasn't it?
39:27The original plan was to have the kitchen
39:29down in the shop.
39:31But are you not lucky you didn't have enough money?
39:33It shaped what we did.
39:35Yeah, what we have now is probably
39:37a more efficient use of the space.
39:39It's more like a home.
39:41I just remember this room being dark,
39:43even though it did face south.
39:45Do you remember when you walked in here?
39:47Yeah, I'm sure we have the double doors added
39:49on this side as per Hugh Wallace's instruction.
39:51Yeah, but doesn't that work?
39:53It just floods the place with light.
39:55We've actually called the terrace something, haven't we?
39:57That's the Hugh Wallace Terrace now.
39:59Hugh Wallace Terrace. I love it.
40:01What an honour.
40:03They upcycled a second-hand kitchen.
40:05And I'm intrigued to know
40:07how they dealt with the fact
40:09that it didn't come with enough quartz worktop.
40:11It was like a big jigsaw puzzle.
40:13And we just put the boxes down
40:15with the oven where, you know,
40:17you had to put in the sink and the oven
40:19and then when we set the worktop stone
40:21we were like, we're going to be short.
40:23So we just had to come up with a quick solution for that then.
40:25Get us some nice oak.
40:27And then that works as like a permanent chopping board.
40:29So with the bins underneath it.
40:31So it's like, yeah.
40:33Just scrape off into the bin, job done.
40:35Ingenious.
40:37However, it was one of the last-minute problems
40:39which held them back
40:41from moving in before their planned date
40:43of the start of the school year.
40:45I really wanted to be in a week or two
40:47before school started.
40:49So the push was on, I think for the last month
40:51massively to get us in for that.
40:53We went over a little.
40:55Yeah, but the level of the finish you've got,
40:57you know, in here is just magic.
40:59Like the home is just
41:01yummy.
41:03I want to discover if the yum
41:05extends to upstairs.
41:07It's a yes.
41:09The newly finished bathroom,
41:11which I tried to persuade them
41:13to swap for a sitting room,
41:15the corner window gives a dreamy view
41:17to the Seven Heads Peninsula.
41:21You see, I'm fascinated
41:23by the Perrier.
41:25Because if I come
41:27into this bathroom,
41:29this is like you're in five-star luxury.
41:31You know the way you talk
41:33about location and view?
41:35You can't buy that.
41:37No, you can't, no.
41:39What do you do now when the sheep are out
41:41looking at you?
41:43No, we did, we got our little
41:45grand design in. We have the little
41:47shutter.
41:49That pulls from the walls.
41:51The James Bond style.
41:53It's not quite finished yet. We have to kind of
41:55fix the corners here and things.
41:57I love this.
41:59This is one of my favourite things.
42:01I know it's so weird, but it's just like
42:03you still have the view over the top of it.
42:05You have your privacy, which was important to me,
42:07not to Timmy.
42:09And also, I just love
42:11that it's a little secret.
42:13Come on, let's keep going now. I'm loving it.
42:15The stunning views
42:17don't stop at the bathroom.
42:19Super room.
42:21Their kids, Jimmy and Maya, get a
42:23spectacular playroom
42:25connecting their bedrooms.
42:27Jimmy and Maya have ended up with the best.
42:29The best room of the house.
42:31Because all of a sudden they have their bedrooms here
42:33and they come out and they have a playroom.
42:35So what we've set up here is
42:37this is going to have a projector and a screen,
42:39like we already had, put on a movie,
42:41stair gate there to keep everybody safe
42:43and Jimmy is in and out to our room,
42:45can't go downstairs
42:47and we have all this area
42:49and everybody's happy, hopefully.
42:51Yeah, but the great thing about this is as the kids
42:53grow up, this will become
42:55where they do their school and everything else.
42:57Then as you go on...
42:59When their friends come, because it's really hard
43:01for Jimmy also to go to other people's houses.
43:03So it means that everybody can now come here.
43:05And you have a daybed.
43:07You have a daybed for when you come.
43:09There we go.
43:11It's just really versatile.
43:13And the bedrooms are just super sized.
43:15I love the colour difference
43:17between this bedroom
43:19and that goldy mustard.
43:21Siobhan's talent
43:23for design and
43:25Timmy's exquisite workmanship
43:27were able to shine through
43:29because they cut back on the scale
43:31of their planned work.
43:33You've made huge strides
43:35to create your home,
43:37but you do have a couple of other steps to be doing.
43:39Totally. We have no laundry room.
43:41Currently we have a room
43:43under this bedroom here that's just full of
43:45power tools and sawdust and tiles
43:47and it is like Aladdin's cave
43:49of dangerous things.
43:51We have got the two-storey shed on the western elevation.
43:53And of course you've got your big tin shed out there.
43:55We've got the shed.
43:57I love that.
43:59It's stunning. We'll see what the future will bring.
44:01We'll have to, again,
44:03we're just in a financial situation
44:05where we're just wiped
44:07and we just have to pick ourselves back up.
44:09The shop will come first, I think,
44:11because we're hoping that that becomes
44:13an asset and an income.
44:15Right. Well, now, let's keep going.
44:19So, on to the main bedroom
44:21with its hotel-chic bathroom
44:23and second-hand
44:25racing car-shaped bed.
44:27I just think the bed is hilarious.
44:29Because it's like
44:31I'd expect Rod Stewart in the bed.
44:35But we have you!
44:37Yeah, like a poor relation to Rod Stewart.
44:39Ah, yeah, but the bed
44:41is just something else.
44:43I think what's very interesting about this room
44:45is you can see the skill sets
44:47of both of you
44:49and you compliment one another.
44:51I didn't know
44:53that he was such a good craftsman.
44:55I know that he has put all the thought
44:57into everything that's under the pretty stuff.
44:59She knocked it out of the park there
45:01with all the colours and with all the fittings,
45:03the lights, you know,
45:05just dressing the place, the art,
45:07the vases, the flowers.
45:09She made it a home, really.
45:11So, coming into this house,
45:13you've respected the home,
45:15the details, the original
45:17finishes,
45:19and then just to add to that
45:21your ability with colours
45:23and sourcing.
45:25I love a bit of sourcing.
45:27But I'm fascinated, you know,
45:29it's even the tiles in that bathroom.
45:31I love it.
45:33You love it, but you're good at it.
45:37You're good at it.
45:39What the two of you have done
45:41in transforming this home
45:43is really amazing.
45:45So, in doing a home like this,
45:47when people are going to look at this,
45:49they'll go, they have lots of money.
45:51No, no, no, but I have to be fair enough.
45:53If you're looking in, but that isn't the case.
45:55Not at all, no.
45:57They bought the building for €195,000
45:59and started out
46:01with a budget of €180,000.
46:03We're gone,
46:05not 20 or 25 over.
46:07We were able to borrow that
46:0920 to 25 off a family.
46:11The vacant property grant will allow them
46:13to pay their family back
46:15and cover their overspend.
46:17So, it's cost you, what, €170,000?
46:19Yeah.
46:21Well, I can only tell you've done things
46:23that are like, my God.
46:25But that's because your friends were here
46:27and as you say, it's like going back to the old system
46:29of Maho.
46:31Yeah, absolutely. We'd be renting forever.
46:33Only for our family and friends
46:35coming in together.
46:37The help and hard work continued
46:39right up to the moment they moved in.
46:41I think there was like 27 people.
46:43My mother counted
46:45on Saturday here.
46:47Just pushing us over the finish line.
46:49Just pushing and pushing and pushing.
46:51The help was humbling, really.
46:53The village are very lucky
46:55to have the pair of you here
46:57and that's why you got so much support.
46:59Sorry.
47:01It's okay.
47:03I can't get it all over your shirt.
47:05And I've no makeup to touch on.
47:07To get a project finished,
47:09it's amazing how you
47:11have to rely
47:13on other people
47:15in this day and age.
47:17Yeah, I suppose it is.
47:19It's just the times we're in now where the price of stuff
47:21is just out of reach.
47:23Like to go out alone now,
47:25you'd have to have two massive salaries come in
47:27for any couple to be able to tackle anything
47:29and it's definitely about
47:31the help from your family and friends.
47:33Every pothole in the road we hit,
47:35but there was people there to keep us going
47:37and to help us through and again, humbling
47:39and we'll never be able to pay them all back.
47:41There's just so much help.
47:43And now, the faithful helpers
47:45are back on site
47:47to wholeheartedly celebrate
47:49this much-loved family
47:51moving in to their first
47:53owned home at long last.
47:55This is the first night
47:57in my life staying in a house
47:59where my name is on the deeds of the property.
48:01Good things come to those who wait.
48:03And
48:05Siobhan and Timmy have waited.
48:07The combination of
48:09Timmy's ability and eye for detail
48:11matched against
48:13Siobhan, who knows how to
48:15source and curate
48:17has allowed them to build
48:19something truly exceptional
48:21that works perfectly for them.
48:23Because of their
48:25tenacity and
48:27doggedness
48:29they've created
48:31the most wonderful family home.
48:33They deserve it
48:35and they're totally inspirational.
48:37Cheers!
48:43And
48:45speaking of houses, there's no
48:47better home than Mammy's Motel.
48:49Or maybe not.
48:51Mrs. Brown's boys is up after the break here
48:53on one.
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