Room to Improve

[JaneJeffer]

New series tonight. Everyone ready for a million windows?

I suppose it’s not good TV if the happy ending is a house that keeps the rain off, but is raw plaster, deckchairs and bookshelves made out of bricks and planks inside — like ours was for years…

I only saw the second half, so didn’t see whether we got to see where they lived before they moved into the renovation — was that their furniture from before? It looked expensive for people on a strict budget.

Or maybe rented by the production company from one of those ‘stage your house’ companies?

I’ve lived in a part-renovated house since 2020, am still sitting on kitchen chairs I got out of a skip in London in 2002, and we don’t have a drive, far less a sleek patio! Or a functioning kitchen, which is our next concern…

We had two kitchen stools, a microwave, a portable TV lent to us by a friend and an air mattress. Second hand curtains on some windows, offcuts of carpet given by family. We closed off the sitting room for a year and lived in the kitchen. We felt very lucky.

The couple were in an old bungalow, most of which was demolished. I think they basically started from scratch with furniture and bought new. It's an eye-watering amount of money even with grants. They were taken aback when they realised they pay up first and then get refunded with grants. They came across as young in that regard.

I was amazed at how much they got in grants tbh, was it 90k or something?

I did my moaning about grants last week. Many years ago in another jurisdiction we libed in a tiny terrace house
The whole terrace got reroofed by the eu and new single glazed windows. It was amazing. Although double glazed might have been sensible...
We couldn't afford fabulous extras though. And all the furniture of the long dead previous occupant was in situ.
Dermot rarely mentions furniture.

He never does actually! Not big on details is he 😂

I suppose its like house insurance being divided between buildings and contents. Dermot doesn't care about contents. They always look brand new.

They totally are. I suppose if you're gonna be dropping a few hundred grand, you may as well go all out and get a new couch.

I could understand that except they always go way over budget on the build...so where does the extra cash come from? (My son recently spent 800 euros on a lovely armchair fro the bedroom...but he hasn't just done a massive building project. And Im amazed at the cost of a chair that is either for display...or to chuck slightly worn clothes on.)

I assume they lowball their budgets for dramatic effect? Otherwise i wish they'd tell us who they're banking with!

Last week the woman was asking Dermot can we afford all these windows and he said yes they could but they had gone way over budget by the end. I don't know where they got the extra from!

I'd be very tempted to get Dermot in if I thought RTÉ would bankroll us

Massive amount of money (330K?) to pay for what was basically a site, considering most of the house was pulled down. Would the house be worth all they spent on it (680k?). It did look lovely though.

I couldn't cope with it, even it was free. The thoughts of people dissecting me. No way. So i shall struggle on without polished concrete alas 😂

I couldn't cope with living in the big glasshouse Dermot would construct when he saw the view from here. If you want to see more of it then go outside I say!

Where do they magic the money from on this show ?
I presume it's staged furnishings at the end.
Very good looking couple but my was the word "Cool" overused.
She was so positive and it was heartbreaking they lost their wee girl at 5 months.
I was amazed that the builder took the hit til the grant money came in. Now that's Wow !

Reminded me sort of of someone I know who needed their fire fixing, the guy fixed it then was told that they couldn't pay him til the following month.
The same lady was into designer this and designer that and she and her dh have done 3 refurbs since -
I wonder did they pay those builders !!!

It must be glorious on a sunny day, but considering it's Ireland, there would be a whole lot of days where you'd want to batten down the hatches and have an enclosed room with a roaring real fire. Not giant (uncleanable!) windows with a view out to a wet, windy, grey landscape. I am really full of the joys of January, sorry!

I'm pretty sure I've heard that all the furniture and decor bits are just brought in for the celebration party at the end.

The budget stuff drives me nuts, it's so misleading. We're in the middle of doing a big extension and we've yet to find an extra €150k down the back of the sofa as all these couples seem to do...

The husband said we can't wait to move in while they were sitting in a fully furnished house so yes I think maybe there was a truck outside waiting to take it all away again!

Not to mention half of them seem to be teachers, hardly minted to that extent like! I feel we are not getting the full story!

I missed the program last night .does anyone know when I can watch it again on T.V. other than RTE Player?

It might be repeated late Sunday nights? Or I could have imagined that…?

Friday night 11:10 RTÉ 1

After the LLS in other words!

Thanks !

No one’s talking about Dermot versus the unimpressed nutritionist man, and the incredibly disappearing planter? All you could hear was huffing at one point.