First steps

Well, I’ve been and gorn and done it. Handed over a this-is-definitely-it handful of filthy lucre (as opposed to the I’m-definitely-interested-but-could-still-change-my-mind, much smaller, handful of the stuff),  signed on the dotted line and agreed all the agreements. So: I am now officially a member of Sustainable Projects Ireland Ltd, and will definitely be building my very own eco-house. Woohoo!

Pretty village green

Main street

I had another look at my site – beside a stream, plenty of space for a west/south facing facade and garden, and not cheek-by-jowl with my neighbours. Pretty perfect. It’s hard to imagine it from pictures or a map, but it really is beautiful and it feels like a good site.  Already I’m getting ideas about what to plant, never mind what to build!

My plot – on far side of stream (currently a ditch)

View of the whole site as you enter from the main street
My plot is at the squished, red ‘X’, left of centre

In celebration I went off to one of the many nearby towns (there’s a lot of exploring to do of the surrounding area), Nenagh, and bagged myself a really top lunch in Country Choice.  Very good indeed, if somewhat over-the-odds, price-wise. And very excellent coffee, which bodes well.

Of course all this will take time. Storage has been rented, boxes bought, and so we’re currently clutter-clearing (ugh!) and touching up the house ready to put it on the market, hopefully next week.  In the meantime I’ll be meeting the other members of the project and deciding how to contribute my obligatory 100 hours per annum, and generally getting involved. And once I’ve picked an architect we can start designing the house which is the really exciting bit.

I’m steadfastly ignoring the doomsayers (and the part of me that says “What! Are you absolutely mad, woman?!”) and being resolutely optimistic, assuming that yes, the house will sell. It will of course take longer than it would have a year ago, and will undoubtedly fetch a good bit less, but life goes on and I just have to assume that that’s true for other people too. What’s life for, if not for taking chances, after all. But yes, fingers are very much crossed. : )

Photos by Simon