We start with what is already there.
Original features, past repairs and damp patches all tell us something useful. We identify the surveys needed to understand the walls, roof, floors and ventilation before new work covers them up.
FENNOR / OLDER HOMES
Character retained.
Comfort reconsidered.
Keep the character you fell for and improve the parts that make everyday life harder. Fennor helps you plan an older-home renovation with care for the building and the people living in it.
THE HOUSE ALREADY HAS A STORY
Read it carefully.
Add to it thoughtfully.
If the stonework, proportions or original features are why you love the house, they belong at the centre of the brief. Fennor begins with what you want to retain, then explains the condition and heritage assessments needed before repairs or alterations are proposed.
Keep the character.
Understand the house.
Plan its next chapter.
Conservation proposals follow a building-specific assessment.
A BETTER FIRST QUESTION
What is the house
telling you?
Choose what concerns you most. This shows how Fennor takes the enquiry towards an assessment and a clearer repair or renovation proposal; it cannot diagnose the property online.
Find the source before the solution.
Show Fennor where the staining appears and how it changes through the year. We identify the next investigation and explain the findings before proposing repairs, because a leak, rain entry and condensation can need different responses.
- Your observations and any repair history guide the first investigation.
- We explain whether the next assessment concerns the roof, gutters, ground levels or plumbing.
- Your repair sequence allows for the cause and any necessary drying before new finishes.
YOUR HOUSE / THE FIRST CONVERSATION
Start with what you know.
We work through the gaps.
- Construction
- We use the available drawings and history to establish the next assessment. You do not need to identify every wall type yourself; a house altered over time may contain several forms of construction.
- Condition
- Your account of when a problem appears, previous repairs and safe ground-level photographs helps us identify the right investigation. We explain its purpose before moving towards a repair proposal.
- Significance
- We bring the features you value and any known protected-structure or conservation-area status into the brief. The relevant professional advice establishes restrictions before a change is agreed.
- Previous work
- We work through earlier windows, renders, insulation, drainage and heating changes with you. Available records help explain how the house reached its current condition.
YOUR PROJECT WITH FENNOR
The character you love.
The comfort you need.
We explain the choices, the work involved and what happens next, so you can decide with a clearer picture.
Improvements that belong in this building.
We bring your comfort and layout goals together with the right specialist advice. Traditional masonry needs compatible insulation, renders and junctions; a product suited to a modern wall may trap moisture in an older one.
A clear route through the permissions.
We ask about protected status or conservation-area restrictions early. Where planning or conservation advice is needed, we explain the next appointment and its effect on the work before presenting a construction price.
A SIMPLE START
Your home has a history.
Tell us what you know.
- 01What you know about the home’s age and past repairs↗
- 02Features you love and rooms you want to improve↗
- 03Any known damp or conservation status↗
MORE WAYS WE CAN HELP
Keep exploring.
SUPPORT FOR THE WORK YOU HAVE IN MIND
A clearer budget.
The support to explore.
These are the relevant funding options to discuss with Fennor alongside your project. We explain the full price, the support that may apply and the steps before you commit.
Reviewed · Guidance, not an eligibility decision.
Grant support
Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant
Up to €50,000 / €70,000
Up to €50,000 for qualifying vacant-property refurbishment, or €70,000 including the confirmed derelict-property top-up.
Conditions & official guidance+
- Generally a pre-2008 property vacant for at least two years, becoming your principal home or an RTB-registered rental. Local-authority approval, inspection and eligible-cost rules apply.
- Current guidance provides an 18-month completion period and ten-year charge/clawback conditions. This is not a general renovation grant for an occupied home.
- SEAI support may apply to separate eligible work, but the same costs cannot be funded twice. Island and multi-unit cases have distinct rules.
Grant support
Expert advice for qualifying vacant conversions
Up to €5,000
Support for specified expert advice on eligible above-shop conversions or whole former commercial/public buildings being considered for two or more homes.
Conditions & official guidance+
- Not a free-survey grant for every vacant home. The proposed conversion, applicant and advice must meet the separate scheme conditions.
- We explain which professional assessment your project needs and confirm any fee and funding route before an appointment.
Grant support
Housing Aid for Older People
Up to €10,700
Means-tested support for essential repairs and improvements to make an older person’s home safe and habitable—not decorative renovation.
Conditions & official guidance+
- Normally for people aged 66 or over, with hardship exceptions considered by the local authority.
- Support tapers by assessed household income, with the full-rate band up to €37,500 and maximum threshold €75,000, subject to relevant deductions and disregards.
- The necessary work, available budget and approval before work determine the award.
USEFUL ANSWERS
An older home.
Where do we begin?
Plain language. No pressure to have it all figured out.
01Could we make an old stone house warmer?
+
Yes, there may be suitable improvements. We start with a building-specific assessment of construction and moisture, then explain the options. Thickness or an advertised insulation value alone does not establish the right solution.
02Can an older home have solar or a heat pump?
+
Age alone does not rule them out. We identify the roof, energy and fabric checks required, alongside any conservation restrictions, and explain which options are worth taking forward.
LET’S TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Talk to Fennor.
Tell us what you have in mind.
Based in Slane, serving Meath, Louth and Dublin. Tell us about a project further afield and we will confirm whether we can help.
089 403 2737 ↗info@fennor.ieWe will confirm the next step, availability and any assessment cost with you before a visit is booked.