Lessons Learnt

Embarking on a self-build to create their perfect home in Co. Mayo has been a huge learning experience for homeowners Katie and Henry.

- PENNY CRAWFORD-COLLINS

Katie O'Connor, a primary school teacher and her husband Henry, an agricultural contractor, had both grown up in the countryside and they both had a dream of building their own home in the country. In 2017 having been gifted a site in Co. Mayo by Katie's family their dream finally became reality. We decided to go down the self-build route as we were very lucky to have the help and support of family members who work in the construction industry,' explains Katie. Henry's sister was their engineer, her expertise and knowledge made the planning and design process run smoothly. 'We had a good idea ourselves of what spaces we wanted to include and having someone with great experience really helped us with the site layout and orientation and ensured the design worked for us,' says Katie.