Room to Improve: We all root for Sean and Cal in 'uphill battle' 

And Dermot Bannon observes: 'It's a long time since I've been in a house with a grotto'

Dermot Bannon and Claire Irwin with homeowners Cal Moran and Sean Hegarty; top right, the kitchen in Sean and Cal's home after; below right, Missy and Trixie, the couple's dogs. Pictures: Pictures: RTÉ

Within the first three minutes of appearing on RTÉ One’s Room to Improve, Sean Hegarty and Cal Moran tell us as many times how lucky their home makes them feel.

If we had tuned into a horror movie and not a home renovation show, we’d be tensing up already.