Ask an expert: Can I build a new home in my back garden?

Understanding planning hurdles, flood risks, and crucial expert guidance.

The most expeditious thing here is to have a pre-planning meeting with the planning section of the council.

Dear Brigid, 

My wife and I moved into our 3-bed semi in Limerick in the mid 80s. During the 90s, we added a bedroom and a new kitchen to the rear. It’s a corner house – I think all the houses on the road were built in the 60s – and came with a large garden.