[Blog.]
An Irish Property & Engineering Surveyors Blog!
Navigating the Irish property market can feel like walking a tightrope, but buying or selling a home in the West of Ireland doesn’t have to mean stepping into the unknown. Written by the expert structural engineering survey team at My Engineer Ltd, the mypropertysurvey.ie blog delivers clear, independent, and jargon-free guidance on everything from pre-purchase structural surveys and snag lists to rural planning permission, boundary compliance, and grant eligibility. Whether you are a first-time buyer in Galway, a vendor getting ready to sell in Mayo, our blog brings you direct insights straight from the boots on the ground—helping you spot potential structural defects, meet legal requirements, and protect your investment with total confidence.
The Evolution of Irish Building Bye-Laws: What applies to your property?
The Building Bye-Laws in Ireland can be difficult to establish, as they were generally applied in certain circumstances and locations, depending on where you were living in Ireland. If you are selling your house in an old UDC area in Galway or Mayo and there is a question on Bye-Law approval, give mypropertysurvey.ie a call and we can help to resolve any compliance issue you may have.
The Buyer’s Guide to Irish Building Regulations: What Your Surveyor Is Looking For.
When you are buying or selling a home in Ireland, you may have read about Building Regulation Compliance and the importance of it. The Building Regulations are a set of rules that were enacted under the Building Control Act 1990, which came into effect on the 1/6/1992. The regulations are a statutory set of rules for building in Ireland and apply to all property and works undertaken after that date.
Lighting Guide for your Self Build Home in Ireland
Lighting your home is a crucial thing to get right. Lighting can influence feeling and mood. Lighting should also be appropriate for different tasks and situations. This post explores lighting design for domestic self building in Ireland. There are some great tips that can really change the impact of the lighting design in your home.
Rural Homes: The problem with getting planning permission in Ireland
Some people find it difficult to secure planning permission on a rural site in Ireland for various reasons. It is to be generally understood that there is a predisposition to restricting rural housing to those people who may be functionally dependant on the land, or intrinsic to an area by way of background.
Generally, refusal of planning permission for rural housing can fall in to two categories: 1. Person does not have a genuine “housing need” claim (explained later). 2. Technical issues with site.
Getting a Property Survey in Castlebar, Co. Mayo
If you are buying a second-hand home in Castlebar, Co. Mayo or any area of Mayo, you have probably been asked by your Solicitor to get an Engineer to undertake a Structural Survey report. These are also referred to as a pre-purchase report, structural survey or building inspection report.
It can be difficult to decide which company to use, as there are many. All offer varying degrees of service, but how do you make sure that you are hiring the right Engineer?
Photography: Images of Galway & Mayo
This is a collection of images taken by the Engineers and Surveyors at My Engineer Ltd of towns and Villages in County Galway and County Mayo, Ireland over the course of their duties! These often feature on the ‘start’ page of our website! We hope you enjoy!
Under the Roofline: How Concrete Ring Beams Perform in Galway and Mayo Builds.
A concrete ring beam runs horizontally around your house at the top of the external walls for the entire perimeter of the structure. Historically, you would find them included with the reconstruction of stone-wall cottages to regularise the top of uneven rubble-based walls and to stabilise that structure to better resist roof loads. Is discovering a concrete ring beam bad news for homeowners in Galway and Mayo? In short – no. It ties your walls together; it distributes roof loads and when executed well it prevents structural cracking.
Tips to ensure a quick house sale in Galway/Mayo in 2027.
We have heard it all before. The Solicitor was slow, the Engineer found a problem, the documents were missing… There are multiple reasons why the transition from ‘Sale Agreed’ to ‘Sold’ takes time. However, many of the delays could have been prevented if the Vendor had gone through a simple checklist before they brought the house to the property market
What is Radon and how does it impact my home in Galway or Mayo in 2027?
Radon is a gas that occurs naturally within the underground rock formations right across Ireland, including in Galway and Mayo. Radon has no smell, colour or taste but it is a biproduct of radioactive decay beneath your home. It is a proven cause of lung cancer in Ireland if present in high concentrations over a long period of time (given as 200 Bq/m³ by the Environmental Protection Agency).
What is a “Declaration of Identity” when Buying a House in Ireland.
When you are buying a house or land in Ireland it is important that the physical boundaries and Land Registry Maps match. This check can be done by hiring a registered Engineer, Architect or Property Surveyor to check the boundaries. But what is a “Declaration of Identity”?
A Declaration of Identity is a sworn legal document or statement that is prepared by a qualified professional, such as an Engineer, Surveyor or Architect. The document usually states that the physical boundaries of the site match the boundaries on the Land Registry Map or Folio. It can also be used in cases where new maps are prepared for First Registration or Transfer.
The impact of Japanese knotweed in Galway & Mayo homes in 2027
Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is a highly invasive plant species that is not native to Ireland. It was originally imported from East Asia during the Victorian era as an ornamental garden plant. It is widespread across every county including Galway & Mayo. It thrives in Ireland's mild, wet climate. From our surveys, we have noted it more in areas where it can grow without hindrance, in particular along abandoned railway lines and adjoining rivers and streams. However, we have also seen it along public roads in rural areas.
Getting a Property Survey in Clifden, Co. Galway
If you are buying a second-hand home in Clifden, Co. Galway or any area of Connemara, you have probably been asked by your Solicitor to get an Engineer to undertake a Structural Survey report. These are also referred to as a pre-purchase report, house survey or building inspection report.
It can be difficult to decipher which company to use, as there are many. All offer varying degrees of service, but how do you make sure that you are hiring the right Engineer?
Unregistered Land: Why you need a “Land Registry Compliant Map” when selling your home in Galway or Mayo.
In Ireland if you are buying or selling land, you must provide an appropriate Land Registry Folio for the transaction. This folio contains the names of the owners and past owners of the land/property. The map attached to the folio is referred to as a ‘filed plan’. This is a map that contains the property, outlined usually in red. It also can contain leaseholds, which are outlined in green. In Ireland there were two main ways to register property or land ownership.
Property Surveys: Buying a Home in Ballina, Co. Mayo
Ballina is a town in north County Mayo, Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and civil parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountains to the east and the Nephin Mountains to the west. As recorded by the Census of Population of Ireland (2022), the population of Ballina is 10,556. It is a great place to live in the North West of Ireland!
Maps & Boundaries: The Importance of Having them Checked when Buying a Home in Galway or Mayo.
A fundamental starting point when buying a property in Ireland is getting the map and boundary checked. If the map is wrong, or the boundary is in the wrong place, it can be incredibly difficult to correct afterwards. This map check can be done by hiring a registered Engineer, Architect or Property Surveyor to check the boundaries and registration maps.
The Problem Upstairs: Planning Issues with Unauthorised Attic Conversions in Ireland.
Extending your home by converting the attic can be a great way to get extra space in your home. It is probably the most cost effective way to extend, instead of building a bricks and mortar extension, as it is claimed to be half the price! However, converting your attic in Galway & Mayo can have regulatory difficulties in terms of planning permission and building regulation compliance. If you don’t deal with these matters, then it can cause serious difficulties when you come to sell your property, or to get insurance for it. So, it is important that you comply with all of the relevant regulations and standards, in order to sell your property. We will explore some aspects of this in this blog post.
Planning Permission Problems when Buying a House in Ireland.
An important part of buying a home in Galway or Mayo is ensuring that it is planning compliant. As part of our standard property survey package, we do a planning search on your property and check the planning status. A planning search is important to establish when the original property was built or if it was built before planning laws were in place, i.e. before the 1/10/1964 when the Local Government (Planning & Development) Act 1963 was enacted.
The difference between a Snag List and a Property Survey.
A question that often arises when surveying property is “what is the difference between a Snag List and a Property Survey?”. In general, a ‘Snag List’ is undertaken on NEW property and is only for NEW BUILDS. A ‘Property Survey’ is for second-hand homes.
The problem with your Septic Tank: The realities of Rural Wastewater Treatment in Galway & Mayo
Generally speaking, rural houses in Galway and Mayo have either a “Septic Tank & Percolation Area” or a “Proprietary Treatment System”. Nothing is more infuriating when surveying a property and having difficulty finding even the basic parts of a septic system! From missing AJ’s, defective percolation areas and damaged tanks, we have seen it all!
From our surveys of rural houses, about 90% of the septic systems do not meet the minimum standards required. The problem is so widespread, that we often have to advise purchasers not to let it be a sticking point when buying a house, as it is likely going to be the same problem in the next house!
Property Surveys of Older Houses & Protected Structures in Galway & Mayo
Older and Protected Structures present different challenges when surveying. Often, the problems with such structures are more so a result of the intervention afterwards and the modernisation of such structures…