Modular Homes & Passivhaus Blog
Expert guides on Passivhaus certification, modular construction, timber-frame science, and prefab housing. Written by our team of architects, engineers, and sustainability consultants.
Modular
How modular construction is changing the game, factory precision, faster timelines, and the real costs of building smarter.
One-Storey House in Ireland: Sites, Planning and Prices
A single-storey home keeps every room on one level but needs more site area. Check Irish planning rules, energy use and BioBuilds prices with VAT and transport.
Tiny Homes in Ireland: Rules and a Small-Home Alternative
Tiny homes in Ireland need planning permission unless exempt. Compare Class 3A rules, usable floor area and BioBuilds Wanderlust prices for Ireland.
Modular Homes Ireland: Prices and Planning in 2026
Modular homes in Ireland usually need planning permission. Compare BioBuilds prices, VAT and delivery scope, garden exemptions, site costs and financing.
Modular vs Self-Build in Ireland: How They Compare
Modular home or traditional self-build in Ireland? The same rules and supports apply; the differences are where it is built, price certainty and payment timing.
The Process
Everything before the house arrives: permits, land, foundations, and the true all-in costs of a building project.
Help to Buy 2026: €35,000 for New Homes and Self-Builds
Help to Buy now pays up to €35,000 to first-time buyers and self-builders. Who qualifies, how the amount is worked out and when a self-builder gets the money.
Self Build Mortgage: Financing a Modular Home in Ireland
A self-build mortgage can fund a modular home once the lender accepts the system and stage payments. Drawdowns, site costs and Help to Buy timing.
First Home Scheme 2026: Self-Build Rules and Price Ceilings
The First Home Scheme can fund up to 30% of a self-build's cost through shared equity. Eligibility, county price ceilings, drawdown rules and service charges.
Garden Home Exemption in Ireland: 2026 Planning Rules
Since 27 July 2026, a 32 to 45 m² home in your back garden can skip planning permission. All 20 Class 3A conditions, the 14-day notice and what still applies.
Planning Permission for a New Home in Ireland: Step by Step
How to get planning permission for a new home in Ireland: notices, documents, the €65 fee, the 8-week decision, appeals and what follows after a grant.
How Long to Build a Modular Home in Ireland?
BioBuilds factory production takes about three weeks for a standard model. Irish planning, building control and service connections set the move-in timeline.
Buying a Site in Ireland: Checks Before You Build
Buying a site to build a home in Ireland: planning, wastewater, access, services and title checks, plus stamp duty at 7.5% and the refund once you build.
Development Contributions in Ireland: What a New Home Pays
Development contributions are council levies on new homes, per square metre or per unit. How they work, a worked example, garden-home exemptions and the waiver.
Modular Home Delivery in Ireland: Arrival and Installation
What happens when a modular home is delivered in Ireland: transport by sea and road, site access, the crane, inspection on the trailer and installation.
Commencement Notice: Building Control for Irish Self-Builds
In Ireland, lodge a commencement notice through BCMS 14 to 28 days before work starts. Check the €30 fee, opt-out rules and completion certification.
Home Insurance in Ireland for Timber Modular Homes
Insuring a timber modular home in Ireland starts with self-build cover for unloading and assembly, followed by buildings insurance. Check flood cover too.
Septic Tank for a New House in Ireland: Rules and Steps
A septic tank for a new house in Ireland needs a site assessment and planning permission. Register within 90 days of connection; the fee is €50.
Energy
Measured energy performance: heating costs, heat pumps, ventilation with heat recovery, standards, and the subsidies that reward them.
Air-to-Water or Air-to-Air Heat Pump in Ireland?
Air-to-water heat pumps suit underfloor heating and hot water; air-to-air suits very low heating demand and cooling. Compare both for a new Irish home.
MVHR Ireland: Central or Decentralised Ventilation?
Central MVHR suits new airtight Irish homes; decentralised wall systems suit retrofits. Compare heat recovery, filters, noise and Part F validation.
BER Ratings Explained: the New A0 to G Scale for New Homes
A BER rates an Irish home's calculated primary energy use from A0 to G. Since 24 May 2026, new certificates use eight bands; older BERs keep their expiry dates.
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