I’m pretty handy, and for this place, I did as much as I could myself to keep the costs down. It was advertised as a home that would qualify for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, with the agent emphasising it had been vacant for seven years. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was established in July 2022 as part of the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund with applications managed by local authorities. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni/The Irish Times“I had hoped to change career, but that plan changed because of the cost,” Williams says. “It’s super stressful because you kind of second-guess yourself, like, am I really able to spend this much money?
