TDs to hear from Build Your Own Home presenter how to halve the cost of self-build homes

"The problem is that too few people can afford them or know how to use them."

The sustainable construction worker will present ways to make self-building a more affordable option to the Oireachtas Housing Committee later today, Tuesday, November 10.

Gardner is set to highlight how self-builders could save thousands by equipping them with the “knowledge, skills and confidence”.

He will urge the State to fund hands-on training for self-builders in order for them to have the ability “talk to contractors on equal terms”.

These courses would be delivered through Education and Training Boards, local authorities and community groups.

According to beforeyoubuild.ie, the cost of self-build homes in Ireland as of 2026 are as follows:

Gardner will tell the committee about one of his clients whose self-build was priced at around €460,000 by a quantity surveyor, but made big savings after working with Gardner and understanding "how a house goes together”.

The RTÉ presenter's opening statement reads: “She project-managed the build, hired the trades directly, did much of the work herself, and built that house for 230,000: half the cost, and an amount that is within reach of an income close to the average wage.”

Additionally, Gardner wants the committee's TDs to recommend the introduction of a ‘national self-build pathway’ to the government’s housing plan, in which every council would have a register of the individuals and groups wanting to build their own homes.

The co-founder and chairperson of Common Knowledge, a social enterprise in the Burren in Co Clare, says the key issue of the housing crisis is not a lack of sustainable materials and methods.

“Those low-carbon methods and materials are out there and well documented.

"The problem is that too few people can afford them or know how to use them. A way of building is only truly sustainable if potential homeowners can afford it, access it, maintain it, and find someone with the skills to deliver it," he states.

Amid the housing crisis, as per Daft.ie, the median price for a home in Dublin is a staggering €500,000, with average asking prices sitting even higher on the Daft.ie Dublin Property Market at €580,000.

Standing before the committee, he will further outline system's need to view housing as a “human right, not a product, a luxury or a charity case” rather than "products or units on a spreadsheet."

His statement continues: “Between those who need social housing and those who can afford market prices is everybody else.

“Many of those people are ready, willing and able to build a home for themselves. Supports like Help to Buy and the vacant property grants are well-intentioned, but for many people the finances still don’t add up, and the barriers are not only financial.”