If you’ve been following Brian Colgan and Jordan Veloso’s house-building journey (@ouririshbarn) on Instagram, you’ll know that the charismatic couple have just broken ground on their dream home in West Cork. After making the move from London, the couple are managing the self-build themselves through direct labour – a 2,000-square-foot timber frame house on a 0.6-acre site near Brian’s homeplace in Courtmacsherry. They chat to Mary O’Brien about the project.
Courtmacsherry native Brian, a project manager, and Jordan, an actor-turned-curriculum lead for a UK performing arts organisation, from Guernsey, met in London almost eight years ago. The couple bought their first home together in 2022 – a new-build terrace in a 2,000-home estate between Milton Keynes and London, commutable for their jobs in London. While it offered the opportunity to step onto the property ladder, the couple soon realised that they craved a quieter, more rural lifestyle such as that offered by Guernsey or West Cork. Guernsey’s property market is expensive and offered limited opportunities to build, whereas Brian had family land available in West Cork, so the decision ultimately became an easy one. After years of travelling back and forth to visit family they were also attracted by the welcoming community in West Cork. “We came over one Christmas and literally sat filling out the planning form.” shares Jordan.
With Brian’s background in construction and Jordan’s love for design, there was never any question that they would do anything other than manage the project themselves.
After sourcing free pre-fabricated home plans online and studying Cork County Council’s rural planning guide intensively – “it was bedtime reading” – the first step was the pre-planning consultation.
Their homework and thorough preparation paid off, as they received no objections to their ridge height, cladding choice, or contemporary design.
“The main feedback we got from pre-planning was that our gable was too wide so we created a design that features two distinct blocks connected by a hallway with views out towards the Old Head of Kinsale,” shares Brian. A single-storey living wing features a vaulted kitchen and dining area alongside a cosy living room with a lowered ceiling, while the two-storey bedroom wing has three bedrooms, including the master suite. The exterior will be clad in black corrugated iron, leaning into what they describe as a “vernacular, rural, agricultural feel” – like the barn building of the family homeplace.
The exterior is deliberately “masculine and sheltered” (the site is exposed), while the interior aims to have the feel of an Irish/Guernsey cottage. “It will be full of character, fun and colour,” adds Jordan.
Brian and Jordan want a practical, relaxed home suited to life in the countryside incorporating secondhand finds and natural materials. “We want a comfortable and genuinely liveable space, especially after a dog walk or sea swim,” says Jordan.
The house has a Kore foundation – an insulated system built up from ground level rather than excavated – which suits the rocky site. The timber frame is by Ecotech Homes from Midleton. There is precision required in such a build: “You need to know details like where you want your toilet waste to go before it even gets manufactured,” says Brian.
Alu-clad triple-glazed windows have been ordered from Rationale (a Danish company based in Cork).
With the majority of the more difficult decisions now made – including polished concrete floors downstairs and pocket doors throughout – the couple are turning their attention to the finer design details and finishing touches. They’re aiming for an A-rated home with solar panels, underfloor heating, and a stove.
The couple have made a huge effort to keep spending close to home, using businesses, tradespeople and suppliers wherever possible, for example Rick’s Plant Hire and local plumbers and electricians. “We got multiple quotes for everything,” shares Brian.
Details still under discussion include if they should go with surface-mounted light switches in galvanised trunking and heat recovery ventilation versus natural ventilation.
A significant hurdle has been Irish banks’ stage-payment mortgage system, which clashes with timber frame companies requiring a significant amount of money upfront before the frame arrives on site.
After a frustrating year-and-a-half with a broker who ultimately couldn’t help, they finally secured financing through EBS. “We had exceptional support from EBS mortgage advisor Gavin Kiely,” they add.
Brian and Jordan’s Instagram page (@ouririshbarn) has now grown to over 25,000 followers with the response overwhelmingly positive. People have been asking questions on everything from foundations to ESB pole relocation to material choices. “I think people are just are admiring our journey and wishing us well,” says Jordan.
The couple spent their first summer living in a caravan in Kilbrittain and are now renting in Barryroe, with the aim of moving into their new home in Courtmacsherry by April or May next year. Given the meticulous planning that has gone into the project so far, it’s an ambition that no doubt will be realised.
Brian and Jordan’s advice for others planning a self-build project
• Use pre-planning: “Before we invested any money, all we really wanted to know from pre-planning was, is it worth investing money in to get actual plans? Are we allowed to build here?”
• Study the rural planning guide: Understand what planners want before you design.
• Get multiple quotes: Ask suppliers if they’re willing to quote before spending too much time putting all the information together.
• Think ahead: Looking into requirements early. “Our ESB pole relocation took time to arrange.”
• Be prepared for cash flow challenges: Timber frame requires significant upfront capital.
• Make decisions early: Changes are more difficult to make later with a timber frame than with a traditional build, so things like services, plumbing, electrics and layouts need early consideration.
• Consider your site: Understand your ground conditions. “Our Kore foundation worked because of rock.”
