A guide for American buyers
Buying a house in Ireland as an American — and making it liveable.
Most people who call us have been watching homes for sale in Ireland for months: an Irish cottage for sale in Kerry, a farmhouse in West Cork, a coastal house in Connemara. Americans can buy property in Ireland without restriction — the hard part is knowing what a two-hundred-year-old house will really cost to bring back, and who will run the work while you are five time zones away. That is where Ruth and her expert team can assist.
Before you bid
Six things to check on an Irish house before contracts.
- BER energy rating
- Older Irish cottages often rate E, F or G. It sets the insulation, glazing and heating budget more than anything else on the survey.
- Protected structure status
- A listed building or a house in an architectural conservation area changes what you may alter, and adds conservation-officer time to the schedule.
- Water and wastewater
- Rural houses usually run on a private well and septic tank. Both need testing before you bid, not after.
- Damp, roof and chimneys
- Sea air on the Wild Atlantic Way is unforgiving. Slates, flashing and rising damp are the three costs that surprise US buyers most.
- Planning history
- Extensions built without permission have to be regularised. It is fixable, but it takes months, so find it early.
- Access and broadband
- A right of way over a neighbouring field, or fibre that stops a mile short, decides whether the house works for family and remote work.
Scope of work
Three kinds of project, and what each one involves.
Every house is different, so we cost each one individually after seeing it. What does not change is the scope: we tell you exactly what is included, quote in USD beside EUR with the exchange assumption stated, and carry a contingency, so the number you approve is the number you plan around.
Cosmetic refresh
Paint, floors, lighting, soft furnishing and styling in a house that is structurally sound.
Full renovation
Kitchen, bathrooms, insulation, heating, wiring, joinery and complete turnkey furnishing.
Cottage restoration
Protected or long-empty houses: roof, structure, conservation detailing and modern services throughout.
Where our clients buy
The four places American owners keep coming back to.
- County Kerry
- Waterville, Kenmare and the Ring of Kerry — the strongest pull for Irish-American families tracing roots.
- West Cork
- Kinsale to Schull. Sheltered harbours, good food, and the most liveable winter weather on the south coast.
- County Galway
- Connemara and the Wild Atlantic Way, with Galway city an hour away for flights and hospitals.
- Dublin & the coast
- Sandymount, Clontarf and Howth for owners who want a city base rather than a rural retreat.
After the keys
We can view the house before you commit.
Send us a listing and we will walk the property, film it for you, and give an honest renovation range before you bid. Once it is yours, we run the whole renovation from Ireland — trades, conservation officers, deliveries and furnishing — with calls on Eastern Time and a turnkey house on the day you land.
From owners who did it
“Thank you for the care and attention you and your staff have given to our new home. You made it happen. My husband and I are truly enjoying our newly finished and furnished holiday home. I hope you have saved before and after pictures, because no one would believe it was the same place. It is warm, comfortable and elegant — just what we had planned. You worked very hard to get just the right touches.”
“Ruth Kennelly designed and managed a complete refurbishment of my house. I trusted her judgement and style, so much so that I handed her the keys and went away on holidays for three weeks! And what a result — a fantastic revamp from old to new. I have no hesitation in highly recommending RK Designs to family and friends alike.”