{"podcast":{"title":"Better With Money","slug":"better-with-money-7327459","podcast_index_feed_id":7327459,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/67fe6575ad69959fc242080d","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/better-with-money","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/67fe6575ad69959fc242080d/1784707581121-5a65a0b4-0930-4733-aa6e-558596c71a6a.jpeg","author":"The Irish Times","episode_count":47,"summary":"If you find managing your money a struggle, this is the podcast for you. From The Irish Times, Better With Money is a crash-course in how to spend responsibly, save effectively and make big financial decisions wisely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-15T12:23:35.779594+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-with-money-7327459"},"episode":{"title":"‘The cheapest quote can end up being the most expensive’: How to keep renovation costs down","slug":"the-cheapest-quote-can-end-up-being-the-most-expensive-how-to-keep-renovation-costs-down","published_at":"2026-06-23T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-with-money-7327459/the-cheapest-quote-can-end-up-being-the-most-expensive-how-to-keep-renovation-costs-down","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-with-money-7327459","url":"https://shows.acast.com/better-with-money/episodes/the-cheapest-quote-can-end-up-being-the-most-expensive-how-t","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/67fe6575ad69959fc242080d/e/6a367bf54a2a3be0f48dc537/media.mp3","summary":"Unless you’re Dermot Bannon, doing up your house must be one of the most expensive and nerve-wracking jobs you can ever take on. In this episode of Better with Money, Quantity Surveyor Shay Lally (aka @houses_to_restore on Instagram) speaks to Aideen Finnegan about how to plan and cost the renovation of an average 3-bed semi-d in Ireland. He explains why the cheapest quote can often end up being the most expensive because of omissions or “front-loading”, where the builder gets the bulk of the payment at the beginning and then ghosts you for the smaller jobs later on. Shay also explains how getting a QS involved from early on can help your budget with estimates, making payment assessments and negotiations during the project and tracking a final tally. And he also outlines common budget risks, the need for a clear brief, and prioritising essentials like insulation, heating and rewiring over finishes. This episode also covers SEAI and Vacant/Derelict Homes grants, staged bank drawdowns, contracts, red flags with tradespeople, and renovation choices that can add or reduce a home’s resale value. This episode is for information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"Unless you’re Dermot Bannon, doing up your house must be one of the most expensive and nerve-wracking jobs you can ever take on. In this episode of Better…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2339,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/better-with-money-7327459/episodes/the-cheapest-quote-can-end-up-being-the-most-expensive-how-to-keep-renovation-costs-down/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-with-money-7327459/the-cheapest-quote-can-end-up-being-the-most-expensive-how-to-keep-renovation-costs-down.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}