Historic home repair grants of up to €200,000 are available to restore and preserve historic properties in Ireland, and the deadline to apply is January 17, 2025. Find out if your property qualifies and how to get started.
In this article we cover:
- How much you can get from the new grant
- How to check if you qualify
- Types of work eligible
- Deadline to apply
- Assessment process
- Inspection reports
- How the grant works
- Other sources of funding
In a bid to protect Ireland’s rich architectural heritage, the ROI government has renewed its commitment to supporting owners of historic properties through the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) 2025.
The scheme provides homeowners of historic properties with grants between €50,000 and €200,000, with larger amounts available for exceptional projects.
The HSF typically covers up to 50 per cent of costs, or up to 80 per cent in cases of exceptional need.
The fund works alongside the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS), which supports smaller conservation projects. Applications for the BHIS 2025 closed on the 27th September 2024; applications are through your local authority.
The main goals of HSF scheme are to:
- Fund larger conservation projects on historic buildings that are important and need urgent care.
- Encourage the reuse and regeneration of historic buildings, including protected structures.
- Support private investment in labour-intensive projects that help preserve historic buildings, both public and private, for community benefit.
- Create jobs in the conservation and construction industries.
- Strengthen historic buildings so they can better withstand climate change.
Suitable for major repair or restoration work, such as roof repairs, masonry stabilisation or restoring original features like windows and doors.
Applications for this government-backed grant must be submitted through local authorities by January 17, 2025.
Eligibility
If you own a property that’s listed as a Protected Structure in the Record of Protected Structures (RPS), or if your property is eligible to be added to the list, you may be able to apply for funding. Even if your property hasn’t been listed yet, it could still qualify if it meets the criteria. In some cases, properties located within an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) or near a National Monument may also be eligible for funding.
Type of work eligible
As the government body administering the grant, your local authority will assess if the works you propose are eligible.
Work covered by the grant is wide ranging.
The grant will cover structural work including external walls, roof and all related work from gutters to flashings, doors and windows (including stained glass windows).
Internal repair and conservation work is also eligible. This includes works to repair elements such as floors, walls, staircases and partitions and to conserve significant decorative features and artwork such as wall and ceiling plasterwork, interior joinery and decorative elements.
Also, temporary works, aimed at reducing the risk of a structure collapsing, either partially or completely. For historic ruins, the focus is on stabilising the masonry or other elements that may be at risk. Additionally, applicants can propose other types of work they consider to be of exceptional importance. These proposals will be reviewed by the Department for consideration.
If you’re applying for the HSF, you might also be interested in the Conservation Advice Grant Scheme for Vacant Traditional Houses. While applications aren’t open right now, they’ll be available again in 2025.
To apply for the HSF you’ll need to:
- Submit your application to your local authority by the deadline of January 17, 2025.
- Include a detailed method statement prepared by a conservation professional. This should outline the scope of work and how the project will be carried out.
Your local authority may have earlier internal deadlines or additional requirements, so it’s a good idea to check with them as soon as possible. Also, projects that have already begun work before receiving approval are not eligible for funding.
Assessment process
Applications will go through an evaluation process and will be assessed based on the following criteria
1. Significance of the structure.
2. Efficacy of the grant in achieving the aims of the Historic Structures Fund.
3. Quality of the methodology and technical merit of the works proposed.
4. Contribution of the proposed works to keeping the structure in use, or bringing it back into use.
5. Broader public or community benefit of the project.
Regular progress reports
As part of the funding process under HSF 2025, the local authority will monitor the progress of your project to make sure it is completed on time and that the funding claim is submitted by the deadline. You, or the conservation professional working on the project, will need to provide the local authority with regular updates on the work. This includes information on the start, progress, completion, and any changes to the project throughout the year.
Recoupment of funding
Before you can receive grant payment, the works must be completed and verified by the local authority. Since the funding aims to support jobs in the conservation and construction industries, you will also need to provide details about how the project has benefited employment.
Other funding available for historic properties
In ROI, you can get a grant of €50k to renovate a vacant property or €70k for restoring a derelict one, whether you already own it or are in the process of buying it. The project can also be for renovating a property to rent out — you don’t have to live in it yourself.
The Repair & Leasing scheme offers a loan of up to €40k (or €50k for former bedsits) to help refurbish a property you own that has been vacant for at least a year, with the aim of getting it ready for rental as social housing.
Traditional buildings grant
The Traditional Farm Buildings Grant helps farmers in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) with the conservation and repair of traditional farm buildings and related structures. You can get up to 75% of the cost covered, with a maximum grant of €30,000. For smaller projects, the grant can be as low as €4,000.
There’s also a grant for renovating thatched roofs on owner-occupied houses. You can get two-thirds of the approved cost, up to a maximum of €3,810.
For heritage buildings in need of major repairs, there are two grants available, though they can be difficult to get: the Structures at Risk Fund, which offers funding between €15,000 and €30,000, and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme, which covers up to half the project cost. You’ll need to contact your local authority for more details. There might also be tax relief available under Section 482.
SEAI grants
Individual grants for various home energy improvements to existing homes in ROI are available:
Insulation: Grants are available for attic or cavity wall insulation (ranging from €1.5k to €1.7k for detached houses), dry lining (€4.5k), and external wall insulation (€8k).
Heating systems: Grants are offered for heat pumps (€6.5k), solar panels (up to €2.4k for PV and €1.2k for thermal), and heating controls (€700).
Energy Rating and assessment: You can get a contribution towards your Building Energy Rating (€50) and a technical assessment (€200) in the context of the work.
Grants are accessible for homes built before 2011 for insulation and heating controls and before 2021 for heat pumps and renewable energy systems.
There are also deep retrofit grants, which include windows, doors and ventilation systems, but these require extensive work. For instance, SEAI provides an example of a detached house where homeowners spent €64.5k on the work with a €24.1k grant, leaving them with €40.4k in expenses.
Plus, there are fully funded energy upgrades available for families receiving government supports like the fuel allowance. You can find more information on these schemes at seai.ie.
NI grants
In NI, Housing Executive grants are available for houses in substantial need of repair, although these can also be quite competitive to obtain. There are very few grants still available for heritage buildings in general; for an overview see the Ulster Architectural Heritage website.
