Taking on a project like building your own is a difficult task at the best of times.
But Ireland's already tricky housing market can add to the stress that comes with trying to become a homeowner.
However it was the unpredictability that was the most daunting factor for Juanita Lynch from Cavan who made the leap to build her own property.
Juanita and her partner Ciaran had already owned their own home but inherited a farm and decided it was the perfect opportunity to build their own home that catered to their needs.
She told the Irish Mirror: "We decided to build on our farm. We were living in town and running a farm when not living on it posed challenges.
"We saved as much as we could to get a mortgage. We had to sell our existing house in order to afford the build in which the bank requested we sell our house to get the mortgage."
While saving and letting go of their first home was a big leap Juanita was more fearful about taking on building her own home without any prior experience.
She said: "We have no construction background whatsoever and we were very blind going into this project which was quite scary at the time and stressful because we had no contacts or didn't know where to begin but we knew the basics getting planning and a mortgage were a good start!"
But she quickly realised that the advantages suited her growing family and she has very much reaped the rewards since.
Juanita's modern, plush home boasts bright interiors with plenty of open space.
The large windows allow for optimal light which perfectly reflects her choice of white based interiors offering a modern yet welcoming feel.
Juanita has opted for a spacious living area alongside a sleek kitchen with a marble finish which compliments her contemporary design.
She explained: "Having a home built to suit our needs as a family and can grow with our family for years to come. Designing our own home and having input into every design and building our home around our needs."
Speaking about the unpredictability of her project Juanita advised: "Set a goal but be realistic too. Only save what you can afford to save and plan this out over the period from the time you start planning to build to the time you plan on finishing. There will always be unforeseen costs in day to day life like cars needing repairs, sick kids etc.
"So be prepared some months savings may not go to plan and it can vary week to week with some weeks being better than others. But at the same time don't forget to live life too so you don't get consumed by the build.
"Covid was the biggest challenge. The last few months of the build we had no choice but to project manage the build ourselves, we were doing really well, getting contacts of trades, aligning all the trades and were moving along really well, our goal date for moving in was very close and within touching distance and then Covid hit, we were also due our third baby in the summer of 2020 and that was our goal to get into the house before the baby arriving.
"We managed to move in on the day we brought baby home from hospital just in the nick of time!
"When things got going again we faced a lot of challenges still with a lot of delays of supplies, trades were booked out and extremely busy and hard to get to come to site. We would like to get our linen room fitted out, cloakroom fitted, garden and paving done but everything is on hold until restrictions are lifted , those are the challenges we still face.
Would Juanita recommend others to take on such a project?
"Yes most definitely but be prepared for hard work, if willing to put in the work, time and effort it is worth it. Anyone can build if they want to. If someone has a dream to build their own home we would say 'Go for it!!'"
