Ever dreamed of living on an island? What if you could get an €84,000 grant to do it? That’s exactly what is on offer if you renovate a vacant and derelict property on some of Ireland’s offshore islands.
The Our Living Islands scheme offers a supersized grant to renovate a home on an Irish island. If you are tired of urban living, if you can work remotely or if you want to be part of something with a bigger purpose then this could be a head-turning sum.
But what does the scheme entail, could it help you start a new life and, two years on from its launch, has anyone moved?
What supports are available?
Our Living Islands is a Government scheme to ensure that sustainable, vibrant communities can continue to live – and thrive – on the offshore islands. Grants for housing there are part of an effort to attract more permanent residents to contribute to island life.
READ MORE
The scheme garnered global media headlines when it was launched by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage two years ago. Ireland would pay generous cash incentives to anyone moving to its islands, headlines from the Miami Herald to Forbes Magazine trumpeted.
[ Now you can earn up to €90,000 by moving to remote islands ]
But that was not quite true. Applicants needed to own and renovate a vacant or derelict property to get the money. They must plan to live in it full time, too, or rent it to someone who would.
There were 65 populated islands off the coast of Ireland in 2022 with 8,931 people living on them, according to census 2022 figures.
The Living Islands scheme offers a topped-up grant for properties on 23 of them, including some of the most habitable and picturesque.
These include: Árainn Mhór, Toraigh, Inis Meáin and Uaigh Island in Co Donegal; Clare Island, Inishturk and Inishlyre in Co Mayo; Inishbofin, Inis Mór, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr in Co Galway; and Bere, Heir and Sherkin Islands in Co Cork.
Applicants have until 2033 to apply.
How does it work?
The first step to qualifying for the grant is to find a vacant or derelict island property. It can be a house or a property that has not been used for residential purposes before.
The property must have been vacant for two years or more and have been built before 2008. Applicants must own the property or be in the process of buying it. They must plan to live in the property as their principal private residence when the work is completed or make it available for rent and register with the Residential Tenancies Board.
The standard vacant property refurbishment grant is up to €50,000 and up to €70,000 if the property is derelict.
A vacant property on an offshore island, however, qualifies for up to €60,000 for refurbishment, and up to €84,000 where the property is confirmed to be derelict.
That is a 20 per cent uplift to the same grant for mainland homes. The grant is inclusive of the VAT cost of the works. If the renovation costs more than the grant then you will have to pay for this.
The scheme is managed and administered by local authorities, so that is who you apply to and they make the approval decision.
Buyers can also avail of separate Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grants towards improvements such as insulation, a heat pump and solar panels. Work covered by the SEAI scheme is not covered by the vacant property refurbishment grant.
What’s available?
Properties on the islands do not come up often, but they do come up.
Sales in recent years include a 1930s-built cottage on Cape Clear island, off Co Cork, advertised for €45,000 in 2022. Vacant since the 1950s, it would certainly have qualified for the vacant and derelict island properties grant. It didn’t have a toilet or a septic tank, so it would have required major work to make it habitable.
For sale now, on the western shores of Long Island, or Inis Fada, off Co Cork, is a ruin on a 0.15-hectare (0.37 acre) plot. The island, known for its wild scenery, abundant wildlife, shingle beaches and the Beacon lighthouse, is accessible from Schull, a five-minute boat ride from Colla Pier.
“If you are looking for a restoration project and an escape from modern day stresses, then this could be a real tonic,” the sales blurb of auctioneers and estate agent James Lyons O’Keeffe says. The seller is asking for €150,000, but is open to offers.
Getting to know the local estate agents handling island sales can give you the lie of the land.
Islands are small, tight-knit communities, so selling to the “right” buyer who is going to contribute positively to island life and make a good neighbour will be important to some sellers.
Who is moving?
The Our Living Islands scheme has received 35 applications from people wanting to renovate vacant and derelict island properties since its inception two years ago, the Department of Housing says. Of these applications, 22 have been approved so far, it says.
Just one grant has been drawn down, but more are expected to follow as works are completed, the department says.
While a breakdown of the applications by island is not available, figures to the end of June show that Donegal has received by far the most applications numbering 16 for islands Arranmore (6), Gola (2) and Inishbofin (8).
This is followed by Cork with 11 applications for renovations on its islands; Galway has four applications, three for Inis Mór and one for Inis Meáin; and Mayo (2). Sligo’s Coney Island has received two applications, Sligo County Council says.
Mayo County Council has been actively supporting applications, particularly in relation to Clare Island and Inisturk, says Tom Gilligan, director of services with Mayo County Council.
“We have received several inquiries from individuals looking to relocate or return to the islands and renovate vacant and derelict homes using the grant,” he says. “To date we have received two applications: one for Clare Island and one for Inisturk.”
Approvals are progressing and there are “indicators of positive momentum”, he also says.
A chance to live in an area of natural beauty in a community with a strong heritage are the big attractions of the scheme, Gilligan says. Remote working has broadened the pool of those who may be able to move.
“Both the island and mainland grant schemes offer a genuine pathway to home ownership and community regeneration,” he says.
Island living offers new residents the opportunity to contribute their skills and experience to the bigger purpose of sustaining and developing island life too.
Buyers need to be aware of the planning, renovation and funding timelines involved, he says.
“Engage early with the council or a vacant homes officer for guidance,” Gilligan says. “Be realistic about the scope and the scale of the works, especially in remote heritage areas.”
“We are always happy to support potential applicants and provide information.”
Bridging-loan scheme
One of the criticisms of the wider vacant-property refurbishment scheme is that the grant is only paid out once works on the property are complete, meaning homeowners must pay for the work upfront.
This means the scheme remains inaccessible for some.
First-time buyers and fresh start applicants who cannot get bank funding, however, may be eligible for a Local Authority Purchase and Renovation loan – this is a Government-backed mortgage and loan to buy and renovate a derelict or uninhabitable home.
The loan comprises a fixed-rate mortgage and, helpfully, a bridging loan for the amount you have been approved for the vacant property refurbishment grant. You pay the bridging loan back as soon as you get the grant.
The bridging loan is interest-only, which means you repay the balance and the interest but are not charged for the loan.
Applicants must have a gross annual income of less than €70,000 for single applicants and €85,000 for joint applicants and your repayments must be less than 35 per cent of your net household income.
Welcome
There will be a welcome for permanent residents who want to move to an island under the scheme, says Rhoda Twombly, secretary of Comhdháil Oileáin Na hEireann, the representative body of Ireland’s offshore islands.
She has lived on one of the qualifying islands, Inishlyre, in Co Mayo’s Clew Bay, for 26 years. She was resident on Inis Mór for 13 years before that.
Housing, employment and education are all critical to the survival of island communities together with other vital infrastructure such as ferry connections and broadband, the organisation says.
For those thinking of participating in the vacant island home scheme, most of the larger islands have builders, but it can take some organisation to get materials shipped out. Local builders will be well able to advise and cost this, Twombly says.
As anyone who has undertaken a renovation project in recent years will be aware, €84,000 does not go very far in Ireland. This is especially so where building materials and some labour will have to be transferred by boat.
Food on the islands can be expensive, with residents paying for the cost of its transport too.
Broadband has hugely improved on the islands, Twombly says. She advises buyers to do their research on broadband and phone reception in an area before purchasing.
It is a different culture and a different way of life – a better way of life
Buying and renovating a home on an island is about more than just bricks and mortar as you will be buying into a sense of shared enterprise too.
“We would welcome families with kids with open arms because a lot of our schools are in trouble,” Twombly says.
The ÁRAINN Gaeltachta initiative, however, provides funding for post-primary students from the mainland to spend a full school year attending any one of the three post-primary schools on the Aran Islands.
Moving to one of the offshore islands is “not for daydreamers”, Twombly says. Islanders have to be quite versatile and their lives can be especially interconnected.
Her partner, an island native, combines work for Irish Lights as a lighthouse attendant with being a postman, fishing, being a ferryman and a small farmer.
Try out living on the island first before buying, she says.
“Don’t just jump in, try it out. Some people have the misfortune of finding out too late that island life isn’t for them. Just be aware that it is a different culture and a different way of life – a better way of life – and be aware of the costs,” she says.
For new residents, island life can provide a change of pace, Twombly says. One recent London visitor reported a quality-of-sleep reading of “100 per cent” on his wearable sleep tracker, she says.
“To me, it’s beautiful. Even on a day like today when the rain is going straight up and down, there is a sense of peace.”
