Downsizing in Ireland has usually meant a hard trade: give up the family home, leave the area, move somewhere smaller and further from everyone you know. No wonder so many people put it off for years.
There's a gentler option now, and the State is actively encouraging it. By 2030 there will be over a million people aged 65 and older in Ireland, up from around 780,000 in 2022 (CSO, Population & Labour Force Projections 2023–2057), and policy is pushing "rightsizing" to free up larger homes for growing families. The Class 3A planning exemption, in force since 27 July 2026, makes it possible to do that without going anywhere at all.
Your own home, on the family land
Picture a self-contained home of about 34 m², bedroom, bathroom, a proper kitchen-living room, in the garden of a family home. Single-storey, no stairs, a level threshold, and door widths built to the access requirements of the Building Regulations (TGD Part M). Independence and privacy, with family a few steps away rather than a drive across the county.
It can work either way round. A parent moves into the garden home while a son or daughter's family takes the main house; or the parent keeps the main house and the adult child takes the unit. Either way the big house is used, and nobody has to leave the place they've spent a life in. We've set out the full picture for downsizers here.
As with any back-garden home, this falls under the Class 3A exemption, in force since 27 July 2026, which requires 14 days' notice to your council before work starts, so we review every site against the Class 3A conditions first.
Gentle on a fixed budget
This matters more when you're not earning what you once did. A unit like the Ériu 20ft Expandable starts from €12,995 FOB China for a basic livable specification and finishes up to a fully-fitted, compliant A2 home for a fraction of the €110,000–€180,000 an Irish-built unit costs, well within reach of savings or the proceeds of freeing up the main house. The exact installed figure depends on your garden and your contractor's price for the site works.
Because lenders treat a second dwelling on the same title carefully, we always recommend a quick word with your solicitor, and we provide a written briefing with every quote, but in most cases the family home's title isn't disturbed.
Warm, easy, and built to last
A home for later life has to be warm, easy and built to last. Every Ériu unit is specified to the Irish Building Regulations, achieves an A2 BER on a correctly installed unit with a heat pump, warm and cheap to run, is weatherproofed for the Irish climate, and carries a 30-year anti-corrosion warranty, given by the factory and carried by Ériu. Single-storey throughout, with level access designed in.
And it's supplied by an Irish-owned company that inspects every unit in person and answers the phone here, which counts for a great deal when it's a home for someone you love. The site phase, foundation, services from the main house, Commencement Notice and BER, is carried out by your own Irish contractor and certifier, working from the compliance pack we supply with the unit.
Downsizing shouldn't cost you the people and the place you love. On the family land, it doesn't have to.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build a granny flat in the garden to downsize into?
Yes, under Class 3A of S.I. No. 340 of 2026, in force since 27 July 2026. A detached self-contained home of 32 to 45 m² in the rear garden of the house you live in can be built without a planning application where every condition is met, including linking services to the main house and notifying your council at least 14 days before work starts. It must still meet the Irish Building Regulations and carry a BER. We review every site against the Class 3A conditions first.
Is a garden home suitable for older people?
Yes. The unit is single-storey with no stairs, a level threshold, and door widths built to the access requirements of the Building Regulations (TGD Part M). It achieves an A2 BER on a correctly installed unit with a heat pump, so it is warm and cheap to run, and carries a 30-year anti-corrosion warranty.
Will it affect the family home if we put a unit in the garden?
In most cases the family home title is not disturbed, but because lenders treat a second self-contained dwelling on the same title carefully, we recommend confirming the position with your solicitor. We provide a written briefing on title, LPT, insurance and lender considerations with every quote.
