Irish Mirror: Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Modular Home Features Sprout Pod

As the PTSB Ideal Home Show returned to the RDS in April 2025 with a dedicated modular home zone, Irish Mirror political correspondent Ciara O'Loughlin published a practical guide to commissioning a modular garden home. The piece used Ciarán Kerr as the primary source of technical and process knowledge, covering everything from size decisions to installation day.

The process — from enquiry to handover

The article set out the process in clear stages, drawing on how Sprout Pod operates in practice. The sequence runs from initial size and use-case decision, through site measurement and design, to off-site fabrication, delivery and installation. The timescale Ciarán described: approximately 16 weeks from first enquiry to a finished, usable room. That covers design, fabrication, site preparation and installation.

Every garden is different — and every pod should be too

One of the points the Irish Mirror piece emphasised — reflecting what Ciarán told the reporter — is that Sprout Pod has not built two identical pods. Every garden presents different constraints: boundary setbacks, access routes, soil conditions, aspect, neighbouring structures. A site measurement service is offered free of charge for buyers who cannot accurately survey their own space. The design then works around the specific conditions, not the other way around.

Installation: crane vs on-site assembly

The article covered both installation methods. Crane installation drops the completed pod in a single lift — faster, but requiring crane access and a clear path. On-site assembly is more common, with the fabricated components brought through the garden access point and assembled in place. For a home office-sized pod, on-site assembly is typically a single day. A larger habitable unit runs to around one week on site.

Pricing from the article

• —Small home office pod: from approximately €10,000
• —One-bedroom modular unit: from approximately €45,000
• —Prices include full fit-out: foundation, frame, cladding, glazing, electrics, internal fit

The garden room as a property ladder step

The Irish Mirror piece also captured Ciarán's view of the unit as a transitional housing solution for younger people: built to spec, energy-efficient, low maintenance, and positioned as a practical alternative to high rents while saving a deposit. The combination of low running costs (galvanised steel, no external paint maintenance) and solid construction quality makes the proposition financially legible over a three-to-five year occupancy.