Are you building a new home in the Cork area? If so, KMC Homes could be exactly what you are looking for. They will take the stress out of your project by looking after all the key steps including architect design, planning permission, building and all the finishes and they will project manage everything to make sure it is delivered on time and on budget.
KMC Homes was founded in 2003 by Kieran McCarthy of RTE’s ‘Cheap Irish Homes’ fame to simplify and place customers at the centre of the process of building a high-end architect designed home. A civil engineer by profession, Kieran felt that the building process needed to be tailored to busy client who need end to end management and to deliver on quality and cost certainty. KMC has earned an enviable reputation for delivering wonderful homes to clients in the Rebel County who value brilliant design and home life. The ultimate goal of KMC is to make building an A-rated architecturally designed home as simple and stress-free as possible.
“The benefit to using us is that we look after everything. We’re a one-stop shop who take the stress and hassle out of the project for the client, leaving them to enjoy the journey,” Kieran says.
“That’s not to say we don’t involve the client in the process. They can be as involved as much as they want. But what we find is that many people have many other obligations such as work and rearing a family, and are happy to place their trust in us. It’s a great way of delivering a new home.”
Kieran, who worked for John Sisk & Son, The Murphy Group (UK), PJ Hegarty & Sons and Joseph Lane & Sons on many blue-chip building and civil engineering projects before going out on his own, is at the centre of every build undertaken by KMC Homes.
“I’m there every step of the way,” he continues.
“As project manager, I head up every job we do. I’m involved in all aspects of the build, from the first free consultation in our Carrigtwohill office to the final snag list. As someone who has vast experience and knowledge of construction and design, and who has travelled widely, I bring a dynamic, innovative and customer-centric approach to building a home. I guarantee a customer service you will not find elsewhere!
“If you have a site to build on, we can take care of everything else for you.”
KMC Homes oversees everything for you, including coordination of all parties and minutes of all meetings; managing all the individuals in the design process to ensure all drawings shown are costed by their QS and are within budget; providing you with a dedicated site foreman for your build; managing and submitting your planning application; advising and facilitating your post-planning detailed choices (renewables, windows selections, stairs design, joinery spec, paving spec, floors and tiles selection, hard landscaping etc); providing you with access to a market-leading project management smartphone app which keeps you updated every step of the way.
In addition, KMC’s external engineer will certify your works as they proceed and deal with your solicitor regarding your mortgage draw-downs. The company also facilitates any applicable grants to ensure you can avail of all these savings.
KMC has a highly experienced and dedicated project management team that will guide you through the whole process from architectural design and planning permission to building your home along with all the finishing touches. All designs are unique and tailored to your needs and taste.
“What I have found is most customers need someone who can manage the entire project team including the designers to ensure a smooth process from start to finish and guarantee results, that’s what we do. ,” Kieran adds. It really offers people peace of mind and you can see the weight being lifted from their shoulders.
The affable civil engineer is full of praise for his nine full-time staff and sub-contractors. A native of Midleton and now living with his wife and two children in an 1830s cottage he renovated in Blackrock in Cork city, Kieran comes from a long family tradition of engineers, architects and builders. He qualified as a civil engineer in UCC in 1996 and has become something of a TV personality thanks to his appearances in the RTE series ‘Cheap Irish Homes’.
In the series, Wexford native and Instagram sensation Maggie Molloy is on a mission to find Ireland’s cheapest homes and shine a light on the secret side of the Irish property market. Maggie helps house hunters find properties all over Ireland which are under €100,000. Seeking out properties oozing with charm, in picturesque locations and with plenty of outdoor space, she is joined on location by Kieran who advises the house hunters about the condition of the houses they are looking at and the various levels of renovation that could be undertaken.
“I get to help people find their dream homes and I get to see some beautiful old cottages restored,” he enthuses.
So how did the 46-year-old end up co-presenting a TV show? He explains: “I’ve had my own YouTube channel – Kieran@KMC Homes – for the past few years which focuses on the trials and tribulations of building a new home. Michael Lynch of AV3 Productions made some promotional videos for my company and asked me one day if I’d be interested in doing the show with him.
“Michael had come across Maggie Molloy on the radio and they decided to pitch the idea to RTE who were immediately interested and commissioned a six-part series. He felt a civil engineer was needed for balance and technical expertise and that’s where I came in. While being in front of a camera wasn’t new to me, being on television was.”
Kieran, whose father Aidan is also involved in the company after being on the books of Readymix for many years, is confident that the COVID-19 pandemic won’t have a long term adverse effect on the Irish construction industry.
“We’ve hit a bump in the road of late, but we came through the last recession and can come through this one as well,” he concludes on a positive and defiant note.
KMC Homes
Fota Retail Park,
Carrigtwohill,
Co. Cork.
Telephone: 021 4882450
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.kmchomes.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, July/August 2020, Vol 6 No 4
