In 2006, when Pádraig Whooley and Lorraine Dufficey spent €265 thousand on their remote cottage at Rossmore in West Cork, they knew that - while the hilltop location was ideal - the house was far from it.

The cottage is cramped and claustrophobic. The kitchen is tiny, it has one drawer and three presses, their living room is freezing and their bedrooms dark. Apart from all that there is another good reason why they want to improve their home, they'd like to start a family.