Room To Improve: Couple Sue Builders Over Water Damage After Dream Renovation
room to improve has returned to the center of attention after a couple who took part in the renovation of their Athgarvan, Co Kildare home said the project left them with serious water damage and mounting costs. Nessa and David Conlon had been thrilled when their house was chosen for the series, but the outcome they describe is far from the dream they expected. The dispute has now escalated into legal action over the full costs of the problems they say followed the build.
What happened in Athgarvan
The Conlons’ home in Athgarvan, Co Kildare was renovated on room to improve as part of a €295, 000 project. Nessa Conlon said the phone call telling her the house had been selected for the show was so exciting that she nearly crashed the car. She later said that having a home designed by architect Dermot Bannon had once felt like a pipe dream.
What started as a highly anticipated renovation has since become a source of distress for the family. They have said the home was left damaged by water and that they were forced to cover the full cost of the mistakes they believe were made during the work. The legal dispute puts room to improve in an uncomfortable spotlight, with the renovation now being discussed not for design, but for the fallout.
Room To Improve and the wider reaction
The Conlons have described the experience as heartbreaking, with their dream renovation becoming a nightmare. That sense of disappointment has become the central issue in the case, which is built around the damage they say their home suffered and the financial burden that followed. The details provided so far show a family dealing with consequences they did not expect when they agreed to take part in room to improve.
Named individuals in the available record are Nessa Conlon and David Conlon, along with architect Dermot Bannon, whose involvement was central to the project. The key facts now in view are straightforward: the home was renovated, the project cost €295, 000, and the couple say they were left paying for the full costs of the errors they believe caused the damage.
How room to improve became part of the story
room to improve has long been associated with ambitious home transformations, and this case shows how quickly a renovation can move from hope to dispute when things go wrong. The Athgarvan house was selected after what Nessa Conlon described as a moment of pure excitement, but the aftermath has been defined by water damage and legal action. The phrase room to improve now sits at the center of a story about trust, costs, and the strain that can follow a major build.
For the Conlons, the key question is not design but responsibility. As the case develops, the next stage will likely focus on the legal claims tied to the renovation and the evidence around the damage they say was caused. For now, room to improve remains linked to a project that began with high hopes and ended with a couple saying they were left to carry the cost of the mistakes.
