Over the weekend Mairead got an email from listener Sinéad who is planning on leaving Dublin and moving back home to the country.

She hopes to move to her forever home and was looking for advice on whether it's cheaper to build a house, or to buy one.

There was lots of great advice from listeners who had both bought and built their own houses, and Mairead also enlisted the help of the woman who keeps Dermot Bannon's feet on the ground, Patricia Power.

The answer to Sinéad's question has so many variants, but Patricia did her best to show Sinéad what she should consider before making a decision.

Location is a big factor in terms of availability of land, and planning contributions can differ hugely around the country for a site you plan to build on.

There are also lots of hidden costs that add up when building, but you end up with a house that is custom made exactly as you want it.

You can hear the chat in full by pressing the play button on screen.