Loose Chippings or How to Build a House with Very Little Money

When Bridget Cantwell discovers she must build a house on her property in southwestern Ireland, even though she doesn't have the money, she finds a way to get it done.

The thing is, once the home is built, she must live in it for seven years before she can sell the site. Suffering from fibromyalgia and a head injury, she understands the challenge but simply has no choice in the matter. So she constructs a temporary shed to live in while she sets about learning everything she can about low-cost home building.

There's no electricity or running water, and the winters are unusually cold. The soil, it turns out, is pure bog, rather than the clay that her paperwork had indicated. One crazy situation after another presents itself, but she takes them all on, always looking at the funny side of things in order to cope.

With the help of friends and family (a materials scientist daughter comes in very handy), Bridget comes up with innovative solutions, finding that cheaper methods often prove to be better than their more expensive alternatives.

Set against a stunning Emerald Isle backdrop, Bridget Cantwell's lighthearted adventure is both entertaining and informative.