Frequently Asked Questions

On each NeighbourWood site, 50% of the land becomes high-performance homes and 50% becomes permanent native woodland held in trust. The woodland is protected forever—not for 25 years or until it's inconvenient, but permanently.

The woodland is held by the NeighbourWood Stewardship Trust (NST), a Company Limited by Guarantee with an asset lock. This legal structure ensures the woodland can never be sold or developed. Homeowners have access rights but not ownership—the woodland belongs to future generations.

You purchase the freehold of your home site. This includes the A1-rated home with all energy systems (solar PV, battery, ground-source heat pump, EV charger), connection to shared infrastructure, and perpetual access rights to the community woodland.

All NeighbourWood homes are designed to achieve A1 or A2 BER ratings—the highest energy efficiency levels in Ireland. This is achieved through Passivhaus-standard construction, superior insulation, triple glazing, and airtight building envelopes.

Every home includes: solar PV panels (typically 6-8kW), battery storage (typically 10-15kWh), ground-source heat pump for heating and hot water, smart energy management system, and EV charging infrastructure.

Most NeighbourWood homes will be net energy positive over the year—producing more energy than they consume. You'll still be connected to the grid for times when you need to draw or export power, but your net cost should be near zero or even positive.

The Energy Infrastructure Fee (€420/year) covers professional maintenance of your solar, battery, and heat pump systems. This ensures optimal performance throughout their 25+ year lifespans.

There are three transparent fees totaling €1,790/year: Estate Management Fee (€850) for roads, lighting, and common areas; Woodland Stewardship Fee (€520) for professional woodland management; and Energy Infrastructure Fee (€420) for energy systems maintenance.

Because you come out ahead. A typical Irish home spends €2,600-€3,900/year on energy. With near-zero energy costs, your €1,790 in fees still leaves you €810-€2,110 better off annually—while living in a premium home surrounded by native woodland.

The fees are reviewed periodically to ensure they cover actual costs. However, they're designed to be stable and predictable. The Woodland Stewardship Fee is secured by a covenant that runs with the land.

The Woodland Stewardship Fee is a positive covenant attached to your property. Non-payment can result in debt recovery action and ultimately enforcement against the property, similar to any other property obligation.

Our first micro-pilot (5 homes) is targeted for completion in 2026-2027, subject to planning approval and construction timelines. Register your interest to be among the first notified when reservations open.

Yes. Our legal structure is designed to work with standard Irish mortgages. The fee covenant is similar to existing management company obligations that lenders are familiar with. We're actively engaging with lenders to ensure smooth approvals.

We're committed to including affordable housing in our developments. Qualifying buyers may be eligible for homes at a 10% discount (e.g., €432k instead of €480k for a 3-bedroom). Specific eligibility criteria will be confirmed per development.

We plant native Irish species appropriate to each site's conditions: oak, birch, hazel, rowan, holly, willow, alder, and others. The specific mix is designed by qualified ecologists to maximize biodiversity and resilience.

We use third-party verification for carbon sequestration and biodiversity metrics. This includes ongoing monitoring of species diversity, tree growth, soil carbon, and ecosystem health. Results are published annually.

Our woodlands will generate verified carbon credits over time. The value of these credits is retained by the NeighbourWood Stewardship Trust to fund ongoing woodland management and potentially reduce future fees.