It finally happened—the last piece of the puzzle fell into place this Tuesday night. Mike and Steve snagged that final spot in the lineup, thanks to their Kildare new build that clearly hit the right notes with the judging panel. Honestly, watching them get the news was one of those moments where you can almost feel the relief through the screen, though I suppose they knew it was coming for a while.
Now we’ve got a full house of ten finalists. It’s a strange mix of styles, really. Some are ultra-modern, others are just… cozy, I guess. The judges—Amanda Bone, Siobhan Lam, and the late Hugh Wallace—have been hauling themselves all over the country looking at these places, and I can’t imagine the smell of old paint and freshly cut timber they’ve had to deal with. Wait, maybe that’s not right, but you get the point.
This year had a bit of a twist, didn’t it? Each of the judges got a ‘golden key’ to use during the season. It meant they could pull a runner-up straight into the final. A bit of a wildcard move, but it added some spice to the episodes when you thought a house was gone for good.
So, who is actually going to win this thing?
It’s hard to tell. Everyone has their favorite, and the debate online is already getting heated. I have my own guess, but—well, actually, maybe I should keep that to myself for now. The standard this year is just incredibly high, making it nearly impossible to pick a clear frontrunner. Misryoum has been tracking the progress of every single property, and frankly, the diversity in design choices is staggering.
Catch the finale on RTE One, next week at 7pm. It’s bound to be a long episode, likely with a bit of drama or at least a lot of polite nodding. Whether you’re into the minimalism of the new builds or the character of the renovations, there’s probably something in this list that makes you wish you were living there instead of, you know, your own place.
Just make sure to check out the gallery below to see what everyone is talking about.