TV: Dermot’s homing instincts on show as Room to Improve returns 

The new year is here, and as soon as the decorations are down, many of us will start drawing up lists on home improvements we can plan for 2026.

If you fall into that category - or are just a bit nosy when it comes to other people’s homes - then the good news is Room To Improve is back.

Series 17 starts on RTÉ1 at 9.30pm tomorrow, and follows four families as they transform a diverse mix of homes - from a 1990s semi-detached to an untouched bungalow, a spacious four-bed, and a compact ex-council terrace - on budgets of €200,000 to €350,000.

Once again, architect Dermot Bannon brings his signature vision to the work, while quantity surveyor Claire Irwin attempts to keep the numbers in check.

With building costs on the rise, Dermot, Claire and the home-owners juggle growing pressures, tough choices – and the occasional headache – as they fight to keep their dreams on track.

The first episode heads to Clonsilla in west Dublin, where empty nesters Deirdre and Kieran Kelly plan to downsize from their spacious existing home to their beloved first home – a much smaller semi-detached place in a friendly neighbourhood that they couldn’t bring themselves to sell 20 years ago.

To give Deirdre and Kieran the space they need to entertain friends and family, Dermot sets out to combine inside and outside with a triple-zoned ground floor, a glass corner extension and clever landscaping.

Compromise becomes the watchword on this ‘part downsize, part upsize’ project, as Kieran and Deirdre remove a chimney breast against Dermot’s advice, leaving Claire struggling to control costs.

Meanwhile, with Kieran’s heart set on a ‘man cave’, Dermot introduces his client to the wonderful world of 21st century pergolas.