{"id":3250,"date":"2026-09-20T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=3250"},"modified":"2026-09-14T09:34:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T08:34:15","slug":"a-kilkee-couple-let-their-own-house-for-july-and-august-and-live-in-a-mobile-home-up-the-road-%ca%bcthe-rent-pays-for-christmas%ca%bc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/a-kilkee-couple-let-their-own-house-for-july-and-august-and-live-in-a-mobile-home-up-the-road-%ca%bcthe-rent-pays-for-christmas%ca%bc\/","title":{"rendered":"A Kilkee couple let their own house for July and August and live in a mobile home up the road \u2014 \u02bcthe rent pays for Christmas\u02bc"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer in Kilkee has a way of making everyday life feel a little lighter<\/strong>. When the Atlantic sun flickers across the bay and the Strand Road hums with holidaymakers<\/strong>, one local couple flips their routine on its head. They pack up their family home, hand over the keys to visitors, and shift into a modest mobile home just up the road<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a small recalibration with a surprisingly big impact<\/strong>. By trading a little space, they unlock a season of possibility<\/strong>\u2014and a cushion that steadies the rest of the year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why give up a house at the height of summer?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

For them, it\u2019s partly about money<\/strong>, partly about mindset. \u201cWe saw the rates people were paying for two weeks by the sea<\/strong>, and we thought\u2014why not us?\u201d says the husband<\/strong>. \u201cWe\u2019re here anyway. We might as well let our place do some work<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Their home sits within strolling distance of the cliffs and the curve of Kilkee Bay<\/strong>. In July and August, every spare bedroom in town seems to find a tenant<\/strong>. Renting those eight weeks<\/strong> turns a dormant asset into a seasonal engine<\/strong>. \u201cThe summer bookings cover our big bills<\/strong>,\u201d the wife explains. \u201cThey take the edge off school costs and, yes, they pretty much cover Christmas<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just the numbers<\/strong>. \u201cWe like the rhythm<\/strong> of it,\u201d she adds. \u201cSummer is already a reset\u2014long days, late swims, neighbours out on the street<\/strong>. Downsizing for a bit makes us feel more present<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Trading square footage for salt air<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The mobile home isn\u2019t glamorous, and that\u2019s kind of the point<\/strong>. It\u2019s perched on a friendly patch where gulls chatter, the kettle boils fast, and the shower reminds you to keep it brief<\/strong>. \u201cWe declutter every June<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cYou learn quickly what you actually use<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Inside: sturdy bedding, a compact galley kitchen<\/strong>, one shelf for books and beach towels, and a single drawer for each person\u2019s stuff<\/strong>. The couple says the limits breed focus<\/strong>. \u201cWe spend more time outside,\u201d she laughs<\/strong>. \u201cIf you try to sit in there all day, the place nudges you out the door<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They\u2019re meticulous about what moves with them<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • A small cafeti\u00e8re, the kids\u2019 wetsuits, a stack of paperback novels<\/strong>, and the old radio that pulls in coastal weather<\/strong>.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cThe key is routine,\u201d he notes<\/strong>. \u201cFriday night fish and chips by the bandstand, Saturday morning shop in town, Sunday swim if the flags are green<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Guests in the family home, hosts in spirit<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Letting a lived-in house to strangers can feel intimate<\/strong>. They prepare with lists, labels, and a simple, human touch<\/strong>. \u201cWe leave a note about the best tide times, where to get the freshest bread<\/strong>, and which sunsets are worth lingering for,\u201d she says<\/strong>. A jar of local sweets, a spare phone charger, a map folded to the cliff walk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They price fairly, but not too low<\/strong>. \u201cIf it\u2019s too cheap, people don\u2019t treat it with the same care<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cWe keep it at a rate that reflects the town and the season<\/strong>.\u201d There\u2019s a cleaner between stays, a neighbour on call, and a checklist that keeps little issues from becoming big ones<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Damage? Rare, they say<\/strong>. \u201cMost families who book in Kilkee want exactly what we want\u2014beach days, ice creams, then tired kids asleep before ten<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    What the neighbours think<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    On their mobile-home lane, doors are light and friendly<\/strong>. Some folks stay year-round; others drift in as summer regulars<\/strong>. \u201cWe\u2019ve made friends we\u2019d never have met on our own street<\/strong>,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s a potluck feeling\u2014someone always has spare matches or an extra tin of beans<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Up the road, their old house glows with different stories<\/strong>\u2014grandparents on the terrace, teenagers lugging surfboards, toddlers conquering steps<\/strong>. \u201cYou hear laughter you don\u2019t recognise<\/strong>,\u201d he smiles<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s nice. It reminds you a home can hold more than one version<\/strong> of summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The calculation behind the gamble<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Costs exist: insurance adjustments, professional cleaning<\/strong>, a summer\u2019s worth of laundry and linen turnovers<\/strong>. The mobile needs upkeep: a leaky window fixed before the first storm<\/strong>. They factor it all into the maths<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Still, the ledger tilts positive<\/strong>. \u201cYou do the spreadsheet once,\u201d he says, \u201cthen you add the bits you didn\u2019t think of<\/strong>\u2014a spare key set, a better mop, nicer towels\u2014and it still makes sense<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    What helps is Kilkee\u2019s compact scale<\/strong>. Beach, cafes, pharmacy, and pier are walkable or a quick cycle<\/strong>. The couple spends less time behind a wheel<\/strong> and more time on foot, where conversations bloom and days stretch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    A slower clock, a richer season<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    There\u2019s a humility to living small while your main house earns its keep<\/strong>. \u201cIt keeps our egos<\/strong> in check,\u201d she says with a grin. \u201cNobody is meant to own August, we\u2019re all just borrowing<\/strong> it.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Evenings collect in simple rituals<\/strong>\u2014a flask of tea by the Pollock Holes, cards under a squeaky lamp<\/strong>, the hum of a radio whispering through the thin walls<\/strong>. \u201cThe kids remember the laughter more than the space<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd we do, too<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    When September leans in and the town exhales, they move back home<\/strong>. The cupboards feel too wide<\/strong>, the rooms oddly echoey<\/strong>. But there\u2019s ease in the bank account<\/strong>, and a generosity that carries into the darker months<\/strong>. \u201cIt funds the little things that make winter feel warm<\/strong>,\u201d she says. \u201cLights, visits, those extra treats that make a cold evening feel soft<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    In a coastal town where the seasons swing with uncommon force<\/strong>, their choice feels both pragmatic and a touch romantic<\/strong>. Trade a bit of comfort for a bigger life<\/strong>. Let the house meet the summer, while you meet it right back\u2014barefoot, pared-down, and just up the road<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3250"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3288,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3250\/revisions\/3288"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}