People have different reasons for extending their homes. Often it’s the arrival of another baby, or the need for a bigger kitchen for a growing brood, or a change in work patterns necessitating a home office. In broadcaster Sean Munsanje’s case, the arrival of a little cockapoo had a lot to do with the need for more space; Sean, his husband Chris Doyle and their daughter Simone were living in a house in Glasthule, Co Dublin that comprised 650 sq feet, then they got a dog. “We got Teddy four years ago as a puppy and he kept getting bigger. A dog is not a child but it’s a bit similar, they take up space, they need their own bed, their own bowl for food and then there are the bits and pieces for their walks, and we didn’t have any storage. Or maybe all that’s just an excuse,” the genial fortysomething laughs.