Dilapidated buildings and eyesores are unfortunately a familiar sight in virtually every town and village across the midlands.
Finding solutions to dereliction has been topical of late - just last month, a new €400,000 fund was announced for each local authority to buy vacant sites and repurpose them into community spaces.
But just how prevalent is the issue and how can we effectively transform these eyesores into something new.
Our reporter Ellen Butler has been out and about to find out more...