Apartments in Navan - advice needed

fuff · 14-06-2011 1:20pm #1

We're looking to buy in Navan and our price bracket means we're looking at apartments. Would anyone have an opinion on the Rivermill, Steeples or Millbrook apartment complexes? Have called the local garda station but they were fairly vague.

I assume there is a reason they're so affordable!

Pipsie Pie · 14-06-2011 4:19pm

Not sure if it's appropriate to say but 3 years ago Rivermill was known for housing the local brothels.

Not sure of the other 2 complexes, but the meath chronical ran a few articles on brothels in different areas on Navan (flower hill also i think) over the past few years, maybe worth a look.

fuff · 14-06-2011 9:32pm

Wow - thanks for the info Pipsie Pie. I think it's safe to say we'll keep looking!

chewed · 16-06-2011 1:33pm

I have heard the same Fuff! My wife used to own an apartment there about 10 years ago and sold. I always got the impression it went downhill after that.

Slippin Jimmy · 17-06-2011 7:35pm

Stay away from the Steeples, River Mill and Pool Boy Quay. The are some of the worst apartments in the town and there is quite a bit of trouble around them. I've lived in 2 apartments in Academy Square, the walls aren't great and you can hear a lot of things going on in the neighbours, plus my car andd a few others were broken into. I then lived in Distillery Quay, it's the same management company as Academy, but they are never in the apartments. The are a bit untidy, but all in all it was the best apartment I lived in. they are nice and spacious and away from the main road.

Fiskar · 17-06-2011 10:50pm

Echo the sentiments OP, stay away from Rivermill, academy square, steeples (haunted),

wouldn't recommend apartment to any perspective buyer, advocate rent before you buy.

If you want, there are many 3 bed semis in very good older locations worth a look.
Have you considered the management fee associated with each complex you have looked at?

Stroke Politics · 17-06-2011 11:46pm

A relation of mine who is (still!) a mortgage broker told me after Christmas that no bank will give you a mortgage for an apartment in Navan, or any other town in the commuter belt outside of Dublin. Don't know how true this is, but there has been a massive slump in the price of apartments in the last 18 months.

The problem with apartments in Ireland is that they were badly planned to allow as many units as possible to be shoe-horned into as tiny a space as possible. They are totally unsuitable for permanent residents who plan to have families and retire, unlike properly planned apartment developments in other European countries.

I nearly made the fatal mistake of buying off the plans in Academy Square, was it ever finished ir is there still a big hole in the ground behind the hoarding opposite Spicers gate and drive....?

fuff · 20-06-2011 1:33pm

Thanks for your responses guys.

Management fees in Rivermill at least are 1200 euro.

Judging by this thread and from other enquiries we've made, the best thing to do seems to be to keep saving and hold out for one of the older semi-detacheds as suggested by Fiskar - thanks again

Slippin Jimmy · 20-06-2011 6:44pm

fuff wrote: »

Thanks for your responses guys.

Management fees in Rivermill at least are 1200 euro.

Judging by this thread and from other enquiries we've made, the best thing to do seems to be to keep saving and hold out for one of the older semi-detacheds as suggested by Fiskar - thanks again

I'd definetly take Fiskar's advice on board. Apartments in Navan are a no go. After a few years the nice ones just go to the dogs, academy would be an example of this.

Tonester · 30-06-2011 10:56pm

Duffff-Man wrote: »

Stay away from the Steeples, River Mill and Pool Boy Quay. The are some of the worst apartments in the town and there is quite a bit of trouble around them. I've lived in 2 apartments in Academy Square, the walls aren't great and you can hear a lot of things going on in the neighbours, plus my car andd a few others were broken into. I then lived in Distillery Quay, it's the same management company as Academy, but they are never in the apartments. The are a bit untidy, but all in all it was the best apartment I lived in. they are nice and spacious and away from the main road.

Hi I'm going to view an apt. in poolboy quay with the intention of moving in. Can you please tell me is it that bad and is there a lot of crime?? Appreciate if you can get back to me ASAP!!!

babsybaby01 · 01-07-2011 8:53pm

I know a lad delivering pizza to pool boy..he was beaten and put in the boot of a car...very dodgy with a LOT of non-nationals living there..I live close to it...FUFF ..if your buying an apartment there are some quality second hand houses at same price if you look around...The 3places you named I wouldn't have a ****e in.. AVOID at all costs

mr_edge_to_you · 02-07-2011 7:43am

fuff wrote: »

I assume there is a reason they're so affordable!

In addition to the social issues there is the real issue of the economy - supply and demand. I know you make reference to your own level of affordability but buying an apartment is a major mistake. Nobody wants apartments now. Although it may be anecdotal I strongly believe that banks will not give mortgages out on apartments because they are far too risky as an investment. They were thrown up as pointed out previously to maximise profits from small spaces in a short space of time. Also there is an abundance of empty houses and even more apartments so you will be less likely to be able to sell it in future.

I'm sure if you go looking for a house with your budget and you make an offer someone will take it, somewhere. Personally I'd prefer an old cottage which I can do up over time than a dodgy apartment. Consider as well that 1200e in management charges over 20 years is a further 24000euro!

If you are buying property today you need to buy with the intention that you will be content there for 20 years because the market will never recover. Those apartments will be a lot less attractive in 3 years time, no doubt about it.

kelle · 02-07-2011 11:26am

mr_edge_to_you wrote: »

I

I'm sure if you go looking for a house with your budget and you make an offer someone will take it, somewhere. Personally I'd prefer an old cottage which I can do up over time than a dodgy apartment.
.

+1. This house is only 2 miles from Navan yet out in the country, and while it may need a bit of work done it is very affordable.

http://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/irishtown-navan-co-meath/437895

lukesmom · 08-09-2011 5:02pm

I, like many others lived in rivermill 10 years ago. Stayed there for one month and got the hell out of there. Full of drugs, prostitutes and riff raff.

The steeples - I never knew it was haunted? It's a kip too though.

Poolboy quay - thought these looked lovely from the outside and when they were just built but supposedly they are full of the scum of the earth that have been blown into our town from every direction.

As many others have said you should go for a 3 bed semi. If you go on daft.ie there are a few very reasonable ones there. If I was advising anybody that wanted to find a nice property in a nice area thats not expensive Id be looking at Northside - clonmagadden fort/tara court/the paddocks area or fitzherbert court/blackcastle estate/beaufort place

Southside - Balreask village/canterbrook/Limekiln wood all on the trim road in Navan

Avoid rivermill, the steeples, poolboy quay, clusker park, anywhere in windtown, reask, townspark, clogherboy park, claremont estate and anywhere in Johnstown, woodview not great either but woodlands nice

kelle · 08-09-2011 5:49pm

Lukesmom, I would've thought Johnstown was OK

MagicSean · 08-09-2011 9:23pm

Why don't you just rent a house? Probably cheaper than a mortgage and not too much more than renting an apartment.

upmeath · 08-09-2011 9:27pm

There are probably only a handful of estates in Navan worth looking at if lukesmom's list is anything to go by!

MagicSean · 08-09-2011 10:26pm

upmeath wrote: »

There are probably only a handful of estates in Navan worth looking at if lukesmom's list is anything to go by!

There are plenty of nice places in Johnstown.

lukesmom · 09-09-2011 10:32am

kelle wrote: »

Lukesmom, I would've thought Johnstown was OK

Parts of it are but it's fast becoming a mini ballymun

youtube! · 09-09-2011 11:08am

lukesmom wrote: »

Parts of it are but it's fast becoming a mini ballymun

Sorry but I cant agree with that, It would be more accurate to say parts of it are a little run down but to call it a mini ballymun is plain ridiculous!

I agree with your assesment of the other areas you mentioned but all in all Johnstown is fine.

bladespin · 10-09-2011 10:40am

lukesmom wrote: »

Parts of it are but it's fast becoming a mini ballymun

Totally agree, crime rate out there is off the scale for the town.

Plenty of news of bombs, murder, drug dealers and criminal gang members living there, avoid at all costs.

MagicSean · 10-09-2011 3:04pm

bladespin wrote: »

Totally agree, crime rate out there is off the scale for the town.

Plenty of news of bombs, murder, drug dealers and criminal gang members living there, avoid at all costs.

That's just not true. There was one incident of a bomb targeted at one individual. And what murders are you talking about?

youtube! · 10-09-2011 3:24pm

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

That's just not true. There was one incident of a bomb targeted at one individual. And what murders are you talking about?

exactly, total and utter sensationalism, as i said some parts of it are run down but all things considered it is not anything like ballymun,there are isolated incidents from time to time but hey,there are like 5 thousand people living there, there is always going to be some flare up.

I lived in waaayyy worse estates in dublin when i was a kid.

also the bomb he is refering to had the explosive power of a few fireworks,nothing more!

bladespin · 10-09-2011 9:29pm

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

That's just not true. There was one incident of a bomb targeted at one individual. And what murders are you talking about?

Everything I mentioned is true, there was a bomb, there was a murder, drug importers, dealers etc, ahve lived there along with certain West Dublin criminals, crime rate is the highest in the town (ask a garda).

Murder referred to was a drug related stabbing some years back, a house party gone wrong.

Slippin Jimmy · 10-09-2011 10:31pm

bladespin wrote: »

Everything I mentioned is true, there was a bomb, there was a murder, drug importers, dealers etc, ahve lived there along with certain West Dublin criminals, crime rate is the highest in the town (ask a garda).

Murder referred to was a drug related stabbing some years back, a house party gone wrong.

That was one murder, he was not an innocent man, he was a drug dealer. There have been few murders in the town in the last 20+ years. There are drugs in every town, in every estate, in every apartment block, there are of course going to be drug dealers in towns. Crime is at it's highest at the weekends when everyone is coming out of the nightclubs, just like any other town.

All in all it's not a bad town, but like all other towns it has it's fair share of problems.

bladespin · 11-09-2011 11:51am

Duffff-Man wrote: »

That was one murder, he was not an innocent man, he was a drug dealer. There have been few murders in the town in the last 20+ years. There are drugs in every town, in every estate, in every apartment block, there are of course going to be drug dealers in towns. Crime is at it's highest at the weekends when everyone is coming out of the nightclubs, just like any other town.

All in all it's not a bad town, but like all other towns it has it's fair share of problems.

Totally agree, was just clarifying for the previous poster, Navan's a great town and an excellent place to live, I've lived here pretty much my whole life and wouldn't like to change, that said there are parts of it I wouldn't live in.
Crime around nightclubs etc is pretty rare here TBH, the town's well policed, cctv, patrols etc.

lukesmom · 11-09-2011 2:35pm

MagicSean · 11-09-2011 4:23pm

lukesmom wrote: »

And believe me Johnstown is rife with criminals and gang members and full of drugs.

I disagree.

Slippin Jimmy · 11-09-2011 5:21pm

lukesmom wrote: »

And believe me Johnstown is rife with criminals and gang members and full of drugs.

What about the likes of Abbeygrove, clogherboy, towns park? Those areas aren't in Johnstown yet you see the amount of anto-social behaviour there and drug problems. Johnstown has a big population, it's a big area of the town. Of course there are going to be drug problems, but no more so than anywhere else in the town.

lukesmom · 11-09-2011 8:13pm

Duffff-Man wrote: »

What about the likes of Abbeygrove, clogherboy, towns park? Those areas aren't in Johnstown yet you see the amount of anto-social behaviour there and drug problems. Johnstown has a big population, it's a big area of the town. Of course there are going to be drug problems, but no more so than anywhere else in the town.

lukesmom · 11-09-2011 8:14pm

Seanbeag1 wrote: »

I disagree.

Apartments in Navan - advice needed

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