Detached vs semi detached.

ClubDead · 08-02-2018 8:54am #1

Hoping to move in the next few months and looking for opinion on the following: detached house in nice area (Lucan) vs semi detached house in nicer area (Terenure, Rathfarnham).
What is the better long term investment in your opinion?

mloc123 · 08-02-2018 8:57am

Having recently moved from a semi-d to a detached... I much prefer the detached. Have the TV/music/kid shouting as loud as we like without worrying about disturbing our neighbour etc.. Others may not care about that but we were always mindful of it in our old place.

NIMAN · 08-02-2018 8:58am

Detached all the way.

You'll never need to worry about annoying the neighbours, or more importantly, them annoying you.

4ensic15 · 08-02-2018 9:03am

There are 3 things to consider in a property investment:-

1. Location
2. Location
3. Location.

f@steddie · 08-02-2018 9:15am

ClubDead wrote: »

Hoping to move in the next few months and looking for opinion on the following: detached house in nice area (Lucan) vs semi detached house in nicer area (Terenure, Rathfarnham).
What is the better long term investment in your opinion?

Better location is 'better long term investment'. Better house is detached.

mloc123 · 08-02-2018 9:18am

Also depends on how long you plan to live there... if this is your home for the next 20/30/40 years etc.. Investment wise, I would expect that the prices will always track pretty close. In 20 yrs a semi-d in one location will probably be worth the same as detached in another?

DancingHomer · 08-02-2018 10:15am

It depends on the neighbours. In Terenure, space would be at a premium, so you might end up with neighbours who go nuts extending their side of the Semi-D. Suddenly you have their big rear extension blocking light from your Garden.

I remember seeing a nicely priced do'er upper for sale a couple of years ago, in a nice settled estate. Unfortunately the neighbours had ruined the symmetry of the house by turning it from a Semi-D into a Terrace.

https://goo.gl/maps/iy7Rx1U3s6H2

4ensic15 · 08-02-2018 10:22am

f@steddie wrote: »

Better location is 'better long term investment'. Better house is detached.

The o/p is asking about long term investment

q85dw7osi4lebg · 08-02-2018 10:23am

Depends on the layout of the semi. If the stairs touch and bedroom / living spaces are at the gable ends, you'd barely know you are in a semi. Bedrooms touching however, ........

Cuddlesworth · 08-02-2018 10:24am

DancingHomer wrote: »

I remember seeing a nicely priced do'er upper for sale a couple of years ago, in a nice settled estate. Unfortunately the neighbours had ruined the symmetry of the house by turning it from a Semi-D into a Terrace.

You know that's still a Semi-D right?

ClubDead · 08-02-2018 10:36am

Thanks for all the replies so far guys.

DancingHomer · 08-02-2018 12:47pm

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

You know that's still a Semi-D right?

It's a ruined Semi-D, that now resembles a Terrace. Congratulations on missing the point being made about gaudy extensions that ruin the profile of a house, and contributing absolutely nothing to the OP's question.

If OP wants some advice on Video games or Care Bears, you'll be able to contribute a bit more on that topic.

Effects · 08-02-2018 1:03pm

DancingHomer wrote: »

Congratulations on missing the point being made about gaudy extensions that ruin the profile of a house

There's nothing gaudy about that extension. It actually fits in quite well, symmetry aside.

PhoenixParker · 08-02-2018 1:08pm

4ensic15 wrote: »

There are 3 things to consider in a property investment:-

1. Location
2. Location
3. Location.

This.
Which gets you to work faster? Which makes it easier to find a new job with an easy commute?
Which has more transport services within walkable distance?
Which has more of the amenities you will use within walking distance?
Which is more easily accessible to the places you want to be near?

The house itself is generally fixable. The location isn't.

mike_2009 · 08-02-2018 1:12pm

I'd argue that Lucan isn't as nice an area as it used to be and Clonburris is going to be a problem down the road. Don't know if you have kids but schools, shops etc and adjacency to M50 are a factor for me. The Semi-D issue can be a big problem, you can carry out certain soundproofing but impact noises aren't possible to protect against. You could have extension issues next door even with a detached though. One bit of advice is to view both houses at different times of the day to see what the local climate is like and maybe speak to the neighbours if the're approachable?
For investment purposes I'd go with Rathfarnham, for peace of mind I'd go with Lucan! Perhaps speak with a local Garda about the area each house is in too?

OscarBluth · 08-02-2018 1:12pm

The prices don't generally track. A semi-d in Terenure or Rathfarnham will appreciate in value more than a detached in Lucan, unless something radical happens to Lucan in the next decade or so. People in Dublin are quite old-fashioned in many ways when it comes to reputations about areas - in cities like London, areas gentrify and their reputation changes entirely within a decade, in Dublin it takes generations. A big change in public transport - eg a luas extension to Lucan - might change values, but otherwise if focused on value I'd go for the semi-d.

If you're staying for more than a decade though, focus on your own comfort. Personally I don't understand the attention people put on detached houses - decent insulation and a decently built house should be enough. I've never lived in a house where I was affected by noice from neighbours, and I chose to live in an end of terrace to be closer to town and amenities and in as nice an area as I could. Different people want different things though: if its long term I think you have to go for what will make you happiest and accept a degree of risk.

DancingHomer · 08-02-2018 1:27pm

Effects wrote: »

There's nothing gaudy about that extension. It actually fits in quite well, symmetry aside.

Ah yea. Symmetry aside. Balance aside.

Makes me wonder why everyone else on that road set their two story extensions back a bit.

Boardsies know better, as ever.

BarryD2 · 08-02-2018 1:38pm

FWIW, a semi d will have one less external wall, so assuming both are occupied and heated, then heating costs should be a bit less.

Skerries · 08-02-2018 1:58pm

DancingHomer wrote: »

It's a ruined Semi-D, that now resembles a Terrace.

it is still a Semi-d and in no way looks like a terraced house

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraced_house

astrofool · 08-02-2018 2:26pm

DancingHomer wrote: »

It depends on the neighbours. In Terenure, space would be at a premium, so you might end up with neighbours who go nuts extending their side of the Semi-D. Suddenly you have their big rear extension blocking light from your Garden.

I remember seeing a nicely priced do'er upper for sale a couple of years ago, in a nice settled estate. Unfortunately the neighbours had ruined the symmetry of the house by turning it from a Semi-D into a Terrace.

https://goo.gl/maps/iy7Rx1U3s6H2

That's not a terrace? One of the most common conversions is to convert garage to a new wing of the house, symmetry is an issue, but only because of the finish they chose, it could be done much more aesthetically pleasing than that.

There is also another one converted the exact same way almost opposite to that one.

ClubDead · 08-02-2018 2:34pm

Guys can you stop it now. Hearing opinions on detached vs semi is really helpful. Arguments about extensions is not.
Everyone's right....no one is wrong....move on!

myshirt · 08-02-2018 2:52pm

Simple bit of advice is to buy the worst house in the best area. And by worst, I mean cheapest. You can change the house. You can't change the area. The moment you buy is the moment you sell, and all that jazz.

Graham · 08-02-2018 3:17pm

DancingHomer wrote: »

Ah yea. Symmetry aside. Balance aside.

Makes me wonder why everyone else on that road set their two story extensions back a bit.

Boardsies know better, as ever.

Mod Note

DancingHomer. If you are incapable of making your point without the snide digs, stop posting.

ted1 · 08-02-2018 4:39pm

ClubDead wrote: »

Hoping to move in the next few months and looking for opinion on the following: detached house in nice area (Lucan) vs semi detached house in nicer area (Terenure, Rathfarnham).
What is the better long term investment in your opinion?

Terenure/Rathfarnham over Lucan on location

Vim Fuego · 08-02-2018 5:06pm

I personally went for a semi-detached house in a nicer area compared to a detached somewhere that I could afford one. Amenities, proximity to work and public transport were key factors in the decision.

It's definitely a risk though - I'd be calling into the adjoining neighbours and doing my research on the estate too.

Easier said than done but a nice compromise is if you can find a semi-d with potential to extend where it won't have to be along the boundary. I viewed some examples like this where the extension was the largest part of the house and wasn't attached to neighbouring property apart from the original structure. These houses really didn't feel like they were semi-detached and represented a nice middle ground to me.

Effects · 08-02-2018 10:20pm

DancingHomer wrote: »

Ah yea. Symmetry aside. Balance aside.

Makes me wonder why everyone else on that road set their two story extensions back a bit.

Boardsies know better, as ever.

Don't go blaming boardsies, you just didn't explain yourself properly.
You called it gaudy but you don't even know what that means.

the_syco · 08-02-2018 11:07pm

One thing to be careful for the detached; ensure there's at least 3 foot in between the houses. Some are barely a foot across, which means should any external issue arise, you won't be able to get to it. Have seen some of this crap during the Celtic Tiger years were a row of "detached" houses were about a foot from each other.

UsBus · 09-02-2018 10:51am

I bought a semi-detached a couple of years back.
It turned into a nightmare, could hear everything the neighbours were doing. They were really loud, banging doors constantly. He had a serious temper, i'd say there was some physical violence involved. We'd constantly be woken up in the middle of the night. It was a problem for us as we were working, they were not...

I sold the house a year after I bought it. Most stressful period in my life. Semi-ds are not a problem, but you really need to check out who will be living next door to you. Location/price can avoid some of the issues I experienced..

Fian · 09-02-2018 11:17am

Better to live in : Detached. This really is a no brainer, you have no control in the long term who moves in next to you.

Maybe for someone who grew up in a semi D it is less of an issue, for me moving from Connemara to Dublin I would prefer not to live in a semi D. I did when i was renting.

Of course there are a number of considerations on which is the best house you can get for your money and SemI-D/Terraced/Detached is only one of them. Location, size, layout, value all also have to be balanced into the mix. Personally, I would put a lot of weight on whether the house is detached.

Scribbler100 · 09-02-2018 11:55am

the_syco wrote: »

One thing to be careful for the detached; ensure there's at least 3 foot in between the houses. Some are barely a foot across, which means should any external issue arise, you won't be able to get to it. Have seen some of this crap during the Celtic Tiger years were a row of "detached" houses were about a foot from each other.

Completely agree with this. I have family in a 60's built semi-detached in Rathfarnham. It is solidly built and very little can be heard from the adjoining property - even with young children in the house. I also have family in 90's built detached houses, where the construction of the houses seems less solid and they are set so close together that loud conversations (not necessarily shouting), TV etc. can be easily heard if windows are open. To me they seem less private that the older semi-d.

ClubDead · 09-02-2018 12:56pm

UsBus wrote: »

I bought a semi-detached a couple of years back.
It turned into a nightmare, could hear everything the neighbours were doing. They were really loud, banging doors constantly. He had a serious temper, i'd say there was some physical violence involved. We'd constantly be woken up in the middle of the night. It was a problem for us as we were working, they were not...

I sold the house a year after I bought it. Most stressful period in my life. Semi-ds are not a problem, but you really need to check out who will be living next door to you. Location/price can avoid some of the issues I experienced..

This is my big fear. All the semi detached house we are looking at are in areas we are unfamiliar with.....We are in a semi detached now but we got very lucky with our neighbors. Apart from our immediate neighbors, the surrounding ones are just awful..... Having a second viewing of a detached house today and I'm beginning to really lean towards that after hearing the opinion of others on here.

Detached vs semi detached.

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