Fingal Affordable housing

jgoodman05

Sorry suzy don't know if pets are allowed, have just put in my snag list- by pro. surveyor- for a citygate apartment- one or two big problems:

Surveyor said gas boiler shouldn't be in bedroom , but bord gais say its alright if its 'room sealed' - have not got reply back from fingal on that yet.

Floor in sitting room is risen accross the middle, not sure how they'll sort that , anyone any ideas?

Double glazing doors are loose accross the bottom and need to be secured.

Anyway keep an eye out for these if your doing a snag, similar suggestions were helpful for me doing mine.

Fingal have said that I'll meet the foreman to do resnag, not sure whether to get a surveyor in again for this , would it give me extra clout in getting the foreman to finish whatevers left to do ? Jdivision, you had some difficulties in this regard if I remember correctly , Any advice?

Cheers

jdivision

jgoodman05 wrote:

Jdivision, you had some difficulties in this regard if I remember correctly , Any advice?

Cheers

Still trying to get mine sorted out, nearly 18 months later!! they finally rang me earlier about stuff. The snagging foreman was a disgrace, so bring somebody with you and insist on things being done to your satisfaction. things to watch out for: Make sure your car parking space is where it's supposed to be, doors are often badly hung, the company behind the windows and glazed doors made a balls of it and there's been a lot of problems all over the estate with them - they're to rectify them in the coming weeks (this is cityside, not sure about citygate). Don't have gas in my apartment so can't help you there. I may sound negative but in general I really like it there. There's people with pets in the scheme but not sure if they're in apartments or not. If you take a ground floor one I don't see it being a problem given that you'll have own door access and the pets wouldn't be in the communal area.

Posy

Did anybody go view the Meakstown apartments? If so, what are they like and is there any talk of houses (remember those?) coming up soon?

johnjay

Yup, I viewed them last Friday.

All that was left when I got there were the ground floor apartments, i dont think anyone wants these as they are the size of a postal stamp! The upper floors are fairly nice, still quite small but nicely laid out. They are very basic - electric heating, kitchen/dining/living area in one room, etc. I put my name down on the cancellation list, but I'm still not sure if I would take one if they came up.

I asked the Fingal lady if there was much coming up, but she didnt sould very positive. She said that there will be "a few" coming up in Lusk soon, and a few more in Ballbriggan after that - but she said it was quiet enough for properties at the moment. I didnt ask her if Lusk/Ballbriggan would be houses or apartments.

She also said that the above apartments in Meakstown will be the last in that development.

jdivision

The living/dining area is quite small alright but you get two good sized double bedrooms to help make up for it.

macy10

Hey Karyn,
Are you holding out for a house with Fingal? And also when did you get approval from them? Ideally I was hoping for a house but by the sounds of things now it's a take what you get kind of scenario. Thanks

Posy

I'm holding out for somewhere with three bedrooms from necessity, preferably a house because I have pets who'd be pretty miserable without a garden! Although I'd probably take a nice size duplex or apartment I don't really subscribe to the 'beggars can't be choosers' school.. I'll be spending about €200,000 not getting it for free!! I've been on the list since Feb '06 so I'm somewhere around the top 50 now. Just have to keep waiting...

SuzyS1972

Me too Karyn
Do you reckon if you are being offered properties then you must be pretty close to the top - even if they are not exactly offering what you want right now.
Fingers x the developers are not pawning Fingal off with apartments in all the new estates.

I came by a large development in Balrothery yesterday that is the same as Flemington in Balbriggan - looks fairly finished to me

Charlies Angel

Karyn, Are you stuck on somewhere inparticular or do you mind where you go? You are on list since Feb 06 thats a long time, unless you are holding out for something? Would you go out as far as Balbriggan?

CherieAmour

Feb 06 is a long time! Have they given you any hint of what is coming up? Did you see any 3 beds since you got approval?

jdivision

There is going to be far less three-beds available than anything else because the list is aimed at first time buyers so council will be more inclined to take one or two-bed units off developers. In addition, most of housing output in Dublin is of one and two-bed apartments so that further reduces the likelihood of you getting one.

Posy

I saw two three beds since approval. One was a duplex, which I'd have gladly taken but didn't get and the other was in Balbriggan. I wouldn't mind going that far out but it was over a half hours walk to the train station. That, combined with 45 mins on the train would have been just too far a commute. Sigh. I'll just have to keep waiting...

gurramok

jdivision wrote:

There is going to be far less three-beds available than anything else because the list is aimed at first time buyers so council will be more inclined to take one or two-bed units off developers. In addition, most of housing output in Dublin is of one and two-bed apartments so that further reduces the likelihood of you getting one.

Thats a bit tad ridiculous if it is council policy?

So if your a couple especially with a least 1 child, you can forget about affordable housing to get a real house as they only mostly offer 1 & 2-bed apts which are too small(so far) to raise a family in.
To conclude, so your screwed both ways as the open market is too pricey in the bubble for a house and availibility of proper housing from the council is puny.

Moonbeam

Karyn wrote:

I saw two three beds since approval. One was a duplex, which I'd have gladly taken but didn't get and the other was in Balbriggan. I wouldn't mind going that far out but it was over a half hours walk to the train station. That, combined with 45 mins on the train would have been just too far a commute. Sigh. I'll just have to keep waiting...

I think sometimes you have to make the sacrifice to get what you want and it is affordable housing too.
But,good luck finding a house while on the affordable housing list nearer to Dublin with public transport.

Charlies Angel

yes I had the same debate about the commute but went for it anyway!! I was stuck on getting a house, didnt want an apartment - duplex I saw, would have been a nightmare commute also as regards, public transport, so just went for the house..Reckon will either get used to the commute or change jobs!!!

Sometimes its hard to weigh up the pros and cons but you must do whats right for you...

Posy

Moonbeam wrote:

I think sometimes you have to make the sacrifice to get what you want and it is affordable housing too.

I wouln't mind a longish commute but two people in my family work quite far out in South Dublin. Around an hour-ish would be grand but with the place in Balbriggan, they were looking at a minimum of two hours. It is affordable, but it's going to be for the long term and it's still about 200k! Somewhere with a small yard (for cats/kids), three bedrooms and about an hour to Dublin is all I ask. Remember back when that wouldn't have been too unreasonable?! Oh, to be ten years older and getting on the property ladder in the nineties... :rolleyes:

abi2007

Hi all, I've been approved on the affordable housing scheme only since end of feb, it took 6 months just to get approval. I'm on a local list and i'm just wondering how long does it take before you start to view places? any ideas?

jdivision

abi2007 wrote:

Hi all, I've been approved on the affordable housing scheme only since end of feb, it took 6 months just to get approval. I'm on a local list and i'm just wondering how long does it take before you start to view places? any ideas?

depends what area you're in. Forever if you picked sutton, howth, malahide etc.

macy10

Karyn wrote:

It is affordable, but it's going to be for the long term and it's still about 200k! Remember back when that wouldn't have been too unreasonable?! Oh, to be ten years older and getting on the property ladder in the nineties... :rolleyes:

Hey Karyn. Are 3 beds really 200K!!!!???? So basically it's not really affordable if the maximun loan the council will give you is 185K. It is really more suitable for joint applicants or a better off single person. Think i'll forget about the hopes of a 3 bed!!:(

gurramok

macy10 wrote:

Hey Karyn. Are 3 beds really 200K!!!!???? So basically it's not really affordable if the maximun loan the council will give you is 185K. It is really more suitable for joint applicants or a better off single person. Think i'll forget about the hopes of a 3 bed!!:(

As in a previous post, I was told over the phone that the next round of offers are in Rush/Lusk and prices i was quoted were about 180k, whether they are 3beds is anybodys guess.
Going price for 3beds in those new states on property websites are about 360-380k, so knock half of that for 50% discount, so assumption being they are 3-beds.

abi2007

i'm on the local area for swords but i'm not fussy... any where just dying to get out of my parents moved back so i could save. I phoned the affordable housing sales team and they said lusk will be the next available place. would love that.

Posy

macy10 wrote:

Hey Karyn. Are 3 beds really 200K!!!!???? So basically it's not really affordable if the maximun loan the council will give you is 185K.(

The last place I went to see was a three bedroom duplex and prices were starting at €215,000. The minumum deposit was €30,000 but we were told it might be more.

SuzyS1972

Thats mental Karyn
On the other hand I was also told yesterday that the Balrothery houses won't be ready for another couple of months but very soon Lusk and Balbriggan will be coming up.

Hoping I am in the 1st hundred at this stage - been on the list since Aug 06