[Advice Wanted] Word of caution using Daft

AlmightyCushion

Just thought I would let everyone know that I was doing a college search on daft for accommodation near the IT in Sligo (I selected the option 'near the college') and the search returned places in Coolaney.
For anyone who doesn't know Sligo that well, Coolaney is practically a million miles away from the IT and I can't imagine any student living out there unless it was because they live with their parents.
So if you are using Daft or any other property search engine for college accommodation, the places it returns may not be as close to the college as you think so check with the landlord to be on the safe side.

Daft (for Dublin anyways) gives a location of the property on Google Maps..

I found (again for Dublin anyways) that using the 'College' search gave me much better responses then search by postcode.

AlmightyCushion

Deleted User wrote:

I found (again for Dublin anyways) that using the 'College' search gave me much better responses then search by postcode.

Really. I thought it was very odd that it was giving me somewhere in coolaney. I didn't check all the results now, I just gave a quick glance over it and I noticed that. It might have been a once off.

aof

Last time I used that search on daft for ucd and ticked the box for accessible by public transport about ten places in Cork showed up! Otherwise daft is the best place for finding accommodation

AlmightyCushion

aof wrote:

Last time I used that search on daft for ucd and ticked the box for accessible by public transport about ten places in Cork showed up! Otherwise daft is the best place for finding accommodation

Well technically it is but it is taking the piss a little. The search I did (close to the college) for the Sligo IT returned all sorts of place collooney, coolaney, tubbercurry to name a few which are nowhere hear it. Just make sure you know where it is and how you'll get to the college before you agree to anything guys.

Maybe someone should sticky this.

Average-Ro

Yeah, I know what you mean AlmightyCushion. Same thing happened to me with Galway. Filtered the search down to places in or near the City Centre, and it came back to places that were miles away! One place seemed perfect. The marker on the map showed it being just off Eyre Square. But it was so cheap I was slightly suspicious (maybe missing a roof or something:p ) Turns out it was ACTUALLY situated a 50 minute drive away:mad: I don't know if I can really trust that site. I sent one landlord an E-mail aswel and NEVER got a reply....

AlmightyCushion

It's a good site but things like that stop it from being a great site.

PS Do you really need a roof? Sure wouldn't an umbrella do ya grand.

KerranJast

I had the same trouble with Daft when searching for student accommodation close to the University of Limerick. The university is in Castletroy, but the search came back with properties ranging from Dooradoyle (the other side of the city) to Newport, Co. Limerick (no idea where that is ) and none is Castletroy! A friend recommended CollegeCribs.ie because they only advertise student specific accommodation and I found a place just right for me there. I'd definitely recommend them as the place to go for when looking for student accommodation in Ireland. BTW, students can also advertise spare rooms for free on the site as well.

cianclarke

Deleted User wrote:

Daft (for Dublin anyways) gives a location of the property on Google Maps..

I found (again for Dublin anyways) that using the 'College' search gave me much better responses then search by postcode.

You'd think so, but I got offered wicklow.

I found the postcode a bit more reliable! College search didn't show up as much...

AlmightyCushion

cianclarke wrote:

You'd think so, but I got offered wicklow.

I found the postcode a bit more reliable! College search didn't show up as much...

So it's not just Sligo.

hoolio

is part of that not that the first ten or so results on daft are always "featured" ones, eg. paid for by whoever in order to be returned first.

So you search for something in dublin, but there are things in cork that fit the bill, and are "featured", so you get a long long distance.

in my experience the real results start below the red line folks

AlmightyCushion

I just checked this for the IT Sligo again. And below the red line were places in Ballisodare. In fact the ones in the featured ads were close to the college.