Charlesland Info Please !!!

xxMiaxx

Hi,

I am currently viewing in the Charlesland area and would welcome any advice on Wood and Court 2 beds please !! Does anyone know when these house first built and for how much ?? How much are Mgt Fees and what services do you receive for this ???

Thanks

Mia

mikedragon32

First off, it's Charlesland

The first houses in the Wood were completed in 2004, first occupiers moved in in June of that year. The Court received it's first residents the following year. Those in the Wood who bought off the plans would have paid about 295k for a two bed terrace.

Management fees vary in both the Wood and Court and what you get differs also, but each would include upkeep of common areas. I don't know off the top of my head what the fees are for two bed houses.

xxMiaxx

First off, it's Charlesland

The first houses in the Wood were completed in 2004, first occupiers moved in in June of that year. The Court received it's first residents the following year. Those in the Wood who bought off the plans would have paid about 295k for a two bed terrace.

Management fees vary in both the Wood and Court and what you get differs also, but each would include upkeep of common areas. I don't know off the top of my head what the fees are for two bed houses.
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Thanks a ml !! Sorry have viewed so many properties i am getting confused..... Mia

mikedragon32

No worries... One of the commitee sent me an e-mail with more info... He's shy and won't post up himself... or he's lazy.

In the Wood, fees for two bed terrace are €390 and covers:

PL insurance

Street lighting

Landscaping

Reserve fund

Audit fees, bank fees, management agent fees, company secretarial fees,

“Free” shuttle bus

xxMiaxx

Thanks for that. Any advice on areas to buy into or stay away from ?? Do you have any ideas what 2 beds have sold for at present ?? Think asking prices are currently very overpriced !!!

mikedragon32

No idea of recent sale prices. Not something I'm bothered about. You should maybe contact some of the local estate agents.

I don't think there's an area to be avoided, there are different developers responsible for different parts of Charlesland and therefore different standards to the finish, but that's a discussion for another day...

cuddlycavies

I know people selling one at pres. Two beds peaked at €415K. But have fallen to Asking €310. Accepting price recently €305K. Some offers out there €280K. I think that you will get one at €300K. Good value at that. Great place to live. Only thing with two bed, no access to backyard except through house. For bins, etc a bit of a pain. Attic is convertable. Can give you the number of a girl selling at present.

xxMiaxx

What is the address ??? I have some viewings so can check it out.....

cuddlycavies

Sent you private message

MuffinsDa

well, looks like the €300,000 barrier has been broken! There's one for daft for 299,000 and it even has a converted attic!

loyatemu

considering the way prices are going elsewhere, 300K for a 2-bed townhouse on a massive estate still looks expensive.

GingerDave

cuddlycavies wrote: »

I think that you will get one at €300K. Good value at that. Great place to live.

I agree is a great place to live, it really is.

BUT I think you must live on a different planet. 300k for a two bedroom house in NOT good value! 8.5 x average salary......they'll come down further yet i hope.

FirstIn

I'm interested in the comments about the lack of value of C'land 2 beds.

Re the average wage comment, if you want to live in an average location then work away. Greystones is not average. Didn't we win some fantastic award for most liveable...... award aside we all know how good it is to live here.

Basically if you want to start out in Greystones you need to look at C'land. What else are you going to get in Greystones for about 300K?

The estate might be large but it comes down to the location and what you have around you.

Saying "300K for a 2-bed townhouse on a massive estate still looks expensive" is daft. It is like someone complaining about the price of a one bed apartment (one of many) in the Sweepstakes in Ballsbridge.

It is the location that is important, there are much bigger houses on smaller estates in Kilcoole, so off you go. But don't come complaining to me when one of the local's horses eats your daffodils next spring.

jaffa20

FirstIn wrote: »

It comes down to location, there are much bigger houses on smaller estates in Kilcoole, so off you go. But don't come complaining to me when one of the local's horses eats your daffodils next spring.

Lol!!:p

Kilcoole isn't that bad and charlesland is basically as close to there as it is to Greystones. I prefer walking on kilkoole beach than i do on greystones beach. Much more relaxing. Greystones is also coming down in terms of location. Delgany would still be up high on the list though imo.

MuffinsDa

FirstIn wrote: »

. Greystones is not average.

And Charlesland is not Greystones!

FirstIn wrote: »

Basically if you want to start out in Greystones you need to look at C'land. What else are you going to get in Greystones for about 300K?

Take a look at myhome and daft and see what places you can get in south co dublin and greystones for the same price as 2-beds in Charlesland!

FirstIn wrote: »

The estate might be large but it comes down to the location and what you have around you.

Precisely! And the location being a large estate 1.5 miles away from a village 18 miles from city centre isn't exactly Ballsbridge!!!

Having said all that, I agree with Gingerdave. As far as estates go Charlesland is very nice place. It has some minor flaws but in general it's a pleasant place - could be a lot worse. But people thinking 300K for a small 2-bed mid-terrace in a commuter es tateoutside of a commuter town in a country with an economy on the verge of collapse and property firesales about to begin is good value do need a serious reality check. Or else I need one!

JAYG

What grounds are you judging that Charlesland estate is not Greystones??
If you look at the Greystones town borders then Charlesland Estate is quite clearly located within them.

Is it just some people who live in 'Old' greystones who are too embarressed to admit that Charlelsand is part of the same town as theirs?

Back to the thread.
Charlesland is a good place to live. We have not had any problems with the build quality and have done a lot of modifications to our home and garden. We have never had any trouble with vandals or burglars.
Like mentioned the price does not just reflect the house but its surroundings and location (not just to nearby Greystones ) but also the dart.
If you were to look at comparable locations near the capital of any country you will find that €300,000 euros is infact good value. For that price the same distance from London you would be looking at ex council estates. We have looked around many areas to consider a move and have found larger houses for a little or same amount but never moved simply because of location and quality of area. It would take something very special at a very good price to convince us to move.

FirstIn

The whole is, or is not, Charlesland Greystones thing has been done before. I believe it is Greystones.

MuffinsDa, I took a look on myhome and daft, for 300K there is damn all in Greystones, outside of Charlesland houses/apartments. Take a look yourself. I guess you didn't before your last post. Nothing comparable to Charlesland for sure.

In South Co Dublin, there are 2 bed houses for 300k or less. However, what we are talking about here is Charlesland/Greystones. The thread title is Charlesland Info, not Ballybrack Info!

The Ballsbridge reference was just that, a reference

MuffinsDa, I hope your economic forecast is wrong, for all our sakes.

JAYG

Without sounding too snoby, and still in focus with the thread, i would also like to add that the population of Charlesland in general seems to be young professional couples and families who appreciate and look after the place they live.

If the prices come down too low then so too would rental prices which would then possibly attract people who dont care as much for their surroundings as others. Which in turn would further reduce the house values.

Cheeky Chops

I object to this statement and find it offensive:

If the prices come down too low then so too would rental prices which would then possibly attract people who dont care as much for their surroundings as others. Which in turn would further reduce the house values.

To the OP, Charlesland is a great place to live and is very down to earth.

I agree with GingerDave etc saying that 300k is still a daft amount of money to spend on a 2 bed in the current economic climate. If that is classed as value then this country is still seriously out of touch with the rest of Europe. I spend a lot of time on the continent and our Government's "economy management" is the laughing stock of the EU.

Good luck with your search.

xxMiaxx

Hi All,

Thanks for all your information and opinions and please continue to provide it !! In reading all your debates and having done plenty of research i am certain that Charlesland is deffo the location for me. However i am sure as before that prices still have more to fall due to updates for Dec budget on the way..... Estate Agents have been insisting to me that prices could never fall below €315 ( attic not converted ) and as predicted one appears €299 with attic converted. As i am working in economics and studying property true value is €280 !! I am willing to sit it out now and see what the next few months bring.... with Jan to May being the worst months predicted. In a time of pay freezes, pay cuts and job uncertainty a mortgage on €280 is just affordable. For this reason i think the opinions from current residents that undesirable people would move in is unfair !! Me and my partner are honest , well educated people but due to our economic situation salary has decreased substantially !!

Mia

loyatemu

xxMiaxx wrote: »

...true value is €280 !!

surely in Economics there is no "true value" just whatever someone is willing to pay at the time (the guys over on the PropertyPin seem to place a lot of faith in the 14 x annual rent formula, but who knows...)

we were clearing out some stuff recently and found the original pricelist from when we bought our house. This was back in Jan 05 and they were asking 299k for 2 beds in the Grove at the time, so we've pretty much gone back to 05 prices. Anyone know what they were asking for the last phase of the Park (I know the 3-beds were 530k or so)?

xxMiaxx

loyatemu wrote: »

surely in Economics there is no "true value" just whatever someone is willing to pay at the time (the guys over on the PropertyPin seem to place a lot of faith in the 14 x annual rent formula, but who knows...)

True value means as the house stands disregarding inflation but allows for location.

Charlie-Bravo

Charlesland is primarily a 'Starter Home' Estate, and I'm sure plenty of you will agree. due to the very nature of the mix of unit types in the estate, there'll certainly be plenty of 2 bed townhouses (totalling about 475 out of the 1,350 units) available for sale at any time.

At the end of the day these are the factors I believe dictating the price of some 2 bed townhouses:

• Type of Property (Timber frame or Concrete)
• Who built it (Ballymore or Durkan, etc)
• Finish of property (how well has the owner kept it?!)
• Orientation (South aspect etc)
• Size of back garden (you might think a 2 bed would have a standard back garden depth - they're all different and by several metres in some cases!)
• Attic conversion (full or part complete)
• Location relative to shops (some perfer a shorter stroll to the shop)

And then comes how desperate someone is to sell the thing which can blow all the above points out of the water. I have said this before - if you see the house you want, there's no point in letting someone else buy it!:)

Feel free to add what you think makes one unit better than the other.

xxMiaxx

which ones are timber frame ???

Charlie-Bravo

xxMiaxx wrote: »

which ones are timber frame ???

Grove & Park are timber frame structure

Wood and Court are masonry/concrete block structure


Also, another thing...the standard size of the 2 bed townhouse is C'land is about 80sq.m...thats well above the standard dwelling size design - 82sq.m is the required size for a 5 person, 3 bedroom, two storey dwelling. That might puts things into perspective!

There's no point in comparing Charlesland with 'Old' Greystones; all of those 3 beds are roughly the same area if not smaller than the 2 beds in Charlesland.

xxMiaxx

astrofluff wrote: »

Grove & Park are timber frame structure

Wood and Court are masonry/concrete block structure

I think block structure would be my perfered choice !!

Mia

loyatemu

xxMiaxx wrote: »

I think block structure would be my perfered choice !!

Mia

I don't think there's been any reported problems with the timber-frame construction in Charlesland. Timber-frame has had a bad name in the past (and of course the concrete industry has recently been running ads saying "concrete built is better built") but there's been plenty of very badly built concrete homes as well - I wouldn't let it influence your decision unduly. None of the houses in Charlesland are likely to last 200 years, but they won't be falling down anytime soon, and they're all pretty well insulated and soundproofed.

wrt to build quality - my impression from reading this forum is that Charlesland Wood has the least issues; Grove\Park and Court are less well finished (we never had any serious problems in the Grove)

By and large though, there's no huge difference between any of the 2-beds - go and view a few of them, decide which ones you'd be happy to live in and make realistic offers. Don't get too attached to any one house - be flexible and you'll be in a better position to haggle a deal.

Wineman

MuffinsDa wrote: »

And Charlesland is not Greystones!

Take a look at myhome and daft and see what places you can get in south co dublin and greystones for the same price as 2-beds in Charlesland!


Precisely! And the location being a large estate 1.5 miles away from a village 18 miles from city centre isn't exactly Ballsbridge!!!

Having said all that, I agree with Gingerdave. As far as estates go Charlesland is very nice place. It has some minor flaws but in general it's a pleasant place - could be a lot worse. But people thinking 300K for a small 2-bed mid-terrace in a commuter es tateoutside of a commuter town in a country with an economy on the verge of collapse and property firesales about to begin is good value do need a serious reality check. Or else I need one!

It is exactly 1 mile from the centre of the village to Superquinn roundabout, not 1.5 miles, also if this is how you estimate whether Charlesland is a part of Greystones or not then Redford Park and Blacklion Manor etc are the same distance from the village - I wonder what their postal address is?:rolleyes:

MuffinsDa

actually, it's exactly 1.5 miles from superquinn to train station according to Google Maps. You must be using "estate agent miles"? (1 estate agent mile = 1.5 real mile)

http://tinyurl.com/lg54qv

Anyway, that's beside the point. it's x (fill whatever you want) of disconnected, windswept, "nothingness" miles, not a walk through a village that gives you a sense of connectedness and continuity. It's not "part of the village". I know that for fact. I lived in Charlesland for more than 3 years! Take a look at the same map, above zoom out a bit and you'll see my point... The same way that Eden Gate is not "Delgany"!

Btw, I don't live in Greystones and I'm not from there originally either!

budro

I have been living in Redford Park on the other side of Greystones for 5 months and we are equidistant from the Dart Station as most of Charlesland. We are renting and believe we are paying too much as the build quality and layout of our "house" is quite poor.We are looking at loads of places in Charlesland and and have seen many different types and quality of apartments and houses. We have decided as a young family that it is the best decision we can make. Public transport is good and there seems to be a good feeling about the place, which might be down to the fact that there is such a variety and individuality to each of the spots.
Does anyone know anything about the school bus?

GingerDave

MuffinsDa wrote: »

http://tinyurl.com/lg54qv

Anyway, that's beside the point. it's x (fill whatever you want) of disconnected, windswept, "nothingness" miles, not a walk through a village that gives you a sense of connectedness and continuity. It's not "part of the village". I know that for fact. I lived in Charlesland for more than 3 years! Take a look at the same map, above zoom out a bit and you'll see my point... The same way that Eden Gate is not "Delgany"!

I think the fact that Charlesland is not "connected" to the village has it benefits, and I would describe it as a new part of Greystones. Its not too far to walk in to the Village if you want/have to.

With its wide pavements and cycle paths I have no hassle cycling/walking down to the beach, swimming pool, football, rugby, tennis club etc etc with the kids.

Although we don't live in the "village" we are definetly apart of the Greystones community, through clubs, schools, friends, local fun raising etc etc.

Both old village and new Charlesland locations have there advantages and disadvantages in my opinion.

I repeat to the OP......Charlesland is a great, friendly and safe place to live as are other parts of Greystones.

The fact that its 1-1.5 miles from the village has no negative effect on our quality of life at all.

MuffinsDa

You're right Gingerdave, can't disagree with any part of your post. I was simply stating facts, your points are all valid.

steve-hosting36

I think the ordnance survey have already had their (conclusive) say about where places are, and in what townlands they fall. Debating whether charlesland is greystones or eden gate is delgany is moot. There is no debate. They simply 'are'.

Box09

I personally think there is better value and nicer houses in the Holywell estate in Kilcoole. 3 bed semis of 90 sq mt are 299k. They are much better built houses than Charlesland (which were thrown up in the boom, many of which blew down in a storm before occupancy!!) and don't have the concrete mass jungle that Charlesland has. You will also sell it much easier than a house in Charlesland. 300k is expensive for what Charlesland is, in my opinion.

DubOnHoliday

Holywell is very nice, or for a nice 2 bed....
http://www.sellityourself.ie/cgi-bin/sellityourself/id/7087/

Coolhand

Not to stir things up at all but Kilcoole has always been looked on as not as good as greystones. I think people like to bash Charlesland. Its really a great place to live. I used to work as a kid around estates in Kilcoole and spent most of the time dodging fights around the place. It was pretty ruff back then. I wont even go into what most Greystones people think of the area. It could be better now of course. Anyway I would recommend Charlesland to anyone. The house are really nice and everyone in the estate that I have come across is very nice and respectable.

Box09

While Greystones town centre is really nice, Charlesland is not comparable. Holywell or Woodstock would be a far superior build quality and buy than Charlesland. Would you like to live in estate with 100 houses or well over 1000?? What will Charlesland look like when the golf course eventually goes? Charlesland is as near to Kilcoole as Greystones IMO.

loyatemu

Box09 wrote: »

What will Charlesland look like when the golf course eventually goes?

that's not likely to happen anytime soon - it was very much a Celtic Tiger type proposal that they had planned for the golf course.

EDIT - please keep it polite people - if this develops into a Kilcoole vs Charlesland flame war, I'll lock the thread.

Pablo Sanchez

Box09 wrote: »

While Greystones town centre is really nice, Charlesland is not comparable.

Not comparable in the slightest, Charlesland is an estate not a town in itself. Although it does have a lot of facilities most small towns in Ireland would be jelous of.

Holywell or Woodstock would be a far superior build quality and buy than Charlesland.

Dont know about Holywell but im really not sure that is true.

Charlesland is as near to Kilcoole as Greystones IMO.

That's just not true.

buzzbuzzbuzz

Well since my earlier post was deleted...:rolleyes:...i better rephrase it.
It just makes me angry to hear all this kilcoole bashing from people who clearly don't know anything about the place. When it gets turned back to those who live in charlesland .... they dont like to hear it!. Each to their own I say. I just think that I personally would prefer to live in an estate with a few houses, like the one i live in now compared to 1000's of houses in the middle of nowhere. Its a personal choice, so good luck to OP in whatever decision you make.

budro

I am a tenant not a homeowner but have been living in Redford Park and have been looking for a new place. We are a couple with a middle aged son going to school here and have looked at over 50 properties all around Greystones, Kilcoole and Delgany and even a few in Newtown MT. Kennedy. We have just settled on a place in Charlesland for several reasons but would not dream of saying anything derogatory about Kilcoole or Delgany because they are lovely spots with lots of high quality housing. We only have one car which makes public transport an issue and Charlesland wins for us on that.
When I first thought of moving here I took one look at Charlesland and went oh my god, what a boom years nightmare and looked elsewhere. I have since spent more time in Charlesland and realized that aside from the central oval there is loads of green space for kids to play on, the build quality varies hugely but can be better than a lot of things in both Redford Park and Kilcoole. The time for any snobbery is over and we all make the choices which will suit our individual circumstances, although we like Kilcoole and Delgany Charlesland is a better fit for us because of transport, amenities, and although its a large estate there does seem to be a very good community there. Its also easier to get to the Dart than from Redford Park.
The bottom line is that every post I've seen agrees on one thing, we all love living in this area of North Wicklow.

RayM

Coolhand wrote: »

I used to work as a kid around estates in Kilcoole and spent most of the time dodging fights around the place. It was pretty ruff back then.

I lived in Kilcoole for 25 years, and I don't recognise what you've just described. Perhaps it's deteriorated massively and turned into Beirut in the two or three years I've been away from the place, but I doubt it. Whichever estates you worked in at the time may well have been pretty ruff (sic), but there have always been one or two estates in Greystones (and almost every other small town/village in Ireland) too, from which an unfamiliar visitor could draw the very same conclusion, and make an entirely unfair, ignorant and ill-informed generalisation about the entire place.

Coolhand wrote:

I wont even go into what most Greystones people think of the area.

Let me guess... they think it's rural, backward, "a bit working class" and that the natives don't like 'blow-ins'. Have I left anything out (apart from the 'yawn' emoticon)?