Moving to Ireland - Don't know where to buy!

Matias

Hello Everyone,

I'm moving to Ireland in the next month and I'd like to buy an apartment. I'm looking for a 2 bed in a nice, safe area. I can afford around 225K euro.

I've been doing some research and I've found some very nice developments in several areas: The Gallery in Donabate and Herberton in Rialto. However, I am not sure whether the areas are OK or not.

This is why I was wondering I could get some advice here. It might help knowing that I'll be working in Dublin 4, and I don't care much about night life.

Any advice here will be greatly appreciated!

- Matias

Victor

Don't buy just yet. Live here first.

You can rent for much less that the repayments on buying.

Matias

Hi Victor,

Thank you very much for your advice. Given my particular situation, I need to buy.

Plus I've been to Ireland a couple of times already and I must say that I love the Irish people. This is why I'm not terribly worried about buying.

So, where do you recommend I should buy?

Rasmus

Donabate would be a bit far from where you work. Don't know much about Rialto. What kind of neighborhoods do you like, and what kind of amenities are you looking for? You could check for apartments in some developments near Ringsend, which would be next to no commute for you.
Take heed to what the other poster said though. Prices are going to drop much further, there may be no point in you buying now. I am curious though as to what kind of particular situation necessitates someone to buy right now, and not rent....

Matias

Hi Rasmus,

Thank your for your answer. I'll be moving to Ireland for a very long time, this is why I'd like to buy.

Fortunately, I don't have to buy right now. I could rent for a couple of months while I get established.

I found particularly interesting what you said about prices dropping down even further. Are you sure about this?

Thank you!

femur61

Don't let the seller know you are anxious to buy. This is a buyers market, in fact very few people are buying and lots of people are selling. Sorry I can't help you in where to buy, but does make an awful lot of sense to rent first and to look at places first hand and to get a genuine feel for the place.

Only last week luxery apparments were sold up a third of the price in Dublin, the banks had taken them over because the developer went out of business since the property crash, so the banks had to get some of their money back. The banks own an awful lot of property, NAMA, so I would wait.

The Hill Billy

Hi Matias:

I am moving this thread to Accommodation & Property. The posters there may be able to offer you better advice on buying/renting property.

If you wish to get posters' thoughts on areas to live in - then ask in the Dublin City forum.

Take care,

HB

who_ru

i was told the gallery in donabate is more or less empty, maybe one or two people living there so i certainly wouldn't buy there.

like others have said - you'd be foolish to buy straight away, property prices will fall more.

rent a 1 or 2 bed apt for 6-12months near your workplace and then find out more in time.

goodluck.

olaola

Hi, I live quite closely to the Huberton in Rialto - I personally wouldn't buy there. If your budget is €225k, I'd defo look in and around Inchicore/Rialto/Kilmainham for a house, you'd probably pick up something decent around Ring st area for that price. This for example: http://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/ring-terrace-inchicore-dublin-8/210887 I've seen it myself and it's fabulous inside. And it's been on the market a while.

I'd search on myhome for everything under 250k in Dublin 8. There are a good few pages to look through.

not even wrong

Matias wrote: »

I'm looking for [...]a nice, safe area.
...
Herberton in Rialto.

The Dublin 8 area would not be one of the safer postcodes in Dublin. The Herberton development in particular is a redevelopment of the Fatima Mansions flats complex, one of the most notorious addresses in Dublin back in the 1980s.

Things have improved a lot since then of course but there's still a fair amount of poverty/deprivation/addiction around the Dublin 8 area and I most certainly would not buy a flat anywhere in Dublin without renting in the area first for a while to see how you find it.

Edwordo

Its worth reading the article below carefully

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/property-plus/receivers-offer-keen-carrickmines-prices-2216687.html

Carrickmines is a nice area under the dublin mountains and close enough to dundrum (luas/shopping)
it is important to understand that there will be a lot of receiverships coming up in the next few months - the "rent and see" approach is definitely the best option for now. There will be some good value for those who are ready to buy on short notice.

Again as has been said kilmainham/chapelizod might be nicer - very close to phoenix park, memorial park, M50, good bus route.
Be careful about management fee's they vary widely.

Matias

Thank you all very much for your advice.

I'll definitely rent first, explore the areas and then come to a decision.

Your comments were very helpful. For example, I didn't know that the area around Herberton has addiction problems.

Since I'm moving with my wife, I definitely want to be in a safe area, so that she can walk the streets without the fear of being attacked or something like that.

The area recommendations have also been very helpful. If you come up with more of these, please let me know. They are greatly appreciated.

Finally, I wanted to tell you that I've been looking at some developments along Ashtown. What do you think of that?

Thanks again!

iguana

Where in Dublin 4 will you be working? If you will be somewhere like Sandymount or Ringsend you should consider living somewhere on the DART for easy commuting. The DART mostly follows the coast so there are lots of very nice, scenic areas along it.

If you are somewhere like Donnybrook then living along the 46A bus route is advisable as it's probably the best bus route in the country. Also, I know most of D4 is very expensive but don't discount it from your search and remember that if you can walk to work it's worth paying extra for that as you will have no commuting costs.

olaola

Edwordo wrote: »

Carrickmines is a nice area under the dublin mountains and close enough to dundrum (luas/shopping)

We lived in Carrickmines before moving to Inchicore. TBH, it was quite isolated (I do know the LUAS will be there soon) and there are no facilities within walking distance. You have to use a car to get everywhere. I would avoid!

And while there are some dodgy places in D8, the nicer places certainly out number them.