How to start house-hunting in another city?

saidinmilamber

Hi all, looking for a bit of advice on starting an early house-hunt.

So my partner and I currently live in Galway City, but are planning on moving to Cork City for the end of June/start of July so I'm looking into letting a property down there. I have a Daft alert set up, but this only gets us houses that are available for rental immediately, and not for 2 months away. I don't want to end up with a last minute dash to find somewhere in June if I can help it, as we.

Should one contact a letting agent at this stage, or is it too early? Is there any sites that landlords look for tenants like that? Any advice in general about letting in Cork City would be hugely appreciated!

saidinmilamber

Hmmm, I contacted a few letting agents and they said that it's too early. Looks like it'll be a last minute stress-fest to find a home in June. It's a really pity that that's how it has to be...

quietsailor

You know where you/your going to be working yes?
Post that up and cork boardsies can advise you of good areas to live in. It'd be a good idea to post what facilities you need - schools, gyms etc etc
Then take a long weekend off and stay in cork. See what the traffic etc is like Fri+Mon morning/evening in the places your thinking about. Take a drive from the general areas your looking at to the facilities you want and to work.

It'd be best to do it soon as the traffic in cork radically alters in summer when the schools and colleges are in holidays

quietsailor

You know where you/your going to be working yes?
Post that up and cork boardsies can advise you of good areas to live in. It'd be a good idea to post what facilities you need - schools, gyms etc etc
Then take a long weekend off and stay in cork. See what the traffic etc is like Fri+Mon morning/evening in the places your thinking about. Take a drive from the general areas your looking at to the facilities you want and to work.

It'd be best to do it soon as the traffic in cork radically alters in summer when the schools and colleges are in holidays

saidinmilamber

quietsailor wrote: »

You know where you/your going to be working yes?
Post that up and cork boardsies can advise you of good areas to live in. It'd be a good idea to post what facilities you need - schools, gyms etc etc
Then take a long weekend off and stay in cork. See what the traffic etc is like Fri+Mon morning/evening in the places your thinking about. Take a drive from the general areas your looking at to the facilities you want and to work.

It'd be best to do it soon as the traffic in cork radically alters in summer when the schools and colleges are in holidays

Thanks a million for the advice, I probably should have mentioned that I've previously lived in Cork City for 8 years so I'm very familiar with the city! Was thinking about Montenotte, St. Lukes, Sunday's Well, The Lough, Ballinlough, Greenmount, or Turner's Cross as areas go. I'll be working on the docks and my partner in the university, so I figure those areas would be appropriate for both of us.

What I was curious about was whether there was a service/website that landlords go to to look for tenants when they know their property will be available on such-on-such-a-date. It's just such a pain to have to gamble with the 4 weekends of June to try and get down and find somewhere for us to live for 3 years! It's so much easier to househunt when you live closer than 3 hours away!

No Pants

saidinmilamber wrote: »

It's so much easier to househunt when you live closer than 3 hours away!

Try doing it in a different country.

Villa05

saidinmilamber wrote: »

Hmmm, I contacted a few letting agents and they said that it's too early. Looks like it'll be a last minute stress-fest to find a home in June. It's a really pity that that's how it has to be...

June would be a great time to be looking as the students would be gone.

If your register with daft you can put your details and requirements in and let the accomodation find you

No Pants

Anyone down there who could keep an eye out for lettings in the local paper(s)?

saidinmilamber

Villa05 wrote: »

If your register with daft you can put your details and requirements in and let the accomodation find you

This is what I'm doing at the moment, but it's basically just hollow house-porn considering none of them are available for moving in in June!

And yeah, I'll be DREADING doing this for another country in 3 years! :eek:

quietsailor

How about contacting estate agents and letting agencies (I know I know, they're the spawn of Satan but your stuck) and giving them your criteria and the move dates so that if they know of a good house coming close to your date they can inform you of what's coming up.

At least you know cork so they won't throw bad areas at you