Moving to Charlesland

Sparkee

Hi All,

My wife and I are looking to move to Greystones and specifically Charlesland. We have a young family.

We are first time buyers so doing as much research as we can as it's obviously a big commitment and want to make the best decision.

From looking at boards.ie we've read alot of posts and threads concerning the build quality and outstanding issues with properties in Charlesland. We wanted to know if these have been resolved or are people still living/dealing with legacy issues from original builds I. E. Smells, damp, leaks, chimney flumes Etc. It's the type of thing I presume a quantity surveyor should pick up but obviously didn't.

I work beside Connolly station in town and would love to hear from someone who commutes on the Dart and how they find the walk to Greystones station and time it takes and times etc.

Is there a good sense of community and importantly for our kids is it safe for kids to play in Charlesland.

Would appreciate any feedback on the above or anything you think relevant to help in our decision process.

Thanks

2011

I have worked in the construction industry for over 20 years and I am disappointed in the build quality. I base this on my experience having worked in quite a few houses in Charlesland when I was an electrical contractor a number of years ago. In addition I have seen plenty of issues in both of my sister's properties in Charlesland. Her issues include poor insulation, very bad plumbing, poor electrics, roof tiles blowing off and plenty of drafts. The wiring has been improved and is now "adequate". There were problems with smells due to a leaking soil pipe in the upstairs bathroom which has been resolved, some of the radiators have never worked and replumbing would be expensive so this legacy problem has not been addressed. The insulation has been improved, the drafts have been tackled to a large extent and the gas boiler had to be replaced.

On s positive note now that many of the building issues have been resolved my sister, her husband and thier children are very happy there and intend staying there for the foreseeable. They also like that Greystones is not far away.

The main unresolved issues are that the house is too cold and the bedrooms are tiny.

loyatemu

re: the commute... it's 55 mins from Greystones into Connolly on the Dart, but it can take up to 10 minutes longer particularly in the Autumn. The Wexford intercity services are slightly quicker. The service is reasonably reliable and getting on at Greystones and Connolly you should always get a seat. When I lived in Charlesland I used to cycle to the station - there are cycle lanes all the way and plenty of bike parking.

re: build quality - the issues described are disappointing in houses so recently constructed, but these things are all relative - most houses in Greystones would be older and have their own issues. I'm living in a 1970s house and there is more or less no insulation. Any Charlesland house you buy is likely to have had any serious issues sorted out by now.

yoshiktk

As my wife did live a longer period of time in Charlesland, I can only say as for houses go they aren't the best quality. The same goes for apt building at the end of Charlesland. I can confirm what 2011 said, a lot of things need to be done, at least for me, to get it to decent shape.
To be honest as for 1st time buyers if the house which You want to buy didnt go thru major improvement I would check the house from bottom to top as it could be a money pitfall.
Besides that I would say that it quite nice neighborhood. Aircoach stop just at the exit, GP and store as well, and just a stone away from others things in Greystones.

oinkely

I lived in an apartment in Charlesland that we bought new in the first phase in the Wood. It was a lovely place to live, though there were issues with the build quality. Check all the windows seal properly, we only had two as it was a small apartment but neither of them sealed up, despite remedial work by the builders. The patio doors were fairly draughty and the insulation was tokenism at best. My early 80's house is better was better insulated and draught proofed than my 2005 charlesland apartment.

I would recommend finding a good surveryor who has experience of surveying homes in Charlesland if you can. They will know what to look out for and where the usual problems arise.

The houses and apartment that we have been in all have really nice and spacious living areas, but the bedrooms range from small to cupboard sized! Make sure you are happy with them before committing.

It's about a 2km walk to the DART station so not too far at all. Can't comment on the train times etc as have never used it.

ellejay

We're here about three years and at first we hated living here.
But now we love it and wouldn't move.

All the building problems as listed above. My God the draught's in winter were woeful.

A huge annoyance is the amount of dogs.
Now, I know it's not the dogs fault, but the constant barking melts my head. It's slightly better at the moment as one dog that always howled, has moved.
I would definitely suggest you visit / view during the day. If I lived right beside one of those dogs I'd crack up.

On the plus side, Charlesland is in a great a location.
Twenty minute walk to Greystones village and ten minute drive to Kilcoole.
I find Kilcoole better for parking rather than GS village and less traffic congestion.

The Bus stop just outside Charlesland has buses straight into the city 84X and very regular buses to Bray / Newtownmountkennedy 184. Very handy.

The air coach stops just outside Charlesland.

There are two gyms and Aldi supermarket within walking distance also.

If you've any other questions just ask.

Muff Richardson

I've been renting in Charlesland for four years, we've had nothing but issues with the house, gas, electric and plumbing. It's come to the point where I feel really embarrassed contacting the landlords as they are very nice but I get the feeling they are sharing the same sense of frustration as we are with all the problems, I've a guy coming tomorrow to fix something else as it happens, it's pretty much every 3-4 months we've someone coming to fix something...I'm no expert on building standards at all but the house feels 'flimsy' for want of a better word. It's constantly cold and as soon as the gas goes off its uncomfortably cold...for this reason we use far too much gas and bills are sky high. We are making a big effort to conserve and be careful and we ensure timers are off if we know we will be out for any length of time, however December was €160 and this hasn't even been a very cold winter. In the upstairs rooms during any kind of strong wind the house sounds like it's shaking, as I said flimsy is the best I can describe it.

As for travelling to work, I initially moved in with a pal who works in ballsbridge...he could only hack the commute for a year and moved primarily because of this. He would constantly complain about not being able to get a seat and left standing to and from work for an hour each way, also there is issues on the line more often than you'd think and you are left making alternative arrangements, the bus is a nightmare, I wouldn't even consider this as an option. The walk to the dart which I have done many a time is a bore, the bikes a good option but if you are wearing a suit each day it's not ideal.

On the plus side, Greystones is lovely with tons of amenities right next to one another, supermarkets, restaurants, new schools, the beach, pubs, gym, pool, golf etc

Do the pros outweigh the cons with regard to buying a house here? In a nutshell definitely not, I wouldn't buy a house here to save my life, even if they were going for €150k less than what they are asking for now and I worked in the Supervalu 2 minutes from my doorstep I'd still be giving it a miss.

Why not rent for a trial period and base your decision on that...you'll be gone within a year guaranteed.

loyatemu

Muff Richardson wrote: »

As for travelling to work, I initially moved in with a pal who works in ballsbridge...he could only hack the commute for a year and moved primarily because of this. He would constantly complain about not being able to get a seat and left standing to and from work for an hour each way, also there is issues on the line more often than you'd think and you are left making alternative arrangements, the bus is a nightmare, I wouldn't even consider this as an option. The walk to the dart which I have done many a time is a bore, the bikes a good option but if you are wearing a suit each day it's not ideal.

TBH you can either hack the commute, or you can't - I grew up in Greystones so I'm used to it. If you're used to walking 5 mins to work you may find it a struggle. I listen to a lot of music, read the Metro, watch TV shows on my phone, sleep in the morning. Some people manage to use the time to work or study.

If you're getting a Dart you will get a seat in the morning - the only train that fills up is the 8am (the busiest train on the entire Irish Rail network) but even there if you're at the station by 7.55 you'll get a seat. The 7.50 diesel train comes from Wexford so you generally won't get a seat on that - perhaps that's the train your pal was getting.

Coming back you'll get a seat if you use Connolly or Tara St., it's hit and miss from Pearse, after that you'll be standing but it starts to clear out after Dun Laoghaire.

Occasionally there are delays. very rarely the line gets closed due to bad weather (flooding or high-winds usually).

Ultimately it's a trade off, Greystones is a great place to live and to raise kids, the downside (if you can't work locally) is the commuting.

2011

+1
Agree total with the above.

Muff Richardson

loyatemu wrote: »

I. The 7.50 diesel train comes from Wexford so you generally won't get a seat on that - perhaps that's the train your pal was getting.

Coming back you'll get a seat if you use Connolly or Tara St., it's hit and miss from Pearse, after that you'll be standing but it starts to clear out after Dun Laoghaire.

Occasionally there are delays. very rarely the line gets closed due to bad weather (flooding or high-winds usually).

Ultimately it's a trade off, Greystones is a great place to live and to raise kids, the downside (if you can't work locally) is the commuting.

to be honest, he loved a good moan about anything so the commute might not have been as bad as made out

I should probably have clarified, when I said never buying 'here' I meant strictly charlesland in relation to the build of the houses there and a few other issues. I totally agree with the Greystones being a great place and would definitely recommend it to live in, just not buying in charlesland.

stevestevenson

+1 loyatemu.

Greystones (Charlesland or otherwise) is a 45-55min DART commute from the city, so if that suits you great, if not then you should most definitely live somewhere else. Embrace the DART though - podcasts, read books, study, or just enjoy the view. After a while you'll get to know your neighbours so you'll never be short of someone to chat to either. If you have kids, then enjoy the 'me' time.

Re. Charlesland houses - I personally am living here almost 10years, and have had minimal problems with my house, and any problems I've had have been within the last year. Every house is going to have issues after this time (boiler parts, window seals, etc), and that's just part of the joys of home ownership.
We bought off the plans and had a rigorous snag done, which was worth every penny. Very happy with the house, and quality of build (2-bed, Grove), and insulation on the whole is good. We're not too keen on the wooden window doors/frames, and they're the next thing we'll be changing. I suspect that will improve heat retention even more.
Like every housing estate built during the boom, I have no doubt there were corners cut on certain houses, but on the whole myself and my neighbours have had little issues over the years.

Like any big purchase, get a good surveyor in to give the place a good going-over before committing. Buyer beware and all that.

Apart from all that, Charlesland/Greystones is a great place to live. Well-managed estates & really nice community spirit. Great for kids, safe, and plenty of green areas. Lots of facilities nearby, and something for everyone.

Best of luck OP with the move!

Emma A

Agree with stevestenson - here 8 years minimal problems with house couple of issues but no more then any other friends who bought new elsewhere

Prob be looking to replace double doors in the next couple of years as with most people find the insulation not great

Great neighbours estate is kept v well love living down here

yoshiktk

Emma A wrote: »

Agree with stevestenson - here 8 years minimal problems with house couple of issues but no more then any other friends who bought new elsewhere

Prob be looking to replace double doors in the next couple of years as with most people find the insulation not great

Great neighbours estate is kept v well love living down here

I would say that its more nonexistent.
The house on which I have an eye out would cost me something around from 5k€+ just to get it properly insulated. I dont even want to count new windows and flooring.
Really if the prices of land wasnt so high building my own house would be the best solution.

RORY O CONNOR

I snagged these when new and they were pretty well finished. I have also been back in recent years to survey for buyers and they are still in pretty good nick.

Charlie-Bravo

One thing which people tend to overlook is that different parts of Charlesland were built by different contractors. Also, the form of construction is very different on one side of the house developments to the other. So if you hear problems about a particular element of the building, take for example plumbing, this might have only related to the sub-contractor who had a contract for that corner of Charlesland, and their standard of workmanship is relative to them. So add up all the different sub-contractors in the whole development (probably 6-7 different parts of Charlesland) you'll get lots of people complaining about issues about different trades.

I am of the impressive that some people may have not had a professional snag of the houses they were buying so may have missed glaringly obvious shortfalls which could have been fixed prior to completing on contracts. I have seen plenty of occasions where houses were bought by investors on a buy to let basis, and in this situation were not snagged in any great detail if not at all, leaving tenants to chase landlords about problems, the landlords to chase the developer, and the developer to chase the employed contractor - a recipe for disaster in managing problems!

For me, a good snagging got the majority of the issues sorted. Yes, I had some teething issues with my own place (general 'bedding-in') but the defects liability period was there to ensure the developer rectified the problems. For where I am, the build quality is good - I feel the biggest let-down in any of the units relates the flue-less gas fire, which requires two vents on the external wall. This results in poor effectiveness of space heating. And even when you are not using the gas fire, you are unnecessarily losing heat. My two cents.

Maudi

This thread reminded me to post my tips on insulation in the charlesland houses..I live in the wood and couldn't believe how quick the house lost heat when the heating went off.so I went about improving..
Starting in the attic
Around the perimeter down tight in the eaves you have ventilation slits letting in fresh air which you need to vent the attic keep it aired out etc.however there's too much venting letting in too much cold air..I reduced them down to two each side at the back and two. (One each side) at the front..The Rock wool insulation had been moved about exposing celing in some places and in general. Badly fitted..This area in an attic is vitally important as it's a huge heat loss area..it must be installed properly snug but not" jammed in " between the joists.however I laid another (200m) layer going the opposite direction across the joists THEN AND IMPORTANTLY on top of this I laid a breathable membrane (timbertex) over the insulation taped at the joints and stapled where necessary. .This makes a huge difference to heat retention..rock wool alone isint ever enough..cold air in the attic sinks so will penetrate the rock wool unless the membrane is installed to provide a layer between rockwool and cold air..There can be considerable air loss thru the attic door ..This needs to be insulated and draught proofing tape around the door opening. .
Back bedroom..double glazed timber windows are fine( in the wood anyway) any draughts or air ingress can be felt with a wet finger around the frame and addressed with diy draught proofing window seal.. (it dosent matter how expensive your windows were or what they are made from if cavity closers aren't fitted when you get new windows)they will be cold spots around them..more about window closers later..
Floor at skirting level i found let in a considerable cold air so I took off skirting and filled with thermal foam..cut when dry and re - attached skirting.. (pull back carpet on a cold night and you will hear and feel the air coming thru the gap twixt skirting and floor..This cold air is coming in via the vents into the hollow of the wall and in thru the continuous cavity that makes up the inside and outside leaf of the house...eventually coming out through gaps in skirting from under window sills and even through electrical sockets on the exterior walls..
Some of the vents don't have a pipe or 'sleeve 'running from inside vent to outside vent..If it's not there cold air gets into the cavity of the house and you get the draughts I mentioned..even if they Are there the gaps between sleeve and the wall need to be sealed...same job with front bedroom..vents and skirting..check for sleeve..that it's snug. check skirting. under sills .and that windows are snug fitting...Hot press. area..A jacket is vital for your hot water cylinder.i went further and insulated the inside of the hot press with a special thermal foil..celing and walls..The hot water in the tank stays hot now for much much longer since I've done this improvement. ....bathroom.. has draughts coming from around bath panel..remove panel fill over large pipe penetrations with foam.
Downstairs-
Our sitting room is too the front..so porch area..cold air coming in thru electrical fuse box I had electrician carefully fill void with foam..made a Huge difference..box can be sealed with tape..front door draughts greatly reduced with draught proof tape also..inner door fitted with draught proof tape all round and under door draught proofing (the double sided type that slide snugly under door...sitting room..
The sitting room has several things going on that need to be addressed..We have a gas fire that we never ever use.personally I got a headache from the fumes and a very reputable gas installer explained to me that they are really only cosmetic and don't throw out a lot of heat. .He also said he got a reading for carbon monoxide from them and this is why there's two vents and perhaps why there's an open stairwell .idea being that the (acceptable level )of carbon monoxide would dissipate upwards..personally I don't consider there to be any 'safe 'level of carbon monoxide emissions. . .anyway .in my sitting room it was always cold around the window.so I took down the wall..I removed the radiator.and removed the actual plaster slab wall that covers the block work..I discovered that the rock wool was patchy and ill fitted .missing in some spots.most had settled downwards behind the slab rendering it useless..and although there's two vents there were three holes bored..The lower vent had no sleeve letting cold air in to fill the cavity of the house and to come out under skirting and through sockets mentioned earlier even upstairs.thru skirting. ..there's a 'void ' or cavity between the inner and outer leaf of the houses.. (I'm not a big fan of filling this cavity with beads but that's another story)there no closure between my neighbours house and mine so I filled this with a thermal moisture repelling foam..also I discovered where the window frame was slightly smaller than the opening it was gunked with silicone..pretty useless at the best of times( same on the outside evident with brown silicon) around the opening itself the cavity was letting in considerable cold air so I sealed it with the same specialised foam..( if had installed expensive windows they would not perform as well as they should unless I addressed the issues I mentioned)cavity closers..excessive silicone.addressing how cold air is getting into the cavity in the first place from vents etc..I redid the insulation BUT instead of replacing with the 10 mm slab I used a 50mm foam backed plasterslab..skimmed and painted..at the stairwell I also hung a neat curtain across the bottom of the stairs. to keep the heat in the sitting room and stop it from flowing upstairs to Un occupied rooms.The resultant heat retention with these simple alterations means our heating is hardly ever on and when it is the heat stays in the room and actually the sitting room never really gets cold..+ the heat from the tv..now trapped in the room is sufficient to keep it warm.in the evenings..
Back room.the back rooms are notoriously cold the patio doors are fine here however can be improved with good quality draught proofing tape..The problem is the ceilings. .I took down a section to see what was going on again I discovered the rock wool was totally insufficient. .I'll fitting and too thin to have any heat retention..I'll remedied this by "re doing the celing again using 50mm thick foam backed thermal slabs..and re skimmed and painted..The difference is we can now use our kitchen our kitchen is in back) in the winter instead of making dinner and running into the sitting room..another draught I found was in the cupboard that houses the gas cut off valve..again the careful application of thermal foam cures this..(draughty cold air that travels along the pipe from the outside.).I know this is a long thread and actually I could go on and on about draughts but it's enough to address the main areas of cold air ingress..basically it's about 'air management' and controlling the air..along with making your home "airtight"...If you make your home airtight as you can.and keep the heat in the home by collectively addressing the issues I've highlighted. .it dosent actually cost a lot to heat your home...if I wasn't clear or any body has any questions or queries don't hesitate to pm me.

Wayne_M

Sparkee wrote: »

Hi All,

My wife and I are looking to move to Greystones and specifically Charlesland. We have a young family.

We are first time buyers so doing as much research as we can as it's obviously a big commitment and want to make the best decision.

From looking at boards.ie we've read alot of posts and threads concerning the build quality and outstanding issues with properties in Charlesland. We wanted to know if these have been resolved or are people still living/dealing with legacy issues from original builds I. E. Smells, damp, leaks, chimney flumes Etc. It's the type of thing I presume a quantity surveyor should pick up but obviously didn't.

I work beside Connolly station in town and would love to hear from someone who commutes on the Dart and how they find the walk to Greystones station and time it takes and times etc.

Is there a good sense of community and importantly for our kids is it safe for kids to play in Charlesland.

Would appreciate any feedback on the above or anything you think relevant to help in our decision process.

Thanks

Great place to live. Lovely community, well-maintained area. Low on crime, and low on anti-social behaviour. As said above, get your house snagged & you should be fine

beepbeeprichie

Windows and doors should not need replacing after 8 years, that is a sign of how shonky the construction was (in some cases)

girl24

Maudi wrote: »

This thread reminded me to post my tips on insulation in the charlesland houses..I live in the wood and couldn't believe how quick the house lost heat when the heating went off.so I went about improving..
Starting in the attic
Around the perimeter down tight in the eaves you have ventilation slits letting in fresh air which you need to vent the attic keep it aired out etc.however there's too much venting letting in too much cold air..I reduced them down to two each side at the back and two. (One each side) at the front..The Rock wool insulation had been moved about exposing celing in some places and in general. Badly fitted..This area in an attic is vitally important as it's a huge heat loss area..it must be installed properly snug but not" jammed in " between the joists.however I laid another (200m) layer going the opposite direction across the joists THEN AND IMPORTANTLY on top of this I laid a breathable membrane (timbertex) over the insulation taped at the joints and stapled where necessary. .This makes a huge difference to heat retention..rock wool alone isint ever enough..cold air in the attic sinks so will penetrate the rock wool unless the membrane is installed to provide a layer between rockwool and cold air..There can be considerable air loss thru the attic door ..This needs to be insulated and draught proofing tape around the door opening. .
Back bedroom..double glazed timber windows are fine( in the wood anyway) any draughts or air ingress can be felt with a wet finger around the frame and addressed with diy draught proofing window seal.. (it dosent matter how expensive your windows were or what they are made from if cavity closers aren't fitted when you get new windows)they will be cold spots around them..more about window closers later..
Floor at skirting level i found let in a considerable cold air so I took off skirting and filled with thermal foam..cut when dry and re - attached skirting.. (pull back carpet on a cold night and you will hear and feel the air coming thru the gap twixt skirting and floor..This cold air is coming in via the vents into the hollow of the wall and in thru the continuous cavity that makes up the inside and outside leaf of the house...eventually coming out through gaps in skirting from under window sills and even through electrical sockets on the exterior walls..
Some of the vents don't have a pipe or 'sleeve 'running from inside vent to outside vent..If it's not there cold air gets into the cavity of the house and you get the draughts I mentioned..even if they Are there the gaps between sleeve and the wall need to be sealed...same job with front bedroom..vents and skirting..check for sleeve..that it's snug. check skirting. under sills .and that windows are snug fitting...Hot press. area..A jacket is vital for your hot water cylinder.i went further and insulated the inside of the hot press with a special thermal foil..celing and walls..The hot water in the tank stays hot now for much much longer since I've done this improvement. ....bathroom.. has draughts coming from around bath panel..remove panel fill over large pipe penetrations with foam.
Downstairs-
Our sitting room is too the front..so porch area..cold air coming in thru electrical fuse box I had electrician carefully fill void with foam..made a Huge difference..box can be sealed with tape..front door draughts greatly reduced with draught proof tape also..inner door fitted with draught proof tape all round and under door draught proofing (the double sided type that slide snugly under door...sitting room..
The sitting room has several things going on that need to be addressed..We have a gas fire that we never ever use.personally I got a headache from the fumes and a very reputable gas installer explained to me that they are really only cosmetic and don't throw out a lot of heat. .He also said he got a reading for carbon monoxide from them and this is why there's two vents and perhaps why there's an open stairwell .idea being that the (acceptable level )of carbon monoxide would dissipate upwards..personally I don't consider there to be any 'safe 'level of carbon monoxide emissions. . .anyway .in my sitting room it was always cold around the window.so I took down the wall..I removed the radiator.and removed the actual plaster slab wall that covers the block work..I discovered that the rock wool was patchy and ill fitted .missing in some spots.most had settled downwards behind the slab rendering it useless..and although there's two vents there were three holes bored..The lower vent had no sleeve letting cold air in to fill the cavity of the house and to come out under skirting and through sockets mentioned earlier even upstairs.thru skirting. ..there's a 'void ' or cavity between the inner and outer leaf of the houses.. (I'm not a big fan of filling this cavity with beads but that's another story)there no closure between my neighbours house and mine so I filled this with a thermal moisture repelling foam..also I discovered where the window frame was slightly smaller than the opening it was gunked with silicone..pretty useless at the best of times( same on the outside evident with brown silicon) around the opening itself the cavity was letting in considerable cold air so I sealed it with the same specialised foam..( if had installed expensive windows they would not perform as well as they should unless I addressed the issues I mentioned)cavity closers..excessive silicone.addressing how cold air is getting into the cavity in the first place from vents etc..I redid the insulation BUT instead of replacing with the 10 mm slab I used a 50mm foam backed plasterslab..skimmed and painted..at the stairwell I also hung a neat curtain across the bottom of the stairs. to keep the heat in the sitting room and stop it from flowing upstairs to Un occupied rooms.The resultant heat retention with these simple alterations means our heating is hardly ever on and when it is the heat stays in the room and actually the sitting room never really gets cold..+ the heat from the tv..now trapped in the room is sufficient to keep it warm.in the evenings..
Back room.the back rooms are notoriously cold the patio doors are fine here however can be improved with good quality draught proofing tape..The problem is the ceilings. .I took down a section to see what was going on again I discovered the rock wool was totally insufficient. .I'll fitting and too thin to have any heat retention..I'll remedied this by "re doing the celing again using 50mm thick foam backed thermal slabs..and re skimmed and painted..The difference is we can now use our kitchen our kitchen is in back) in the winter instead of making dinner and running into the sitting room..another draught I found was in the cupboard that houses the gas cut off valve..again the careful application of thermal foam cures this..(draughty cold air that travels along the pipe from the outside.).I know this is a long thread and actually I could go on and on about draughts but it's enough to address the main areas of cold air ingress..basically it's about 'air management' and controlling the air..along with making your home "airtight"...If you make your home airtight as you can.and keep the heat in the home by collectively addressing the issues I've highlighted. .it dosent actually cost a lot to heat your home...if I wasn't clear or any body has any questions or queries don't hesitate to pm me.

Hi Maudi,

What draught proof tape did you use? Really want to try and improve the sitting room. Thanks