What did you pay for the house ?

handlemaster

How do you answer this question. Family no issue in telling them outside of that I dont really know. It could go alot of different ways.

handlemaster

handlemaster wrote: »

How do you answer this question. Family no issue in telling them outside of that I dont really know. It could go alot of different ways.

Tell them you paid "Enough". Nobodys business. They can all find out soon enough on the Property Price Register.

Caranica

handlemaster wrote: »

How do you answer this question. Family no issue in telling them outside of that I dont really know. It could go alot of different ways.

It's all searchable on the property price register so if people want to find out (unless it's a self build) they can. I think "enough" is as much information as anyone should get from you

Edit: Great minds

HeidiHeidi

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/why-do-people-think-it-s-okay-to-ask-how-much-your-home-cost-1.3516234

You're not the only one struggling with this.

Samuel T. Cogley

I paid, mind your own fecking business.

Ronaldinho

The guards wouldn't ask you that

Sleeper12

handlemaster wrote:

How do you answer this question. Family no issue in telling them outside of that I dont really know. It could go alot of different ways.

Oh how times have changed. For the last 5 to 10 years of the boom you couldn't go to a party without people mouthing off about how much they paid & how much it was worth last week. People talked about "property" & not "homes". It was a horrible time. We were so far up our own arses

If I have your address I can find out online what you paid for your home. I don't see any reason to be coy about what you paid

bertsmom

Other than very close friends or very close family I have absolutely no interest in accommodating the type of people who ask intrusive questions like this. Neither my friends or my family would have the bad manners to ask such a question and if a casual aquaintance did so I would let them know their question is too personal and I find it rude.
A lady at work approached me shortly after we purchased our house and asked "was that dear now then?" I left a very long pause and asked her "why do you need to know? She walked off and didn't speak or acknowledge me for years (zero loss for me, I hardly knew her!) Unfortunately I notice she has started trying to converse with me again sometimes....that hopefully won't last long!ðŸ˜

Mint Sauce

How much is your Mortgage is what I get asked.

Much the same as paying rent is my response.

bertsmom

bertsmom wrote: »

Other than very close friends or very close family I have absolutely no interest in accommodating the type of people who ask intrusive questions like this. Neither my friends or my family would have the bad manners to ask such a question and if a casual aquaintance did so I would let them know their question is too personal and I find it rude.
A lady at work approached me shortly after we purchased our house and asked "was that dear now then?" I left a very long pause and asked her "why do you need to know? She walked off and didn't speak or acknowledge me for years (zero loss for me, I hardly knew her!) Unfortunately I notice she has started trying to converse with me again sometimes....that hopefully won't last long!ðŸ˜

Do you own your house? If so, how much did you pay for it? Only kidding.

When folk ask me, "Do you own your house?" my only honest reply is "No the bank owns it".

fleet

Genuine question lads, but what is there to hide?

Half the country is buying houses again, and location location location may be the byword in property, but at the end of the day it's price vs affordability that is the decider.

Given that they can find out after anyway, why not discuss it? It all seems a bit British.

Is there a fear of envy?

I'd never have an issue saying, mind you I don't own a house.

bertsmom

fleet wrote:

Genuine question lads, but what is there to hide?

For me it's not that there is something to hide I simply hate nosiness. I am a very private person unless I'm friends with you in which case I discuss anything and everything but for passing acquaintances I don'task personal finance questions and expect the same respect back. Frankly I mind my own business and I expect others to stay out of mine!

eviltwin

Have to be honest, when someone I know tells me they bought a house I usually ask the price I've no problem telling people how much mine cost so maybe that's why. A polite "I'd rather not discuss it" should do the trick.

Samuel T. Cogley

TBH given I bought at a good time in the up swing, I don't mind telling people. Just don't ask how much the apartment cost!

messy tessy

I would answer 'oh too much' and leave it at that!

I get questioned all the time on how much rent I am paying, often with a 'do you mind me asking?!' (yes I do mind!)
I would never dream of asking someone that.

Zascar

Probably because if they really want to know they can easily go to https://www.propertypriceregister.ie, plug in the address and find out exactly how much you paid for it. So although it may be private for you, it's public information so no need to care so much about it really. Personal I'm quite open book about these things but I appreciate others are not, so I would not ask such a direct question - but just so you know the information is easily accessible.

the_syco

IMO, there are three reasons that they ask;

1) They got a great deal, and want to boast.
2) They got a sh|t deal, and want to see if someone got a worse deal to make themselves feel better.
3) Conversation starter.

Wanderer78

the_syco wrote:

1) They got a great deal, and want to boast. 2) They got a sh|t deal, and want to see if someone got a worse deal to make themselves feel better. 3) Conversation starter.

An interest in economics and house pricing maybe?

Had a family wedding recently and a few of my relations asked me this. Strange question. I just batted it off with 'more than I was hoping to' etc. It's up on the register now if they really want to find out.

I also got offers of help from uncles who have a 'fair interest in property' (they bought their house 30 years ago and an apartment in Turkey) if they want me to have a look and cousins who love interior design (they watch Dermot Bannon) if they want me to send on the plans. Lots of offers to come and look at various houses too!

We have a strange obsession with property in this country.

Wanderer78

Deleted User wrote: »

Had a family wedding recently and a few of my relations asked me this. Strange question. I just batted it off with 'more than I was hoping to' etc. It's up on the register now if they really want to find out.

I also got offers of help from uncles who have a 'fair interest in property' (they bought their house 30 years ago and an apartment in Turkey) if they want me to have a look and cousins who love interior design (they watch Dermot Bannon) if they want me to send on the plans. Lots of offers to come and look at various houses too!

We have a strange obsession with property in this country.

nothing strange about it at all, its a vital necessity to have a health society, theres also nothing wrong with being house proud, as owners work hard to purchase them

Wanderer78

Wanderer78 wrote: »

nothing strange about it at all, its a vital necessity to have a health society, theres also nothing wrong with being house proud, as owners work hard to purchase them

To be fair, house proud means being proud of your own house - and there is nothing at all wrong with that.

What I am talking about other people wanting to know how much you paid for a house and every detail of what you are going to do with it and how much it will cost, which is nobody's business but your own.

I tell anyone who wants to know basically because we purchased in 2012, the jaw-dropping reaching can be funny.

mariaalice

mariaalice wrote: »

I tell anyone who wants to know basically because we purchased in 2012, the jaw-dropping reaching can be funny.

You mean you bought it at the end of the tiger or the bottom of the collapse? How much did you pay for it?

seamus

the_syco wrote: »

IMO, there are three reasons that they ask;

1) They got a great deal, and want to boast.
2) They got a sh|t deal, and want to see if someone got a worse deal to make themselves feel better.
3) Conversation starter.

4. They're interested in property prices as a whole and would like to have some idea of what the "going rate" is.

Malari

I tell people if they ask because it's basically a matter of public record anyway. It's a very low price now for what we have. Plus we spent money on completely renovating it and doing an extension before we lived in it, and I don't tell anyone that amount!

jester77

What is wrong with telling people how much you paid for a house or how much rent you are paying?

I find it very odd that anyone would be offended or just wouldn't answer. It is regularly asked where I live and I've never heard of anyone not answering. I never even thought it could be an issue until I saw this thread.

Very strange imo

cruizer101

I find it strange that people would be offended, its public knowledge anyway and it is part of the general conversation around a house, where is it, how many bedrooms, is it south facing, how much etc..
No different to if someone told me they got a new car I'd be curious how much they paid, its not nosiness.
Can kinda understand issue if people were asking about size of mortgage taken

Shedite27

The "public knowledge" is only relevant if people know your address, if there's people who you meet at a family wedding or at lunch at work who just know you bought "in Swords" then it's not public knowledge.

Those type of people I find are in two camps:
(a) just trying to make conversation and are clueless really (as they don't know number of beds, condition of house etc)
(b) trying to figure out "how's Johnny doing in life"

Because of (b) I tend to undersell how much my house cost, as I don't want people thinking "Johnny's doing well for himself isn't he, he doesn't need that pay rise.

I'm possibly way overthinking this!

messy tessy

jester77 wrote: »

What is wrong with telling people how much you paid for a house or how much rent you are paying?

If someone was moving to my area and wanted to know the amount I was paying in rent, I don't mind telling them.

If someone has a house down the country, and they smugly inform me their mortgage is half my rent, they can fcuk off.

Fian

I bought my house in 1996 when i was in my early 20s, long enough ago that price was paid in £s rather than €. I would refuse to tell people how much I paid because I don't enjoy being cruel. I couldn't possibly afford to buy it now.

cruizer101

cruizer101 wrote: »

I find it strange that people would be offended, its public knowledge anyway and it is part of the general conversation around a house, where is it, how many bedrooms, is it south facing, how much etc..
No different to if someone told me they got a new car I'd be curious how much they paid, its not nosiness.
Can kinda understand issue if people were asking about size of mortgage taken

In the last few days, as well as being asked how much we paid I've been asked how much cash we paid and what my mortgage repayment is. I've also had people ask me how much renovation work is going to cost. None of the people who asked me have any intention of buying property - just nosiness. I never tell these people a thing.

By the same token I've shared renovation costs and mortgage info with close friends who are buying themselves as it is nice to help them out in an area you've already researched.

Claw Hammer

eviltwin wrote: »

Have to be honest, when someone I know tells me they bought a house I usually ask the price I've no problem telling people how much mine cost so maybe that's why. A polite "I'd rather not discuss it" should do the trick.

I never ask people things like that. I find most people will blurt it out eventually without being asked directly. I usually just make some remarks, like "the banks of got very awkward to deal with and as for Estate Agents....". That usually gets them going and start talking about how the bidding went, how much the new neighbour paid etc. etc.

seamus

jester77 wrote: »

What is wrong with telling people how much you paid for a house or how much rent you are paying?

I find it very odd that anyone would be offended or just wouldn't answer. It is regularly asked where I live and I've never heard of anyone not answering. I never even thought it could be an issue until I saw this thread.

Very strange imo

Irish cultural thing. Don't discuss money. Don't discuss what you earn, don't discuss how much you have saved.

Everything else is an offshoot from this - if you tell people how much your house/car/holiday/renovations cost, then you are in some small way revealing how much money you have.

And because "everyone knows" that you're not supposed to talk about money, it's automatically assumed that anyone who does ask, is being nosey and intends to gossip and tell the whole town how much money you have. Respectful people don't ask these questions.

I have absolutely no idea where it comes from; it might be a post-British thing. But asking someone how much they've earned is basically as intrusive as asking them how often they have sex with their wife.

HeidiHeidi

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/why-do-people-think-it-s-okay-to-ask-how-much-your-home-cost-1.3516234

You're not the only one struggling with this.

I really find spoof like that tiresome to read, she gets some inheritance and most folk get some help too ........."Many of us are lucky to receive a gift or loan from family – and in this market, it is almost essential. The vast majority of friends in a position to buy recently have only been able to do so because their deposits have been supplemented by such presents, or in cases like ours, inheritance following the death of a parent or close family member.

That is a travesty. Couples in their mid-30s with decent jobs should be able to comfortably afford a small starter home in Dublin without a dig-out from family, alive or dead"

they can love.