Build now or lose the chance?

dashjack

As a recently returned emigrant I've been getting reacquainted with the shambles of a property market and planning system in Ireland that only seems to have gotten worse over the 10 year I've been gone. I'm sure my situation will sound familiar to many people!

Like everyone else I've been struggling to find an affordable property to buy and am living with my parents at the moment while I decide what to do. I'm single, a cash buyer and even if I wanted one, won't qualify for a mortgage as I'm self employed and not currently earning. I live in a rural location in Wicklow and would most likely qualify for local needs for a rural self-build.

Due to my situation I've been looking primarily at the lower end of the market (<150k) with the aim to find a small house or cottage with the potential for renovation or improvement that would suit my living requirements right now but that could be sold on in the future.

Finding such a property and meeting my current needs isn't really an issue, the concern is that by purchasing such a property I'll be effectively excluding myself the possibility of self-building in the future since "I'd already have owned a house" which seems to exclude you from ever building again in Wicklow.

One option I've been considering is to find a site and get planning on it before purchasing my renovation house. This way I have a few more years to get established here financially? Has anyone ever done this? Run into any issues?

JimmyMW

dashjack wrote: »

As a recently returned emigrant I've been getting reacquainted with the shambles of a property market and planning system in Ireland that only seems to have gotten worse over the 10 year I've been gone.

I live in a rural location in Wicklow and would most likely qualify for local needs for a rural self-build.

I would doubt you will qualify for local needs, you would need to check into this first before making any decision.

dashjack

JimmyMW wrote: »

I would doubt you will qualify for local needs, you would need to check into this first before making any decision.

I'm confident that this will not be an issue.

Car99

Buy a site get planning, build the garage first but make it habitable , live in that until you're in a position to build your house . Ideal way to go for someone in your situation.

dashjack

Car99 wrote: »

Buy a site get planning, build the garage first but make it habitable , live in that until you're in a position to build your house . Ideal way to go for someone in your situation.

Yes, that's one way to go about it but I'm not looking to break or circumvent any planning regulations. I'm just concerned with making myself ineligible to self-build in a few years if I purchase a small starter/investment property that fits my needs at this moment in time and which I can renovate and hopefully sell at a profit.

I'm wondering if others have been refused permission as a result of previously owning a property.

JimmyMW

dashjack wrote: »

I'm confident that this will not be an issue.

May I ask what steps you have taken taken that gives you such confidence, in my area this would be a massive no no and would have no chance of you getting planning, given the information you have provided I cant see things being much different in your part of the country.

dashjack

JimmyMW wrote: »

May I ask what steps you have taken taken that gives you such confidence, in my area this would be a massive no no and would have no chance of you getting planning, given the information you have provided I cant see things being much different in your part of the country.

I don't want to get into my specific circumstances in this forum suffice to say I wouldn't expect to be turned down based on local needs. I want to keep the thread on topic so don't want to get into a discussion about whether local needs applies to me or not.

JimmyMW

dashjack wrote: »

Yes, that's one way to go about it but I'm not looking to break or circumvent any planning regulations. I'm just concerned with making myself ineligible to self-build in a few years if I purchase a small starter/investment property that fits my needs at this moment in time and which I can renovate and hopefully sell at a profit.

I'm wondering if others have been refused permission as a result of previously owning a property.

Local need eligibility aside, if you bought a property like your suggesting your "need" would have been deemed to be met, therefore preventing you from building in the same area. However if the area which you are looking to buy is outside the area which you are looking to build in the future then one would not necessarily cancel the other, if you plan to live outside the area (in the purchased property) then it will most likely negate your "need" for building in the area. Your best bet is probably to either purchase a property with the view of extending it at a later stage to suit your needs or alternatively build a small property now with the with the view of extending it at a later stage with suitable planning permission.

PS i think you touched on it in your earlier post but just for clarity, the suggestion from the other poster of living in a detached garage until you build the main house will not get planning.

JimmyMW

dashjack wrote: »

I don't want to get into my specific circumstances in this forum suffice to say I wouldn't expect to be turned down based on local needs. I want to keep the thread on topic so don't want to get into a discussion about whether local needs applies to me or not.

Fair enough mate, Im not trying to pick holes, my advise is to just check it out properly first as what you "expect" is not good enough to base this level of personal financial planning on. You would be surprised the people who expect to have no hassle getting planning who fail when they actually apply

Del2005

Wasn't local needs deemed illegal in planning applications so now they just reject everyone trying to build one off housing.

C3PO

Del2005 wrote:

Wasn't local needs deemed illegal in planning applications so now they just reject everyone trying to build one off housing.

Not sure but Section 47 is still being quoted in ads for sites in Wicklow on DAFT

https://www.daft.ie/wicklow/sites-for-sale/enniskerry/13-acre-site-ballyman-road-monastery-enniskerry-wicklow-1689025/

dashjack

JimmyMW wrote: »

Fair enough mate, Im not trying to pick holes, my advise is to just check it out properly first as what you "expect" is not good enough to base this level of personal financial planning on. You would be surprised the people who expect to have no hassle getting planning who fail when they actually apply

Yeah I understand where you're coming from and it's a fair point, I just don't want to get bogged down in a discussion about whether I qualify for local needs when what I'm really looking to understand is how previous home ownership is taken into account. Looks like it's off-topic already however! i.e. How purchasing a starter/investment property might affect me down the road.

Del2005 wrote: »

Wasn't local needs deemed illegal in planning applications so now they just reject everyone trying to build one off housing.

Yes and no, it's how Ireland implements these restrictions that the EU has a problem with. They say it should be possible to develop rural areas sustainable without discriminating based on where someone is from. It looks like one of the options will be that the system will eventually change to one which is linked to local employment as the "need" rather than simply being from the area.

Your lucky that you live in a part of rural Wicklow where you can get a cottage for 150k.

Cyrus

dashjack wrote: »

As a recently returned emigrant I've been getting reacquainted with the shambles of a property market and planning system in Ireland that only seems to have gotten worse over the 10 year I've been gone. I'm sure my situation will sound familiar to many people!

Like everyone else I've been struggling to find an affordable property to buy and am living with my parents at the moment while I decide what to do. I'm single, a cash buyer and even if I wanted one, won't qualify for a mortgage as I'm self employed and not currently earning. I live in a rural location in Wicklow and would most likely qualify for local needs for a rural self-build.

Due to my situation I've been looking primarily at the lower end of the market (<150k) with the aim to find a small house or cottage with the potential for renovation or improvement that would suit my living requirements right now but that could be sold on in the future.

Finding such a property and meeting my current needs isn't really an issue, the concern is that by purchasing such a property I'll be effectively excluding myself the possibility of self-building in the future since "I'd already have owned a house" which seems to exclude you from ever building again in Wicklow.

One option I've been considering is to find a site and get planning on it before purchasing my renovation house. This way I have a few more years to get established here financially? Has anyone ever done this? Run into any issues?

why dont you just buy a place where the site gives you the scope to build what you want on it in the future, or do you already have a site elsewhere in mind

LirW

Afaik buying and selling on will exclude you to build a house in Wicklow in most cases.
It is ridiculously hard getting planning permission in Wicklow as it stands for detached buildings and you should consult someone about it asap since it'll set the way forward for you.
Since it's not clear if you want to build in or outside a town, I'd advise you to talk to a planning consultant because it's a lot more complicated than just answering a Yes/No question.
Also depends a bit on what part of Wicklow, generally it's a bit easier getting planning in Southwest Wicklow.

Once you have your answer you can decide to just buy and upgrade or save for a build.