Build a dream home in the country or buy in Dublin

steve2012

Hi Everyone,

Myself and my partner have got to that stage where we are going to build or buy a home. (Tough decision)

I currently work in Navan, Meath with the plan to eventually get promoted and work in Dublin. My partner currently works in Dublin.

A site has gone up for sale in Navan which I'd qualify for local needs planning.(we could build our dream home, but commuting could be a pain).

We can also afford to live and buy in Dublin, but the house would obviously be smaller and be in an estate (easy commute and close to everything)

From everyone else's experience here on boards.ie. which would you'd choose and do you currently mind commuting ECT.

Thanks in advance

Mad_maxx

steve2012 wrote: »

Hi Everyone,

Myself and my partner have got to that stage where we are going to build or buy a home. (Tough decision)

I currently work in Navan, Meath with the plan to eventually get promoted and work in Dublin. My partner currently works in Dublin.

A site has gone up for sale in Navan which I'd qualify for local needs planning.(we could build our dream home, but commuting could be a pain).

We can also afford to live and buy in Dublin, but the house would obviously be smaller and be in an estate (easy commute and close to everything)

From everyone else's experience here on boards.ie. which would you'd choose and do you currently mind commuting ECT.

Thanks in advance

Everyone is different but for me

Buy in Dublin

AlmightyCushion

Long commutes are a killer and will ruin your quality of life. I'd take the smaller place with the easier commute in a heart beat.

John_Rambo

The obvious choice for a young couple is to build in your home area. When kids come along you may have familial support. The problems start when the kids get to school age and they'll be a lot longer in school than out of school. Long commutes can make family life miserable.

I was faced with the same options (without much family support on either option), we bought close to the city with short cycle/public transport commutes and local schools. We leave the house at 8pm and we're both home at 5.30. Meals together, homework together and we hit the beach/park every day after work. As Mad Max said everyone's different, but commuting for hours was out of the question with us. Expensive, time poor, unhealthy and bad for us and the environment.

Now, if there's increased options of working from home you might go with the first option.

iHungry

Could you try finding jobs closer to the dream home location?

Atomic Pineapple

As others have stated, everyone is different so only you can actually answer your own question. Try to think long term, I was always about being closer to Dublin, close to work and potential future work. I never thought I'd want to be over an hour away from Dublin so I bought in an estate close to Dublin. I've regretted it ever since.

looksee

How confident about the local needs planning are you? Have you consulted a professional / had a pre-planning meeting? Are you fully aware of just how expensive building is now?

Also remember that on a rural site as the children get bigger they will have to be ferried to every playdate and activity. This does of course have the alternative advantage that you can control where they are and what they are doing, it will get difficult once they get into their early teens and want a bit of independence.

is navan that bad a commute from dublin?

quality of life rammed up beside who-knows in a gammy estate in dublin isnt guaranteed

Ray Palmer

Look up studies on commute times and the effects they have on people. The short answer is long commutes are very bad and should be avoided.
If you plan on having children things are more complicated. In a Dublin suburb you are likely to have a selection of primary and secondary schools but more rural locations you don't have choice or will require them to be driven to school.
After that you have college. You may have to fork out for accommodation for them to go to college or long commutes.
Any medical needs will be better catered for.
Overall you have and your children will always have more options living in Dublin. Friends of mine built their dream house then had a special needs child. Sold up and moved to Dublin so she could get the services they needed.
It can be argued that services should be the same everywhere but basic economics of scale means Dublin will always be better served

Diarmuid

Extend your current commute for a full week to what you would expect to be doing if you were commuting from Navan to Dublin. (1h30 each way, I would guess is a good average). See how you feel about the commute after a week of that

decky1

If your reared in the country you will miss it if you move somewhere busy , nothing like the peace you get in the country,i moved into a town 30 years ago [my daughter now has my parents house] and it's lovely to be able to go back there every week and just sit and listen to the country sounds. big decision hope it works out for you both.

drunkmonkey

Do you need to drive, I'd be picking somewhere near a direct train line rather than slogging it in traffic.

Atomic Pineapple

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Do you need to drive, I'd be picking somewhere near a direct train line rather than slogging it in traffic.

I know people who head up the M3 from Navan and then get on a train at one of the stations. They've never complained about the commute. Might be an idea.

MastiffMrs

I'm working in Dublin, commuting from Meath. After many years and different jobs, I have to agree with others, it's very much down to personal preference.
In a perfect world, I'd do my current job 5 minutes from the house. But, I can't earn my wages with my experience in Meath. I have always lived in a rural area and just would not be happy to live in Dublin. For me, the commute is worth it to get home to the peace and quiet, the privacy, the real dark nights, the space for the kids to run around. It's what you are used to and what you're willing to compromise on.

We built the house and I don't think we could get this size house on the same land for anything close to what we paid for it, anywhere else, it is v good value. (But I've heard it's dearer now to build these days).

Maybe sit with your partner and make a list of pros and cons, and try to figure out what you can compromise on, and what makes it a deal breaker.

If no current kids involved, try to imagine how you'd manage if they arrive in future.

So many people commute, it's doable. Talk to work about flexibility, options to work from home, hours to suit.

TimeToShine

Depends on your jobs, most roles nowadays allow for a day or two a week working from home, even extremely high profile ones.

Now if you're dentists or something having to be in for 8.30 5 days a week I wouldn't touch the commute with a barge pole. I did Navan to North Dublin for 6 months and nearly went insane. If both of you see the flexibility to work from home a couple of days a week and as mentioned above are aware of the sheer cost of building nowadays I say it's worth a shot.

Edgware

[Deleted User] wrote: »

is navan that bad a commute from dublin?

quality of life rammed up beside who-knows in a gammy estate in dublin isnt guaranteed

Same applies in Navan. You have no control over the land surrounding your site.
Commuting is a pain particularly once the schools ae back and winter approaches.
What type of funds have you got? There are plenty of fine estates in North Dublin in places like Raheny Sutton Baldoyle etc that are close to excellent facilities

Build, absolute no brainer. You will have the exact house to want far bigger and far better than anything you will buy. I personally couldn’t put my money into a cramped, small house in an estate stuck on top of other people and I am very glad to have the land to build on.

CPTM

Any chance your job would allow you a couple days remote access if you were set up at home with a proper office?

dobman88

Navan "in the country" :pac: :pac: that's a good one. It's a commuter town for Dublin at this stage. Either drive in the M3 or drive as far as Dunboyne park and ride and get the train in which would avoid traffic around Blanch which can be a pain at rush hour.

I definitely wouldnt be considering giving up on my dream home when you're well within commutable distance for Dublin.