Stay in Dublin or relocate??

rasher123

My partner and I are in our early 30’s. We would like to start trying for a family in 2-ish years and would ideally prefer to move back to his home town in Munster, buy a house and rear the kids (fingers crossed and praying all goes well there) there. House prices in Dublin are crazy, we're not from Dublin ourselves and we prefer the slower pace of life down the country!


~Option 1- Buy a home and stay in Dublin for good.
~Option 2- Buy a small house in Dublin, have a smaller mortgage and stay for 4/5 years until the future kids are born. In 4/5 years time, buy our forever home in Munster and move there.
~Option 3- Buy our forever home in Munster now and move there within the next year or two?

-->Concerns- I’m very happy in my school and I’ve been teaching there for several years. Giving up my permanent job and the benefits that go with that, would be a huge risk. I’m worried about my loss of income/maternity benefits if I become pregnant. I’m also not from Munster and have no teaching connections there. If I’m lucky enough to have little ones, they would likely arrive in the middle of me trying to build up service and become permanent again. That could take 5-6 years!! I’m also on the old pension so I’m aware that I can’t have a break of more than 26 weeks, or I move onto the new pension. We should have moved years ago when we were in our 20's!

I would really love your thoughts. I'm really undecided!

Treppen

rasher123 wrote: »

My partner and I are in our early 30’s. We would like to start trying for a family in 2-ish years and would ideally prefer to move back to his home town in Munster, buy a house and rear the kids (fingers crossed and praying all goes well there) there. House prices in Dublin are crazy, we're not from Dublin ourselves and we prefer the slower pace of life down the country!


~Option 1- Buy a home and stay in Dublin for good.
~Option 2- Buy a small house in Dublin, have a smaller mortgage and stay for 4/5 years until the future kids are born. In 4/5 years time, buy our forever home in Munster and move there.
~Option 3- Buy our forever home in Munster now and move there within the next year or two?

-->Concerns- I’m very happy in my school and I’ve been teaching there for several years. Giving up my permanent job and the benefits that go with that, would be a huge risk. I’m worried about my loss of income/maternity benefits if I become pregnant. I’m also not from Munster and have no teaching connections there. If I’m lucky enough to have little ones, they would likely arrive in the middle of me trying to build up service and become permanent again. That could take 5-6 years!! I’m also on the old pension so I’m aware that I can’t have a break of more than 26 weeks, or I move onto the new pension. We should have moved years ago when we were in our 20's!

I would really love your thoughts. I'm really undecided!

If you stay in Dublin and have kids it'll all be about looking for a "good school" in a few years... and with that usually comes the house price to match. Primary is kind of OK but Secondary is a little trickier.

With 2 incomes it could be a lot easier in Munster, but then again you won't get a mortgage for Munster while you're living and working in Dublin.

deiseindublin

25 years on from pretty much same situation, I'd say go now or decide to stay put. After always planning to get out, once the kids started school and joined a GAA club, there was no moving. I'm not unhappy here but I never really decided to stay, it just kind of evolved.

It often depends on what makes you tick too. Which would you prefer?
* a bigger house with garden but not a lot of social outlets and public transport on your doorstep, slower pace of life, but more driving from A to B.
or
* a semi-d with buses outside the door, cinema, plays, restaurants a plenty.

If either one of those rings a bell, you pretty much have your answer.

rasher123

Thank you for your replies. I think it's harder to move and relocate once little ones arrive on the scene and start pre-school and make little friends etc. It;s a v good point, thanks. I could certainly see that happening!

If we were to move to Munster, we would ideally like to be within a 5-10 min drive of a town, so as to avail of the amenities. I'm spoilt here in Dublin with everything on my doorstep! I'm happy to have a slower pace of life and lockdown has shown me that.

Treppen

rasher123 wrote: »

Thank you for your replies. I think it's harder to move and relocate once little ones arrive on the scene and start pre-school and make little friends etc. It;s a v good point, thanks. I could certainly see that happening!

If we were to move to Munster, we would ideally like to be within a 5-10 min drive of a town, so as to avail of the amenities. I'm spoilt here in Dublin with everything on my doorstep! I'm happy to have a slower pace of life and lockdown has shown me that.

Maybe you could do career break or leave the move closer to the summer to try and keep up your 26weeks for pension. There are quite a few teachers who used to come home from abroad or take a day off from other work just to do a days subbing to keep it going, with covid that option is very limited now.

Another thing to consider now (if you're secondary is that the student population is going to peek in about 3 years, once the numbers go down and the wave passes I think the department are going to clamp down on looking term employment.

rainbowtrout

rasher123 wrote: »

Thank you for your replies. I think it's harder to move and relocate once little ones arrive on the scene and start pre-school and make little friends etc. It;s a v good point, thanks. I could certainly see that happening!

If we were to move to Munster, we would ideally like to be within a 5-10 min drive of a town, so as to avail of the amenities. I'm spoilt here in Dublin with everything on my doorstep! I'm happy to have a slower pace of life and lockdown has shown me that.

I wouldn't be worrying too much about relocating when they are in pre-school. They haven't made lifelong friendships at the age of 3. If that is going to hold you back, then you will never move once the kids arrive. It'll be much harder to move once they are older and are attending school, sports clubs, scouts etc.

gaiscioch

It really depends on your combined income, and whether you want children. If you want children, unless one of you is on €150,000 plus, I'd leave Dublin. Play the record forward.

Childcare. While paying a Dublin mortgage. And both of you working full time. it's very challenging for many couples to keep it together after the first child, even if the child is healthy. Add in the financial pressures and the fact that you both must work fulltime to keep the Dublin mortgage paid. Again it's income and child-dependent, but by choosing Dublin you are quite probably greatly reducing your freedom and therefore your quality of life at a time (after the birth of a child) when you need it most. If your child is unwell, God forbid, and one of you wants to give up work outside the home to look after her/him, will you have the financial freedom to do so? That matters.

There are things more important than money. Yes, I get that the Dublin home is seen by some as a long-term investment/your pension before you retire down the country to a cheaper house. But in reality how many parents don't want to be there to support their own kids in their 20s etc? Also, the supposed investment/pension of the Dublin house is also help with the deposit for your kids' Dublin home (and other similar Dublin-size expenses). Yes, the Dublin home should save you money, and perhaps loneliness, when the kids get to university age as you won't have to fund them in Dublin accommodation - but what if they want to study somewhere else?

Being paid the same to teach in an area where accommodation and childcare costs are substantially cheaper gives you a substantially larger net income, and thus more freedom to your family. Additionally, Covid-19 could well be leading to a sort of repopulation of rural Ireland if working from home becomes a more permanent feature of the office landscape, and many if not most people are currently expecting it to be. This could add more life and strengthen local economies and perhaps financially enable people to have more kids and therefore increase numbers, and thus jobs, in currently declining rural schools.

Cakerbaker

Maybe think of the practicalities around getting a mortgage too and how that could delay things / impact on your plans. Would your partner get a permanent job in Munster straight away? If you move now, it’ll take banks a year to take earnings of a new job into account and it may take them 2 years to consider yours depending on what kind of contract you get. It may be difficult to get a mortgage for Munster if living and working in Dublin.

And if you buy, and then sell in Dublin, you may have to rent for a few years until a bank is happy with the permanence of your new Munster jobs before giving a mortgage for a house there.

Chrizi

My partner and I gave up our permanent teaching jobs 2 years ago and took up part-time temporary jobs in Munster with our little kids. It was absolutely terrifying but the it was the best thing for us and it's all working out thankfully! Hopefully it continues that way! We hope to buy a house next year. You don't necesarily have to be permanent to get a mortgage, by the way.
Dublin is great when you're in your twenties but life gets tougher after kids. Traffic/childcare cost/paying 100s of 1000s more for a house might come to cause issues. We're lucky that teaching is not tied to a city. It can be done all over Ireland, even though you might have some scary years on less hours! Feel free to message me to chat.

inbetweentea

Chrizi wrote: »

My partner and I gave up our permanent teaching jobs 2 years ago and took up part-time temporary jobs in Munster with our little kids. It was absolutely terrifying but the it was the best thing for us and it's all working out thankfully! Hopefully it continues that way! We hope to buy a house next year. You don't necesarily have to be permanent to get a mortgage, by the way.
Dublin is great when you're in your twenties but life gets tougher after kids. Traffic/childcare cost/paying 100s of 1000s more for a house might come to cause issues. We're lucky that teaching is not tied to a city. It can be done all over Ireland, even though you might have some scary years on less hours! Feel free to message me to chat.

Helpful post. Was it hard to get jobs back down the country or was it ok? Was it a case of door-stepping principals/starting with subbing or did you apply to listed jobs..? I presume childcare a lot cheaper outside Dublin?

I don't know if this makes sense as a question (total newbie) but in terms of mortgages- are banks sympathetic in terms of not being permanent/CID but having years of teaching experience in another place and having a deposit? Thanks for the post.

Treppen

inbetweentea wrote: »

Helpful post. Was it hard to get jobs back down the country or was it ok? Was it a case of door-stepping principals/starting with subbing or did you apply to listed jobs..? I presume childcare a lot cheaper outside Dublin?

I don't know if this makes sense as a question (total newbie) but in terms of mortgages- are banks sympathetic in terms of not being permanent/CID but having years of teaching experience in another place and having a deposit? Thanks for the post.

Personally I wouldn't approach a bank for a mortgage. I tried a few times but was a pain dealing with them individually. Go with a broker who deals with teachers, just Google, there's a good few out there, they'll know what way banks are with contracts. I got a mortgage before without Cid but had a few years track record. That can change depending on lending risk for banks though.

inbetweentea

Great advice Treppen. Thank you.

Treppen

Don't be shy of using family contacts either. Doesn't have to be in Munster as most principals have a wide network anyway.

awny

rasher123 wrote: »

My partner and I are in our early 30’s. We would like to start trying for a family in 2-ish years and would ideally prefer to move back to his home town in Munster, buy a house and rear the kids (fingers crossed and praying all goes well there) there. House prices in Dublin are crazy, we're not from Dublin ourselves and we prefer the slower pace of life down the country!

~Option 1- Buy a home and stay in Dublin for good.
~Option 2- Buy a small house in Dublin, have a smaller mortgage and stay for 4/5 years until the future kids are born. In 4/5 years time, buy our forever home in Munster and move there.
~Option 3- Buy our forever home in Munster now and move there within the next year or two?

-->Concerns- I’m very happy in my school and I’ve been teaching there for several years. Giving up my permanent job and the benefits that go with that, would be a huge risk. I’m worried about my loss of income/maternity benefits if I become pregnant. I’m also not from Munster and have no teaching connections there. If I’m lucky enough to have little ones, they would likely arrive in the middle of me trying to build up service and become permanent again. That could take 5-6 years!! I’m also on the old pension so I’m aware that I can’t have a break of more than 26 weeks, or I move onto the new pension. We should have moved years ago when we were in our 20's!

I would really love your thoughts. I'm really undecided!

Rasher, I left my permanent job in Dublin 6 years ago for an RPT job in Munster. I’m now permanent in the school I moved to. It was the best thing I have ever done. It’s daunting but I always feel like in this kind of situation, something will work out.

Chrizi

inbetweentea wrote: »

Helpful post. Was it hard to get jobs back down the country or was it ok? Was it a case of door-stepping principals/starting with subbing or did you apply to listed jobs..? I presume childcare a lot cheaper outside Dublin?

I don't know if this makes sense as a question (total newbie) but in terms of mortgages- are banks sympathetic in terms of not being permanent/CID but having years of teaching experience in another place and having a deposit? Thanks for the post.

Hi there,
We just decided one Summer to apply for everything and one of us got lucky (it was only part time). Then my partner found part time teaching too. We thought we'd be very poor but we actually weren't. We found a childminder who changed half of what creche for 2 was charging us in Dublin. Yes, the banks will take your history into account. We got a brilliant broker who was recommended on Voice for Teachers. PM me if you want her name. We now have a loan offer and neither of us have CID, though we do have contracts.

inbetweentea

Thank you very much Chrizi I might PM you. Glad it worked out for you both. I bet a lot of teachers in Dublin are thinking this way. Without a Dublin allowance it's very hard to live on teachers' wages, with young kids. Commuting is not an easy option either. If on ehas a partner with a very well paid job fair enough but I know high income earners in my group of friends who earn far more than I do and complain about the cost of rent and housing. Dublin schools are going to be stuck for staff I bet, if there aren't any improvements to this situation.

r93kaey5p2izun

inbetweentea wrote: »

Thank you very much Chrizi I might PM you. Glad it worked out for you both. I bet a lot of teachers in Dublin are thinking this way. Without a Dublin allowance it's very hard to live on teachers' wages, with young kids. Commuting is not an easy option either. If on ehas a partner with a very well paid job fair enough but I know high income earners in my group of friends who earn far more than I do and complain about the cost of rent and housing. Dublin schools are going to be stuck for staff I bet, if there aren't any improvements to this situation.

Dublin schools are already very stuck for staff! And the voluntary redeployment scheme acknowledges this by only accepting requests to move to Dublin and not from it.

rasher123

OP here- A little update and a big thank you for all your advice and recommendations. We’ve decided to make the move to Munster! My partner isn’t a teacher so he would have to secure a new job too. We’re excited but also find the whole situation very daunting!

Some disappointing news. I rang the INTO and they said If I keep my permanent position and job share next year, I can’t sub in other schools. I assumed I would be able to sub on the days I’m off and get myself known in other schools. I don’t want to give up permanent job just yet.

Another option is to take a career break and sub for the year. The thoughts of going into different schools and staff rooms every day is a bit daunting. If I covered a maternity leave for a few months is that technically substitute work too? Perhaps I should just be brave and go for the career break.

The job sharing has its benefits- same school every week, more of a sense of routine, I can plan my weeks.

--->Any nuggets of wisdom? Stick with job sharing or switch to career break? (assuming BOM ok it)

scooby77

If you're definitely moving i dont see the point in career break? Currently, at least outside Dublin, mainstream permanent appointments tend to be from main panel, supplementary panel or CID. If on career break you have no chance of any of those ( unless transfer main panel if your current school losing a teacher and you last in, or swop with last in). If you resign you at least have the chance to start working towards supplementary panel, or in particular CID (which is definitely worth researching).
I know it can be hard to bite the bullet, and leave the security of a permanent job...but...

Treppen

Yashur lookit, yeve no kids in tow,
Family support system in munster if ye do take the plunge with kids.
Yere young too ...

We stayed around in Dublin because of jobs. Now it's secondary school time for our kids and that definitely won't be happening where we bought. We're trying to relocate but prices are going mental cos supply is limited. Going to be paying mortgage till 67. Muck savages I went to school with left school early and built mansions with their own hands aged 20 on the da's farm. I wonder the value of formal education sometimes lol.

So try and be cute about where ye but in Munster whether ye do, don't worry so much about good primary, it's secondary and getting into a good one is the tricky part.

Can't remember when you started teaching, but be very careful if you're on the old previous pension scheme as you get kicked out after 26weeks break from department pay. That is worthwhile trying to keep going, even if it's only one hour of subbing every 25 weeks!

inbetweentea

I think for me in secondary, the CID system is very hard in terms of relocation. I wish this could change to a shorter probationary period- waiting until Year 3 for job security (when - for me- have already had to spend YEARS building up to a secure contract elsewhere) is very off-putting when considering a move.

chases0102

Similar set up here, it's very much almost comes down to drawing up a list of pros and cons.

Having a Middle Management post has made it difficult for me to commit to taking the plunge and moving.

So many other factors at play of course - good support up here (Greater Dublin area), but cost of living is excessive (including childcare - mental expensive - two kids here), commuting a nightmare. OH supportive of move down, and I think despite all the ills of Covid, it ha given the flexibility to work from home more (which OH could do)

inbetweentea

chases0102 wrote: »

Similar set up here, it's very much almost comes down to drawing up a list of pros and cons.

Having a Middle Management post has made it difficult for me to commit to taking the plunge and moving.

So many other factors at play of course - good support up here (Greater Dublin area), but cost of living is excessive (including childcare - mental expensive - two kids here), commuting a nightmare. OH supportive of move down, and I think despite all the ills of Covid, it ha given the flexibility to work from home more (which OH could do)

Yes I understand where you're coming from on this and how hard this decision is when you've done the work up here. I also think that lockdown has an effect- Dublin was a LOT more craic before March 2020 and I think it's easy to forgot how good it can be in terms of things to do, culture, going to the big matches, meeting new people..teaching here has been a positive experience for me too. Since Lockdown I absolutely crave going West/elsewhere to somewhere more affordable at this stage in our lives. I really wish there was more flexibility and movement between schools in secondary teaching- and of course better contracts and hours for non-permanent teachers if one makes the move. I also wonder if experience is valued if one moves schools and hope so although I don't know know tbh

galwayhooker

I made this move over 6 years ago to move back west with ‘in demand” subjects after 13 years teaching in the east and am still PT. I have had a mix of bad luck (redeployment) and parochial politics for a reason not CID at the mo. I am hoping to be made CID next year in a school I like - it’s a hour from my home place but I like my school. From my experience in general knowing a principal or someone on the BOM def helps - I thought with all my experience teaching and extra curricular would make a difference but unfortunately from my experience it doesn’t. Just be careful before you move.

inbetweentea

galwayhooker wrote: »

I made this move over 6 years ago to move back west with ‘in demand” subjects after 13 years teaching in the east and am still PT. I have had a mix of bad luck (redeployment) and parochial politics for a reason not CID at the mo. I am hoping to be made CID next year in a school I like - it’s a hour from my home place but I like my school. From my experience in general knowing a principal or someone on the BOM def helps - I thought with all my experience teaching and extra curricular would make a difference but unfortunately from my experience it doesn’t. Just be careful before you move.

Yeah I'm sorry to hear this. Thanks for the reminder. Absolutely one can't underestimate how parochial teaching can be..definitely relate to this. Extremely frustrating too given your experience as well.