Buy Closer to Work or Friends/ Family?

bea468

I'm a first time buyer, currently looking to buy. I'm having a real dilemma about what area in Dublin to buy in. At the moment I'm renting and my commute is around 45 mins in the car (it was better over the summer when the traffic was less bad), there's no decent public transport route and it's too far of a cycle. I hate being in the car in traffic day in day out.

I work in Tallaght and I don't particularly want to buy directly around Tallaght but somewhere like kKnocklyon, Crumlin, Drimnagh would all be commutable by bike which would be ideal. My problem is that I don't know those areas very well and don't really know anyone who lives there. My family is from dun laoghaire area and most of my friends live around that area or towards shankill/ bray but I can't afford to buy in dun laoghaire and Bray would be more commuting in a car and being stuck in traffic.

I'm essentially looking for some advice, I'm afraid of buying in an area that I don't know and feeling lonely there (I'm buying on my own), or feeling like I'm far away from friends and family and not being able to say meet up for a walk/ catch up in the evening. But I also really dislike my current commute and being stuck in the car.

I like my job and I really would like to stay in it for the time being so moving jobs wouldn't be my first choice.

All advice welcome..

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058312680/buy-closer-to-work-or-friends-family

If your family are from Dun Laoghaire and you can't afford to buy there then it kind of makes up your mind for you.

In the grand scheme of things, none of these areas are particularly far away from each other. They're far enough away that you can't just 'pop in' after work for a few minutes, so I suppose it depends how important that kind of a thing is to you. As mentioned above though, if you can't afford to buy close to them then it's a bit of a moot point either way.

I bought in D7 and my family live in Bray. Still see them fairly regularly, they either pop into town or I go out to visit them in Bray.

Padre_Pio

Lonely when your family are 20 mins down the road?

If you hate commuting then don't commute. Buy close to work and pop over to your family when you feel like it.

Mrs OBumble

How old are you? Ie how close to retirement?

If less than 10 years to retirement buy to live in

If more, buy for work location.

(Very rough rule - refine as per what leisurecia important to you )

Princess Calla

You commute for work 5 days a week , how often do you plan on seeing family and friends?

I presume if you wanted to, you could still overnight in your parents home if you were heading out locally?

There's very few people that buy a house that ticked all their boxes , the ones that did had deep pockets.

Personally I'd go with the less work commuting time.

FortuneChip

Don't think it's a remotely difficult decision. You can rule out Dun Laoighre because you said it's too expensive.

Based on the evidence you're working a 9-5. I.e key commuting hours.

You would do better to live closer to Tallaght (any of the areas you listed) and have 5 easy work commutes weekly and suffering rush hour for a shorter trip.

You're going to be meeting your family/friends outside of work hours, and I would imagine fewer than 5 days a week, so the longer trips (they're not that long anyway) won't be nearly as bad because they'll be outside those rush hour periods.

DownByTheGarden

Chances are if your friends dont come in to meet you in the city center, then you probably will hardly every be out with them ever again. Your job will move often over your lifetime. If most of your friends are settled now they will probably stay there for many years. I would buy where the friends and family are.

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29 min (37.3 km) via N11 and M50er

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121081640#Comment_121081640

You'd swear we were talking about moving to the other side of the country/world, it's all within Dublin.

I would buy somewhere new like this and suck up the commute a bit, if you could afford it, it puts a divide between work and home and you would be in Bray and Dun Laoighre in no time.

29 min (37.3 km) via N11 and M50

https://altidoregardens.ie/willowway/

herbalplants

Buy beside friends and family. Likelihood you will change your job in your life. Buy in the area you are familiar.

suvigirl

Realistically these areas are all within 20 mins of each other outside of rush hour.

if you can't afford to buy in Dun Laoghaire, buy closer to work, you're 20 mins from home.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082163#Comment_121082163

Might as well be when you want to go for a quick pint or meet your mates for breakfast on a Sunday morning.

Live on the same side of the city as them and its very easy. Live on the other side and you wont be doing that too often. You have to get new friends where you live then.

Having a few pints means you are more likely on the bus/train and its even harder.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084047#Comment_121084047

There are so many factors here at play really.

I've some great friends out in Bray and didn't see much of them the last couple of years I lived there as they were in the throws of bringing up children.

I now live in town and see a lot more of them that their kids are a bit older.

You're right though in the sense that there's far less 'ad hoc' pints and the likes with those people, it's more of an event with them coming into town or me popping out to Bray. that's nice in it's own way too though.

In the meantime I've made a rake of new friends in my new location that I can call around to or head out on the spur of the moment for a pint. If anything, living in town has made me even more social.

Honestly it's a good idea to spread your wings out a bit and move out of your hometown, I reckon so anyway. Ultimately I've a much wider circle of friends as a result.

Does entirely depend on your personality I suppose.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084109#Comment_121084109

The poster is unlikely to be living in town though. So town in the middle is the logical place to meet. I have found that people do this less often now. But Bray to town is very easy for meetups. Probably on the easiest end of the scale.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084163#Comment_121084163

I really am not getting the fear in moving a little further out. Do people really need to be living in the pockets of their family/ the people they grew up with? Is it not a nice thing to cut the apron strings even just a little?

Again, we're not talking about moving hours and hours drive away here, it's all practically in an around the m50.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084163#Comment_121084163

Poster talked about crumlin and drimnagh, basically town, ten min walk to Camden st!

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084211#Comment_121084211

Theres no fear. The poster asked would someone rather stay close to friends or move to the other side of town. I gave reasons why I think they might prefer to think more about proximity top friends and family (which seems important to them) than proximity to their job (which is more likely to move over the years).

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084557#Comment_121084557

How often is he going convince his friends, (especially when they get settled with kids) in Dun Laoighre, Shankill, Bray to go to Camben street for a pint?

Probably not as often as they could meet up if he lived in Dun Laoighre, Bray, Shankill, Cherrywood or anywhere that neck of the woods.

Living a commute away from them totally removes the "Hey, its Thursday, im a bit bored in the house, fancy a pint?", "YEah, ring the rest of the lads meet you down the boozer in half an hour. Share a taxi home, or will we just stagger home?".

Now thats just me. If I was talking about my wife and her friends it would be a different conversation, but the result would be the same.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084626#Comment_121084626

How often is he going to convince his friends to go for last minute pints when they're settled with kids anyway! far more chance of last minute pints with work colleagues.

it's not even far!!

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084758#Comment_121084758

Dont know. It depends on how close they are with their mates. It would be 1 to 2 times a week for myself and my friends. More if there is a match on.

tom1ie

OP just so you know the 75 bus route goes from tallaght village to dun laoghaire- it takes an hour to get there but it’s PT so good if your meeting someone for pints and can’t drive.

As others have said, outside of rush hour, tallaght is 20 mins from DL.

Some parts of tallaght are lovely and quiet with great amenities.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084773#Comment_121084773

Suppose that might be the difference in men and women! None of my friends that had kids could just head off to the pub last minute!

sekond

I wouldn't go with the Newtownmountkennedy option that someone else suggested. While it may be half an hour to Tallaght outside of rush hour, those parts of the N11 are a nightmare at times.

But, is there an option closer to Dun Laoghaire and/or Bray that's on a decent public transport link to work, that might be in budget? That way you can make your commute a bit easier, and still be closer to friends and family. Looking at that 75 bus route above, it does seem to pass through the more expensive areas, but there might be another option?

We went with the "closer to family and friends option". Not that we see them all much with everyone having kids and the various activities, but it does mean that spontaneous things are a little more possible. I WFH a few days a week too so that decreases the commute stress. (I could drive to work but I don't, much happier driving to the park and ride and then getting on the semi-decent PT option, husband battles the M50 daily, but has managed to make his hours work so that he isn't on it at the worst of times). I know you said you didn't want to change jobs, but are there options for WFH or flexible hours that might make the commute more bearable?

Claw Hammer

Commuting is a waste of time, stressful because of traffic and other transport issues, a waste of money and injurious to mental and physical health. The less of it the better. The fact that something takes 45 minutes now doesn't mean it will always take that length of time. I have colleagues who had to move house because the commuting time increased so much they had no quality of life. During the Celtic Tiger era there was a newspaper report of a man who lived in North County Dublin booking himself into a bed and Breakfast in Gardiner Street several nights a week so he could work in the city centre in the mornings without having to travel.

Colonel Panic

Firhouse/Knocklyon are nice enough areas and close to Tallaght. You're also pretty close to the city centre so there's a lot commutable by bike or bus and you are on the M50 in no time.

Traffic can be a pain in a few spots in the morning, but not by bike!

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121084848#Comment_121084848

True. My wife heads off to other places with her friends at the last minute. When the kids were young i would get a text. "You ok to mind the kids after work today. I promise I wont spend too much."

All depends on the posters budget really.

bea468

Unfortunately the 75 bus goes through a lot of expensive areas! As do a lot of the other buses to Tallaght like the 54a. If I could afford to live somewhere in the middle like Dundrum or Terenure I would. I would also be more happy sitting on public transport for 30-45 mins than in a car.

I work in healthcare so there are no WFH options unfortunately and my hours are set that I would be going to and from work during peak rush hour. I can start at 8am which avoids the worst of the morning traffic but evenings I'll always finish around 4.30-5.30. And I would like to stay in this job for the next 5 years or so, I'm in the best hospital for the area I work in. So changing jobs would likely mean moving specialities which I would rather not do at the moment.

Thank you everyone for your comments and opinions/ advice so far. Honestly I don't know where my head is at still, obviously there are major pros and cons to both.

Tell me how

Maybe step outside of the box for a second and stop looking at this from a work/friends/family thing.

Where would you 'like' to live? Obviously working within your budget, but that aside, is there any place that ticks both spots equally but the thought of waking up there on a saturday morning or driving towards it on a winters evening gives you a warm feeling, or a feeling of dread.

Because while the commute and socialising are important, you will spend most of your time in your own space and in your own company and that should be what leads the decision making I think.

Not suggesting you buy in Wicklow because you like to hike for example, but the vibes you get when you think of calling a place home should give you a strong lead on where best to look.

Princess Calla

It's a balancing act.

Don't stretch yourself too thin. I don't want to be doom and gloom but when you're buying on your own I really think you need back up savings of about 6 months that will cover your mortgage, loans, electricity etc if you get sick and are out of work for a while.

I bought on my own, it wasn't the area I really wanted to live in but it ticked alot of boxes. I couldn't afford the area I grew up in.

A few yrs later met the OH and we moved.

Nothing is set in stone but I do think, especially as you've no intention of moving jobs in the next few years, buy close to work.

Unless you see something spectacular at the top end of your budget, buy a house that you can still put a few bob savings away.

In 5 years time your salary should have increased so you might be able to sell up and buy closer to your friends etc.

Kurooi

Depends big time on what your job is. If you're a teacher or a doctor for example you are unlikely to move jobs often - then it makes sense to consider the job heavily in your decision. If you're in finance or IT , I'd consider you nuts for trying to stick to Tallaght because your job is there. People move often, and companies also move offices or push for remote work.

And how much do you want to see your family is a question too, if you rely on them for some help with children, or just have a tradition of a Sunday dinner you might prioritize that. It sounds obvious but I think a lot of people don't really sit down and think how much they aim to involve the wider family in their every day life.

Also consider your lifestyle. I meet so many people who moved away from Dublin, well away from it, and they're the life of the party type. They want to be out drinking after work, fancy dinner on Tuesday, in town late for a gig on Thursday, 3Arena on Saturday for a concert. And you can see them being miserable trying to marry their very urban young lifestyle with their rural residency, train schedule, limitations. If quiet life isn't for you, don't sign up for the quiet life.

And for everything be it job or family, for many of us it's a matter of a good transport link. You might for example situate yourself closer to the M50 so you can drive down to family in the morning or evening in quite good speed.