Tell me why I don’t buy

dr.dundrum

Hello Everyone!

newbie here. I’m browsing houses in Dublin. I work at the airport and my husband works in the city center. We are on rent right now paying 2300 for 2 br.

looking for a house/ apartment to buy. I found these two apartments attractive, planning to go on with one of them.

if you were in my shoes, why wouldn’t you go forward with one of these apartments?

https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/apartment-43-botanic-hall-addison-park-glasnevin-dublin-11/5524036

https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/apartment-apartment-28-addison-hall-addison-avenue-glasnevin-dublin-11/5453811

dkRulez

Few reasons as a newbie who is completing the buying process.

1:- Finglas

2:- Apartment probably occupied by lot of renters, less family and kids, kids forced to stay indoors because of this.

3:- Before rushing into an apartment purchase, I'd prefer to explore options for houses or duplexes first. Buying a home is a significant decision, and I want to be confident I'm choosing the right property, not just settling for the price.

4. If you are buying an apartment, then why not avail HTB, FHS and go for new builds. They maybe bit in outskirts but could less burden financially.

Both house are beautiful and would definitely have lot of landlords interested. Asking price seems 5%+ to the similar apartments sold in past few months.

herbalplants

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058331866/tell-me-why-i-don-t-buy

I think they are quite high priced my opinion. I think you can get a 2 bedroom apartment at a lower price than this in a good area.

J_1980

Only downside I could see is the area. Would check the pobal maps and visit at different times at night.

https://www.johnsiskandson.com/no/case-studies/addison-park-dublin-ireland

these were built by a very well regarded builder Park homes (also done mount st annes, Hanover riverside etc), so build quality should be ok.

SharkMX

Would you like your teenagers going around that area at night when they reach that age?

Would a female be happy walking home at night?

Dont go living in a place where you will be worried about the safety of yourself or your loved ones. Thats not living.

That aside. Ive seen council flats from the 70s that look better than those.

Wouldnt be for me tbh.

JohnnyChimpo

I think it's a good location - right adjacent to a park and the Botanic Gardens, decent transport connections. The location will almost certainly rise in value as the Dublin Industrial Estate just to the west gets redeveloped into a new suburb, and the Metrolink station at Griffith Park being built immediately to the East (with the Glasnevin Station - which will be the most connected interchange in Ireland? - being built 1km to the South).

I much prefer #43 personally.

For me, we looked at a bunch of apartments at the start and I eventually went off the idea for reasons listed above plus management fees and extra hassle with upkeep. Not that houses dont have their own unique hassles but I'm happy with the end-of-terrace we ended up buying.

herbalplants

It is near Botanic Gardens, hardly a bad area.

The Phantom Jipper

The price seems silly to me. I'm familiar with the area and I like it but 375k doesn't feel like great value. I'd rather be living in Northwood in Santry and save the 100k, especially with working in the airport.

retalivity

375k and 2.4k in monthly management fees for 74sqm, there is far better value out there even in dublin.

listermint

Glasnevin is a bad area now.... ah lads. This is the edge of finglas the older part. People commenting don't even know the place clearly.

As for apartments they suit some people and make sense for them. Depends on size of family or no family. If it is for couple I think it's a nice buy. Pricewise maybe the market is that way at the moment. No getting past that

Kurooi

At 380K you'd find bigger houses down the road. Good parts of Finglas, Santry, Whitehall are not bad areas.

Also consider that you might not necessarily be best served by a location mid-way between city center and the airport. If you drive, what about just sticking around the M50. Keying in that apartment to Dublin airport right now it's a 21 minute drive, through m50. To the airport - from Blanch it's 16 minutes. Castleknock 22 minutes, Lucan 22 minutes, Palmerstown 17 minutes, Clondalkin 23 minutes.

Expands your search quite a lot huh? If by car anyway, either way you're hitting the m50. You can find houses, bigger , cheaper, in good areas and your husband might get an easier commute too because that whole area up to Glasnevin the traffic in the morning is awful. I wouldn't plan on taking the car up to the city anyhow.

herbalplants

Penthouse in Smithfield cheaper than those apartments.

https://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/apt-28-block-f-smithfield-village-smithfield-dublin-7/4768861

dambarude

What would be the likely medium/long-term price change on an apartment like that in Glasnevin?

rowantree18

I looked at these when they were originally built. One parent had died and the surviving one was thinking of moving.

Firstly, they aren't really near the Botanic Gardens, they're kind of at Glasnevin Cemetery and you'd access the Bots buy walking through the Graveyard. They're up the road (towards the Old Finglas Road) past the Holy Faith Schools which I think sold the land for them. They are definitely Glasnevin, not Finglas. Houses around them are a fortune.

They were OK inside as I recall but the building layout turned me off them. The corridors inside were really long and you got the impression people would just hang around. From where the lift or stairs left you, there could be a long walk to your actual apartment. I don't know how they've stood the test of time. My parent didn't go for it.

dr.dundrum

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631176#Comment_121631176

Yes I heard Finglas has a bad reputation. We currently have no children and living in an apartment so that is totally ok. Thank you so much for the honest reviews and I'll double check the prices.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631540#Comment_121631540

Yes correct. The prices at other areas are way less then these two but this place is the perfect place for our needs. And as far as I review, the area is a good one.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121632562#Comment_121632562

I actually checked the pobal map and it is marked as a affluent area. I still not been there personally and check this area yet. But I'll do that.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121633153#Comment_121633153

You are correct buddy. I'm actually worried about myself walking in this area. We are from another country and we are easy to point a finger :( Do you think this area has a bad reputation for racism?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121633507#Comment_121633507

Yes, management fees are like a nightmare! Do you think running a house would cost 100-150 Euro per month?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637957#Comment_121637957

Unfortunately Santr is still far from the city center.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121639411#Comment_121639411

Is whitehall a good area? How about Beaumont?

GUYS YOU ARE JUST GREAT! Great recommendations and honest reviews! All the best!

The Phantom Jipper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121662467#Comment_121662467

Not to be harping on about Santry, but it's not overly far from the city centre. It's served by many of the buses that go to and from the airport so has good transport links, and is a reasonably short cycle aswell.

dr.dundrum

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121662889#Comment_121662889

Definitely it is a good choice

duffmann

Nice area. It's a celtic tiger development so check the sinking fund.

SharkMX

I wont quote your questions but i'll answer the question you asked me. There are definitely worse areas. About 2 km up the road is Finglas which is a total dump. But where these apartments are is fine. I would have no problems walking there at night. But I think you could get nicer.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121635898#Comment_121635898

Thank you!

Wtf is going on in this thread, is it just a bunch of ignorant D4s or do people really have no sense of geography

JohnnyChimpo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121662467#Comment_121662467

"do you think running a house would cosr 100-150 Euro per month?"

Yes... and then some more :D . Imagine, you buy a house and then 2 months later the old boiler breaks down beyond repair. You're probably 6k in the hole once you have a couple of plumber callouts and labour and boiler replacement. Then rinse and repeat that with leaking roofs, electrical faults, plumbing, heating, groundskeeping, bin charges, etc.

Ultimately, I'd rather roll the dice on house expenses, but there's no guarantee that it'll work out any cheaper than management fees.

Cristianc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637975#Comment_121637975

375 is a lot? Have you seen the price of an apartment in Milltown or Dundrum? You need 500k for a similar one.

earlyevening

Its a very good area. Houses just outside that development cost around a million. There are absolutely no safety issues.

Roberto_gas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121662999#Comment_121662999

what are the pros and cons of sinking funds?

duffmann

The sinking fund is used to pay for big jobs. Usually unforseen jobs. If the sinking funds looks depleted, it may mean that there are problems with the development. A solicitor will advise if the sinking fund is healthy.

dr.dundrum

The first listing is gone by the way

herbalplants

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121755528#Comment_121755528

Well yes you see this a good bit. The listing is gone sale agreed and may come back in 2 months.

dr.dundrum

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121757778#Comment_121757778

Is it sale agreed? When I click on daft it says no listing found. Where do you see it as sale agreed?

herbalplants

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121757786#Comment_121757786

I presumed it was sale agreed but you say listing is gone. So it was withdrawn then

Roberto_gas

Anyone knows how to find builder of a property online? Or u have to ask the auctioneer?)

well24

I personally would not go near apartments, management fees are a joke... Ive heard of people paying the 2000+ per year and then also getting a bill of 5k or more to repair roof or something like that..

Go for a house further north county dublin.. express bus to city is great...