How long to find accommodation in Ennis?

Mister Baddog

I'm moving home with my American wife in April 2025. We're both retired. We'll grab a temporary place to stay (Airbnb? Hotel? 😟) while we look for something more permanent. We're not likely to have a car so we'll want something within walking distance of town.

How long do you think it'll to take to find a house or apartment to rent?

RoyalCelt

Be very careful booking hostels these days in Ireland. Could be a lot of permanent residents there.

redarmyblues

https://www.daft.ie/property-for-rent/clare

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058362799/how-long-to-find-accommodation-in-ennis

have a look on daft.ie

there are 5 properties in Ennis available at the moment for rent; they may not all suit your requirements. Tough market.

Is Ennis home?

Mister Baddog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462316#Comment_122462316

I'm not from Ennis. A blow in so. 😉

At the moment I'm doing some homework, getting the lay of the land, trying to get a sense for how long we'll be looking before we find something. I know that's a vague and unanswerable question.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122467581#Comment_122467581

If not from Ennis then retiring to Ennis is…strange.

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122467885#Comment_122467885

I agree. Unless there is something specific drawing you to Ennis, you'd be better off throwing the net wider. There are lots of towns in Ireland that would be as nice as Ennis - some of which might have better options for accommodation.

Mister Baddog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122467918#Comment_122467918

Ennis is my first choice, strange as it may be. 😄 But I'm open to alternatives. What'd ye have in mind?

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122468712#Comment_122468712

What are you looking for, we'll give you heaps of suggestions!

I'm guessing, from your choice of Ennis that living in a small rural(ish) town is what you'd like?

Any other factors that we should know about?

e.g. if you fancy 15 beds & 15 bathrooms?!?

https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/detached-house-town-centre-mohill-co-leitrim/5515451

Mister Baddog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469138#Comment_122469138

"Small rural(ish) town" about sums it up. Prefer West. A place where there's a decent amount to do, but without the insanity of a large city. The music in Ennis and Clare in general appeals to me. Several years in Dublin was… fun at the time, but I don't need to do that again. Besides it's almost as expensive as the Bay Area where I am now, so there's that. 😬

There's just the two of us. And as I'm learning (thanks to all the advice here) the most important thing is housing. Sorry, I'm being vague again. Doing this from afar is not easy. 😃

advisemerite

There's a fella in Ennis who always has "Flats" to rent but they'd be out of 1 to 10, they'd come in 1 as in 1 being bad for furnishings and tenants. But if you're stuck he'd have something and if lucky he might have a 3 out of 10 Property for rent. He's 1 minute from the town.

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122482076#Comment_122482076

Here's a nice property for the 2 of ye:

https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/terraced-house-the-old-shop-james-street-westport-co-mayo/5796603

Walking distance to all amenities and direct train links to Dublin. West coast too. Plenty of music in Mayo as well as Clare.

Albeit, you'll have to buy it!

Mister Baddog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122482870#Comment_122482870

Then Westport would get the blow-ins rather than Ennis. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

We're not at all averse to buying, but the process is rather long and drawn out, as I understand it. Meanwhile we'll still need to find a vacation rental first, then a "real" rental while the house purchase goes through the mill. I've heard stories about it taking months, with bidding wars as people offer €5-10k or more over asking.

I absolutely get that these things are best done in person, and that once we're in the area we'll be asking around and so on. I've no hesitation in that regard. My only concern is that we'll be living on savings in an Airbnb or something, and that has to end eventually. If the Airbnb is going to drag on for weeks or months (!) while we look for a rental, then we need a plan B — an alternative to Ennis that might not be quite as desirable but where the odds of getting a rental in my lifetime are slightly better.

I've heard that Ecuador is nice. 😇

Thanks for all the advice. ❤️ Wish me luck!