Car+House in an affordable Ireland?

Belle Ende

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ALREADY HAVE:

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Health Insurance
Rental Accommodation

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WISH LIST (by early 30's):

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package Holiday per year
3-bedroom semi-d House
A mid-range Car
Savings+Pension

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Being in my mid-20s, I'm wondering whether modern Ireland still holds any chance of someone ever being able to buy a car + house + take a holiday abroad. Savings are virtually impossible to make, even though I look after my pay packet well - I don't smoke or drink for a start. But after paying rent (Dublin), bus fares, bills and food, I would have thought that my allegedly 'well-paying' (hah!) I.T. job would leave me with some leftover cash worth talking about. That ain't the case, however.

I'll probably be able to buy a 2nd hand car in 2 or 3 years, but the notion of a house is far out of the question. I have quite a few friends in similar predicaments. Some are thinking of working in the UK to improve their finances. House prices are only gonna keep rising in Galway/Cork/Dublin etc.

Looks like it's gonna be even tougher for the current and upcoming crop of college graduates. Celtic tiger my arse!

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So, what do you think? Does Ireland still hold the promise of good wages/affordable car+house? Or are we going to see more long-term rental situations for people here?

daveg

Belle Ende welcome again.

I'm afraid the Celtic Tiger is well and truly dead.

House prices around Ireland (and in Galway where I live) are crazy let alone in Dublin. My only advice to people who want a house but can't afford current prices is to build one (not litrally build one yourself but buy a plot of land/hire a contractor to build/or use direct labour). Not very practicle in Dublin though I think. This is what I did. It cost me half as much as you would pay for a 3 bedroom semi in Galway city.

I'm afraid we are living in one of the highest "cost of living" country's in Europe. But I think the bubble will burst. But god help us all when it does.

So, what do you think? Does Ireland still hold the promise of good wages/affordable car+house? Or are we going to see more long-term rental situations for people here?

While the cost of living & insurance costs run so high I'm afraid not. It's amazing when you compare our standard of life against the US (in simular work enviroment). A car/house/Holiday is standard.

dmeehan

i moved from dublin to cork 2 years ago and I immediatley noticed how much things were cheaper in cork, especially in pubs but alsso in places like restaurants and cinemas etc.

dublin is the most expensive place for houses, galway is second and cork is third (seen this on househunters last night)

even though i am being paid less in cork i still have more money left after paying bills, buying food etc.

Quigs Snr

I was in a similar situation to you 2 years ago, so I moved to Waterford whilst the IT situation was still stable and there was a job or two (now vanished) still going here. As a result, I am buying a 5 bed house with a view and a sportscar on a modest salary. I am 27.

The point is, your problem is Dublin. You will need to move out to move up......... Or get far away enough on a major commuting line that you can build your own house. The trouble these days is getting a job, I play football with 3 guys with computing degrees on a wednesday night, one works in Compustore, the others are still unemployed. This country is practically on it's knees and no one seems to have noticed.

Corega

I believe I'd be right in saying that the (inevitable) introduction of fees to third level education institutions may ease the tension a little bit but not much. Ireland is still very much set in the Celtic Tiger stage because as soon as we realised that we were in an economic boom it had lapsed. As for myself it's off to the continent where one can buy a beautiful French Chateau in a picturesque landscape for the price of a dilapitated flat in the city centre......and more importantly the beer is far cheaper

miju

This country is well and truely ****ed and I agree no-one I know has noticed. I have though I've got a diploma in computing (not great but should still be enough to get a job) and I'm working out in Park West (Dublin) making ****ing grills that cover the air vent on a wall (now how hard is that) the funny thing is that I was trying to get a job for about 6 months before that (by a job I mean any job) and couldn't get one.

Eventually my GF's dad offered me my current job. Now I'm grateful and all but jesus I feel like **** every morning. I've to get a DART then a bus there and then back again so all in all about 3-4 hours travelling a day all for €272.51 aftertax.

Now I've got a 15 month old kid as well and my GF works on a week on week off basis which she alternates with here mum so she gets about €170 so what ****ing hope have I got of getting a house for my family let alone a car or a holiday.

The thing that tells me that this economy is now deceased is the fact that there are about 6 four storey building and 1 nine storey one in Park West and they are all COMPLETELY EMPTY they are so empty you can actually see through to the otherside. They are well finished just no-one can afford em I tell ya you wouldn't have had that a few years ago.

Anyway rant over I just wanna say one last thing

BERTIE AHERN CAN YOU SAY BRAIN DRAIN?

Silvera

It really is a great shame the way our government runs this country. With a little bit of forward planning AND INITATIVE by the various gov ministers , this country could be affordable for all of it's citizens.

Instead we have a Taoiseach who is going to spend c.€60 million on a jet that is not needed - spends €18,000 a year on make-up - and who has given himself a €500 a week payrise, which he has backdated !

Oh, and he also plans to buy a new fleet of ministerial cars - even though the current fleet only have an average mileage of 10,000 miles on each car :mad:

Celtic tiger money ? - this is how it is being spent !

daveg

Originally posted by the-raptor
This country is well and truely ****ed and I agree no-one I know has noticed. I have though I've got a diploma in computing (not great but should still be enough to get a job) and I'm working out in Park West (Dublin) making ****ing grills that cover the air vent on a wall (now how hard is that) the funny thing is that I was trying to get a job for about 6 months before that (by a job I mean any job) and couldn't get one.

Eventually my GF's dad offered me my current job. Now I'm grateful and all but jesus I feel like **** every morning. I've to get a DART then a bus there and then back again so all in all about 3-4 hours travelling a day all for €272.51 aftertax.

Now I've got a 15 month old kid as well and my GF works on a week on week off basis which she alternates with here mum so she gets about €170 so what ****ing hope have I got of getting a house for my family let alone a car or a holiday.

Bud you have my sympathy. I have a 4 year old and I know how expensive it is to raise a child. FFS it costs us 500 euro a month for creche facilities thats a bloody morgage (nearly). All I can say is stick with it and your time will come (job wise). BTW is there anyway you could get out of Dublin ?

Sorry about the sympathetic (and perhaps patronising tone) but I've had a few beers.

Borzoi

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Warning Rant Ahead...................................
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Ok, where to start............

Belle Ende, you're only in your mid-20s, I was 30 before I got a place and a car, and the only way I was able to do that was by putting my head down for a while to get a deposit together.

Give it time and work torwards it, because if you expoect something to come round and land in your lap you're going to be waiting forever.

Your goals are fairly modest, they are achievable, maybe you wont find the 3 bed penthouse in the centre of town, but heh, you can't have everything.


raptor, in June this country produces an enormous amount of qualified people. The labour market is not and cannot take that in one lump, and as such people can be a while finding a job, don't despair and keep applying. As you have something to keep you going you're not too bad, and keeping occupied also looks better on a CV. Trust me, I'm recruitiing at the moment.


I've made this point elsewhere, there is a lot of people on boards who are in the IT sector, whether working or not. There is an awful amount of claims going about how bad the industry is doing. Cop on to yourselves. It has taken a hit, but it still pays better than almost any other sector. I know many people in that game who have been let go last year, and all got new jobs farly easily, without taking cuts in salaery. They're still earning 30% more than an equivalently qualified enrgineer (what I am)

I think really that people involved are standing to close to the coal face, and cannot get any perspective on what they're seeing. IT grads will no longer be headhunted out of college for ridiculous money, but that was never sustainable, as the demand was built on a house of cards. Yes you had it great, but now you're just like the rest of us.


As for our politicians, you get the government you deserve. The ones you vote for.


Whew, rant over.;)

Samson

Sydney is the place to go.
Was listening to the Gerry Ryan show on Tuesday (I think) and they did a bit of a non-scientific city price survey.

Compared prices on:
Three bed suburban semi
Ford Focus (or nearest equiv)
A coffee in Starbucks (or nearest equiv)
Daily non tabloid newspaper
Gin and tonic in a trendy bar
Coffee in a 5 star city hotel

Cities were:
Dublin
London
Rome
New York
Sydney

Sydney came out cheapest in all but one category I think, Dublin was unsuprisingly well up there.

Either head off to Sydney Belle Ende, or get yourself a rich fella

miju

Originally posted by daveg
Bud you have my sympathy. I have a 4 year old and I know how expensive it is to raise a child. FFS it costs us 500 euro a month for creche facilities thats a bloody morgage (nearly). All I can say is stick with it and your time will come (job wise). BTW is there anyway you could get out of Dublin ?

Sorry about the sympathetic (and perhaps patronising tone) but I've had a few beers.

Thanks daveg it's nice to know I'm not the only one in this boat thats cheered up a good bit that has