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Apartments

  • 16-08-2014 3:02am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 19


    Hello,

    Been reading this forum the last few days to find information on apartments and most data is more than 3 years old.

    My wife will be attending WIT and would like to have a 1 bedroom apartment in a safe area, as close to campus as possible, or near a bus route. We have a budget of 500.

    One thing I have read on this forum is to not trust letting agents. Are there any you can trust? If not, where do you find lettings from private landlords?

    We have tried contacting many of the agents from daft and the only one to respond is bookaroom.ie. They provide three apartment options, The Old Infirmiry, Olympia Court on Parnell and Courtyard at Summerhill. Any one have any experience with these?

    Thank you for the help.

    -CJH


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,770 ✭✭✭shockwave


    3 decent areas, Olympia Court is right in the centre of town on the main bus route, The Infirmary would be a 5 min walk from the city centre, Summer Hill would be the furthest away as it down near the bridge.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,081 ✭✭✭wellboytoo


    cjh234 wrote: »
    Hello,

    Been reading this forum the last few days to find information on apartments and most data is more than 3 years old.

    My wife will be attending WIT and would like to have a 1 bedroom apartment in a safe area, as close to campus as possible, or near a bus route. We have a budget of 500.

    One thing I have read on this forum is to not trust letting agents. Are there any you can trust? If not, where do you find lettings from private landlords?

    We have tried contacting many of the agents from daft and the only one to respond is bookaroom.ie. They provide three apartment options, The Old Infirmiry, Olympia Court on Parnell and Courtyard at Summerhill. Any one have any experience with these?

    Thank you for the help.

    -CJH

    Book a room in fairness don't do dumps.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭Old Perry


    Was with bookaroom a few years back, they were grand, bit disorganized\slow. At times but they try to help and are nice enough. Have also been Olympia court and as fair as I know they would be nicer and less busy than the other 2 options.


  • Registered Users Posts: 19 cjh234


    shockwave wrote: »
    3 decent areas, Olympia Court is right in the centre of town on the main bus route, The Infirmary would be a 5 min walk from the city centre, Summer Hill would be the furthest away as it down near the bridge.

    Thank for this information. I think we are leaning toward Olympia. Is that a safe area for a female to walk alone night or day? From Google Maps there appears to be some nice streets with shops and restaurants, but maybe night time is different?

    Thanks again.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 76 ✭✭Kizzles


    cjh234 wrote: »
    Thank for this information. I think we are leaning toward Olympia. Is that a safe area for a female to walk alone night or day? From Google Maps there appears to be some nice streets with shops and restaurants, but maybe night time is different?

    Thanks again.

    It's one of the busiest parts of town at night because the nightclubs are only a 2 minute walk down the road. Taxi rank right outside of it. It's safe during the day and relatively safe at night, but I wouldn't walk anywhere in town by myself past 10pm. Lots of shops and restaurants around, I think out of the three options Olympia Court would be the best, bus stop is right outside the door.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭twistables


    Be warned with book a room when it comes to getting your deposit back they will be every excuse under the sun not to give it back. Seems to be a business model they have.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,123 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    Got mine back within a few days from them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 19 cjh234


    Thank you everyone for the replies. I guess we will have to take the risk of deposit. Perhaps we can document any prior problems with photos and email them to to the agent as proof, prior to signing the lease.

    One of the things we saw on the Olympia Court listing was a need for references. Considering we are not from Ireland and only there for school, what type of reference are they looking for?

    Is there a grocery store near Olympia Court or a home good store to purchase towels, linens and such?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,772 ✭✭✭taytobreath


    http://www.daft.ie/lettings/no-6-southshore-strand-street-tramore-waterford/1111689/

    have a look at tramore, its a 5 min walk from the bus stop and a 20 min journey by bus, and look at the prices and views!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,678 ✭✭✭TrustedApple


    cjh234 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone for the replies. I guess we will have to take the risk of deposit. Perhaps we can document any prior problems with photos and email them to to the agent as proof, prior to signing the lease.

    One of the things we saw on the Olympia Court listing was a need for references. Considering we are not from Ireland and only there for school, what type of reference are they looking for?

    Is there a grocery store near Olympia Court or a home good store to purchase towels, linens and such?

    They will probably look for a letter from the college to prove that you are a student there and when i rented from book a room they took a photocopy of my passport to prove to them who i was.

    Taking photos when you move is a must do and also make a list of any problems that there might be and list all plates and the like in your new place when you move in and keep a copy for yourself and give the landlord a copy as well.

    Tesco will only be arroccs the road and about at must a 5 min walk from where you are and you can pick up everything that you will need in there. But as you will be nearly as close to the town you can get the stuff you need in Dunnes Stores and Pennys as well.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 19 cjh234


    They will probably look for a letter from the college to prove that you are a student there and when i rented from book a room they took a photocopy of my passport to prove to them who i was.

    Taking photos when you move is a must do and also make a list of any problems that there might be and list all plates and the like in your new place when you move in and keep a copy for yourself and give the landlord a copy as well.

    Tesco will only be arroccs the road and about at must a 5 min walk from where you are and you can pick up everything that you will need in there. But as you will be nearly as close to the town you can get the stuff you need in Dunnes Stores and Pennys as well.

    Thank you so much for this information. We feel much more confident about this area and being able to survive without a car for awhile.

    Any other tips on enjoying Waterford and the surrounding areas will be welcomed. It seems like a pretty fun city with lots to do and see.

    taytobreath - Thank you for the link to Tramore. It does look beautiful, but I think we would like to enjoy some of the city life or at least the first year. Will keep in mind.


  • Registered Users Posts: 972 ✭✭✭Digital Society


    +1 for BookaRoom. They have strict policies that benefit good tenants. They dont take rundown dumps like the rest of the second rate agencies such as Manor properties and Whatever that agency that runs templars Hall. Bookaroom wouldnt take a house in Templars for good reason.
    If landlords are bad Bookaroom just stops representing them. Then Manor properties and Waterford Lettings usually gets the scraps that BookaRoom wont take.

    Also with the photos before you move in that should be done at all time anyway. First thing you always do with the place is take photos.

    Funny thing is BookaRoom do the same without telling you before you move in. Not as in depth but just a couple of pictures of each room. You should literally take 100s of photos of all walls, floors, furniture and tables.


  • Registered Users Posts: 19 cjh234


    Again, thank you for the replies.

    I was corresponding with bookaroom, they provided their availability and the next day I mentioned my wife would be an international PhD student, so would a reference from her home country suffice? The response I received very quickly was that the property was no longer available. While this may be the case, I still see it posted on various sites.

    Has anyone experienced difficulty for international students?

    I only ask because we called another agent and they said they prefer to rent to locals only and a certain property we asked about claimed to have a long wait on it, but was still listed on various sites. They offered to put us on a list.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,772 ✭✭✭taytobreath


    cjh234 wrote: »
    Again, thank you for the replies.

    I was corresponding with bookaroom, they provided their availability and the next day I mentioned my wife would be an international PhD student, so would a reference from her home country suffice? The response I received very quickly was that the property was no longer available. While this may be the case, I still see it posted on various sites.

    Has anyone experienced difficulty for international students?

    I only ask because we called another agent and they said they prefer to rent to locals only and a certain property we asked about claimed to have a long wait on it, but was still listed on various sites. They offered to put us on a list.

    Surely thats discrimination. Regarding references its only a phone call away to check a reference, why would they not accept an international reference providing it has a phone number and is a genuine address


  • Registered Users Posts: 19 cjh234


    Surely thats discrimination. Regarding references its only a phone call away to check a reference, why would they not accept an international reference providing it has a phone number and is a genuine address

    I would think so too, but I want to trust them. Maybe she will just have to show up at their office with all the required paper work and money and request to view apartments.


  • Registered Users Posts: 950 ✭✭✭ellewood


    wellboytoo wrote: »
    Book a room in fairness don't do dumps.


    Greatest shower ever wouldn't go near them other find them great but many would be of the same opinion as me about them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 19 cjh234


    Hello,

    Any one ever lived at or near the Johnstown Bridge area? It looks pretty close to the Old Infirmary, just off Parnell, Upper Johnstown? Sorry I can't add a link.

    Is it a safe walk to bus stop (night and day) quiet, nightlife, food options etc? I see the bus for WIT is about 600 m walk.

    Thanks,

    CJH


  • Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭AnneSam


    I would have to say I found bookaroom absolutely brilliant to deal with. I'm bringing a toddler with me and my roommate is a mature student, they literally fell over backwards to try and find something suitable and within our price range. They vetoed certain properties they had as they were unsuitable for a child to be in etc, I have to say I've found them brilliant. On the part of the property being let but still being advertised, I would believe them - the amount if letting agents I called about properties only to found they had been let, was just appalling, one had been let a month and still advertised, another we went to view and tenants were moving in as we arrived, ridiculous. Stick with Bookaroom, if you want the mobile number of the agent we dealt with PM me, she was very good.


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