The Dwelling You Call Home

Live in a detached house which was built around 1900 with herself. On a quiet enough street in a small Dutch town. Our landlord has an office at the front of the house, directly on the street. My girlfriend has been living here almost a year before I moved over here, so gelt very at home as soon as I moved in. We pay feck all rent because of generous rent allowance, even though we both work. Might have to move out in a year's time as landlord might want to sell the house. But until then, we're sitting tight.

Living in a flat made from converting a Victorian terraced house into two dwellings, in a university town in England with my partner. House is nice enough (bay window in the living room, and although it's described as one-bedroom there's actually an additional room that I'm using as an office). Only downside is that as it's student accommodation, the soundproofing between the two 'flats' is non-existent.

For the moment at least, part of me still calls my parents' house back in Dublin 'home'

Myself, the new wife and 2 (even newer) kittens live in a rented 2 bed semi in a very unfashionable area in a borough of Greater London - it's considered as Essex to some but not officially for some time. I really like the area, it's a little rough to the eye but there's never a shortage of things to do, we're a 25 minute train to Liverpool St. and a 40 minute drive the opposite direction to the coast. The houses here were built around 1880 for the rail workers apparently - the tracks are only about 100m up the road. They have great character, Victorian style big bay window at the front. We'll be looking to buy in the next 6 months and would love to find something on this or the adjoining road.

hairyslug wrote: »

Which do people find better as they were growing up, living in an estate or house wherre your neighbours are 500m away on either side. Love the idea of having the land and space but the wife likes the idea of community that comes with living in an estate

I bought my house instead of another thinking like your wife that a new place with neighnours closeby etc was a better choice - social, community etc - biggest misconception ever - people go from door to car & are out working or long commuting every day. If you have kids you will make the social connections anyway because of them / People only mske the effort then.
"When" I buy again I will do what I should have the first time - big place, more space & large garden, detached, no endless noise ,no weekend day long discarded roaring kids kicking balls into the sides of cars & swinging by screaming at full tilt every 20 minutes , no barking dogs discarded in small gardens all day, norevving mototbikes at stupid o clock, or insipid neighbours alongside with their parking on the grass verges & outside my house wrecking my verge but always leaving theirs free.

If I need company or chat there is the pub, GAA, shops, school, community groups etc. Most areas have a fB page now too - its different now to even 10 years ago.

Re an estate; Never again. Buy big & detatched if you at all can. You're stuck with your neighbours for life & just because you have good values & were brought up well dosn't mean they were or are necassarily people you want to know or have anything to do with.

And just because you bought in a good area - like I did - that wont mean they wont put scumbags in beside you or God know who or what - the state will be paying their rent for life - no barriers. And please, before the abuse begins about this, there are no 100%'s in anything - good or bad.

I'm reading all these posts in the style of the opening credits to Hart to Hart....

In the midst of owning, ( donkeys years) I had to move out and rent twice - each time for periods of 3 months or so. I was never happier! Once was to a small room en suite in a large dark beautiful appartment ( which I never spent time in!) - I spent all my time out in the city ( overseas) & was as happy as muck!

The other time I rented an old converted cottage with small enclosed garden miles from anywhere & again spent all my time pottering about, having people over for dinner ( v isolated spot), walking the dog & working from " home" - it was cold, 200 years old, with a rock hard couch & draughty rooms but I was so stress free & as happy as larry. Having a good stress free happy environment is everything. Everything else is cosmetic.

Myself, OH & 2 kids in a 3 bed semi in a small town with loads of amenities - we're in walking distance to a great variery of shops, bars and reataurants. Extended the kitchen and converted the attic. Can't see us ever moving. :-)

Bought my house 28 years ago. I'm ahem.... mature now lol. A woman too. One of the few to get a mortgage then without permission from a man somewhere! It's a mile from the family homestead. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

Still here. Will be taken out in a box too. Love it. Not overlooked, the park and the mountain views out the back, inside M50, twenty minutes to town. Everything on the doorstep.

I consider myself very fortunate altogether. But it wasn't easy back in the 80s either. Mortgage rates were horrendous. But I survived.

All paid off now, and the security of owning your own home is beyond anything else. Sorry didn't mean to offend anyone trying to do it. Hope it works out for ya.

We, my husband and 18 year old son and myself, live in a cottage built in and around the 1920's. Before that we lived in a very nice

housing estate in Dublin. After my son was born we moved down country.

We renovated the cottage and added on a kitchen and bathroom. The cottage is small and quirky but the lack of storage is a bit of a

nightmare. The garden is fantastic and quite big and the sense of peace there is wonderful. We are separated by fields from our

amazing neighbours. People in the local village are the nicest people you could meet, you could go out to get a litre of milk and

arrive home two hours later because you had so many people to have to chat to.

I'm not from Dublin but I did live there for many years and I missed it so much when I left in 1998.

I will retire in 8 years time ad I don't think I will stay where I am living now.

Live in Limerick with wife and two kids in the 1st and 2nd floors of a 3 floor building. There's an apartment on the ground floor.

No garden which is a pain, but after 4 years in a shoebox in Tokyo, this 3-bedroom place is grand and spacious.

Living in a two bed cottage in Co. Waterford on my own. Mum passed on last year leaving me this place-only child, no other immediate family- and been living here since January this year.

Was brought up in this town but not this house, Mum downsized to this place when she got older. Was nice in the summer by the sea and it's lovely to own my own place but I know no-one down here any more except those on my course and can't wait to get back up to the East coast next year to be close to my friends, I miss them terribly and feel lonely down here.

The idea was to move down here for a year from Wicklow to save money living rent free and do a horticulture course as a mature student-which I love, but I'll be more than ready to move up to Dublin next year to transfer to the Botanic Gardens (hopefully!) for the next year of my course.

Will sell up this place eventually and use it as a deposit on a place either in Wicklow or Dublin. Or at least that's the plan.