estate or private site?

pgj2015 · 10-05-2019 2:07pm #1

im looking to buy a house soon, and i am trying to decide if i will buy a house in an estate or on a private site.

from what i have seen there is no difference in price, i grew up on a private 1 acre site surrounded by trees so there was privacy, we had neighbours each side.

what would you prefer? im leaning towards a private site as i dont really like the idea of cars driving into an estate i have a house,have had trouble with a nut job who took a dislike to me in the past and tried to intimidate me. or nosy neighbours.

also i have seen neighbours in estates at each others throats lately.

_Brian · 10-05-2019 2:10pm

Private site all the way.

But, if you can get one close enough to the town to be connected to town sewer and water it’s a major bonus.

10-05-2019 2:18pm

How about a private estate, away from the hoi polloi

Snow Garden · 10-05-2019 2:21pm

Private site with the full acre if possible. You don't have to use all the extra land but it can be handy. Make sure the water source is good and reliable.

lawred2 · 10-05-2019 2:23pm

pgj2015 wrote: »

im looking to buy a house soon, and i am trying to decide if i will buy a house in an estate or on a private site.

from what i have seen there is no difference in price, i grew up on a private 1 acre site surrounded by trees so there was privacy, we had neighbours each side.

what would you prefer? im leaning towards a private site as i dont really like the idea of cars driving into an estate i have a house,have had trouble with a nut job who took a dislike to me in the past and tried to intimidate me. or nosy neighbours.

also i have seen neighbours in estates at each others throats lately.

but a massive difference in location and available services I presume?

arybvtcw0eolkf · 10-05-2019 2:25pm

If I could I'd go private.

I'm living in an private estate, a lovely area but recently the council have moved three traveler families into three houses (two on my road) and they've the houses and area in bits now.

I could go on a rant, but I'll resist. The problem you have with private estates is you've no control over who your neighbors are going to be.

I've an elderly man living next door, he's been there twenty years and not a peek out of him. He's old and in very poor health, when he dies if the council buy that house I'm out of here and looking at private in north county Dublin.

Bob Harris · 10-05-2019 2:27pm

Aegir wrote: »

How about a private estate, away from the hoi polloi

Not to mention the riff-raff.

Sorry about that · 10-05-2019 2:27pm

If it's just for yourself, a private site for sure.
If you're planning on having children, a nice estate.

pgj2015 · 10-05-2019 2:29pm

lawred2 wrote: »

but a massive difference in location and available services I presume?

maybe a few miles from the town but not a huge distance. i know sewerage and water etc can cause problems but where i grew up which is about 2 miles from town, we never had any real problems.

El_Bee · 10-05-2019 2:29pm

pgj2015 wrote: »

im looking to buy a house soon, and i am trying to decide if i will buy a house in an estate or on a private site.

from what i have seen there is no difference in price, i grew up on a private 1 acre site surrounded by trees so there was privacy, we had neighbours each side.

what would you prefer? im leaning towards a private site as i dont really like the idea of cars driving into an estate i have a house,have had trouble with a nut job who took a dislike to me in the past and tried to intimidate me. or nosy neighbours.

also i have seen neighbours in estates at each others throats lately.

Our wonderful neighbours throw their rubbish on the the street (paying for you bins to be collected??? no thanks) let their little (feral) angels out late to stand outside other peoples houses and shout, throw rubbish in, scream abuse and graffiti on our walls, park their cars right up to our front gate so we can't even get in and out of our own garden, I could go on, but it isn't even close, don't roll the dice living in an estate in dublin unless you have friends and family living there already.

pgj2015 · 10-05-2019 2:31pm

i wont be living in Dublin, im a couple of miles from a town in the west of Ireland.

Deebles McBeebles · 10-05-2019 2:32pm

Harper Itchy Bride wrote: »

I'm living in an private estate, a lovely area but recently the council have moved three traveler families into three houses (two on my road) and they've the houses and area in bits now.

That was settled people dumping their rubbish on the travellers property. Or Amish maybe, always at it.

Mad_maxx · 10-05-2019 2:35pm

pgj2015 wrote: »

im looking to buy a house soon, and i am trying to decide if i will buy a house in an estate or on a private site.

from what i have seen there is no difference in price, i grew up on a private 1 acre site surrounded by trees so there was privacy, we had neighbours each side.

what would you prefer? im leaning towards a private site as i dont really like the idea of cars driving into an estate i have a house,have had trouble with a nut job who took a dislike to me in the past and tried to intimidate me. or nosy neighbours.

also i have seen neighbours in estates at each others throats lately.

In most of the country, its more expensive to buy a site and build a house but you have more input into the kind of house you want

pgj2015 · 10-05-2019 2:36pm

i have no interest in building a house, i will buy one that is already built.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 10-05-2019 2:40pm

Oh, if/when I buy on a small plot I'll have to add the added expense of buying a shotgun to keep me safe from tree surgeons (all my new neighbors are tree surgeons and tarmac layers, must be part of their culture) and tarmac layers.

Oh, I'm asked almost daily if I want my gutters cleaned too.

I'll add a rocking chair too (should pick one up cheap on adverts). Me sitting in my new/secondhand rocking chair & shotgun on my front garden should do the trick.

'Up the Nally

dougm1970 · 10-05-2019 2:41pm

we live in a nice quiet estate, full of kids...a good thing as we have kids...our neighbours are sound...but what worries me about living here is things like if myself and her indoors have an argument and looking over my shoulder to check all windows are closed

....and the dogs, we have one dog who barks a bit in notions, sometimes at night so we have to keep him quiet...and silly things like sitting on a deck chair in middle of summer out the front of your house without neighbours looking at you as they walk by...or working on your car in your drive and not worry about a mess for a day or two....things like that.

upside, to me, of an estate is the benefit of close neighbours (other side of that coin)....like house next door to us had an alarm going off inside, maybe 8 yrs ago, and i rang the neighbour, she said bust in, so myself and another neighbour did..and it was a burst water tank in attic, whole house flooded..we got water stopped but seemingly damage would have been far worse if got later.

also...when we got a dog who after a while didnt get on with cat (ok now) next door helped look after the cat.

so up and down sides for me.

think i'd be ready for a standalone plot next though...we like dogs and cats and could see us even having a donkey or chickens too...if all parties got along

as i get older i get anxious about things like wondering if we are bothering the neighbours in some way...if kids are fighting in house at night or dog barking...so i'd find a standalone house on a plot more relaxing that way.

Aglomerado · 10-05-2019 2:52pm

I live in an estate in a rural village. I'm right out at the front on the main road. Nice neighbours who are quiet but friendly. No tarmac contractors nearby. I live on my own so it's nice to have neighbours nearby.

I wouldn't mind a detached house on a large private site - I grew up in one - but right now I'm happy enough. The worst thing is the wooden fences between me and the neighbours are 12 year old now and beginning to rot and I have a feeling it might be hard to get the absentee landlord of the house on one side to stump up some of the cost of replacing them.

listermint · 11-05-2019 8:43am

This thread is a mess. All it took was 2 pages.

drunkmonkey · 11-05-2019 9:03am

pgj2015 wrote: »

i have no interest in building a house, i will buy one that is already built.

Buy a built one in the town or on the edge, if you can't walk to a shop, school, pub don't buy it. That's the advice I was given by my bank manager, solicitor and accountant.
I nearly bought a few miles out but they convinced me otherwise.

You said west, is the estate walking distance to the beach?

LirW · 11-05-2019 10:06am

Are you willing to maintain a private site? It's a lot more work and a bit more costly than a house in an estate. If you're into it, go for it, if you don't have the time, interest or energy or the money to pay someone to do it for you it can be a burden down the road.
Otherwise pick the location you like more.

scooby77 · 11-05-2019 10:56am

Ideal: detached estate, with reasonable site, in decent town.

Essential: walking distance of amenities or great public transport.
NB Amenities to include where your children, or possible future children, will play sport, music etc and attend many many parties or social events. Otherwise you may as well buy a very comfortable car and put a taxi sign on it!

11-05-2019 11:31am

100% a private site far far better than an estate.

Sorry about that wrote: »

If it's just for yourself, a private site for sure.
If you're planning on having children, a nice estate.

If having kids then even more so go for a private site. Wouldn’t bring kids up in an estate in a fit.

Mad_maxx · 11-05-2019 12:28pm

Mitchell Greasy Spectroscope wrote: »

100% a private site far far better than an estate.

If having kids then even more so go for a private site. Wouldn’t bring kids up in an estate in a fit.

Surely kids have better opportunity to mix and play in an estate?

vkus6mt3y8zg2q · 11-05-2019 12:31pm

Live in an estate currently. Looking to sell and move next year and definitely wont be buying in an estate ever again. Annoying children and inconsiderate car parking are a constant. As well as a residents association knocking on your door trying to get 40 quid a year basically to organise an Easter egg hunt

pgj2015 · 11-05-2019 12:37pm

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Buy a built one in the town or on the edge, if you can't walk to a shop, school, pub don't buy it. That's the advice I was given by my bank manager, solicitor and accountant.
I nearly bought a few miles out but they convinced me otherwise.

You said west, is the estate walking distance to the beach?

good advice, i will take it on board.

no we are about 1 hour from the sea.

bertsmom · 11-05-2019 12:38pm

I currently live in an estate in the west of Ireland. Travellers in the house accross the green and to be fair they are sound decent people. You wouldn't know it was travellers theres no junk around the house.
I've also nice Brazilian people in the house attached to my own but to be honest its a roll of the dice everytime the landlord gets new tennants next door he seems to pick louder groups of foreigners each time. The current ones drop their sweet wrappers etc just wherever they fall for the wind to take and make as much noise as possible.
For me in the future it will definitely be a private house not in an estate.

pgj2015 · 11-05-2019 12:40pm

LirW wrote: »

Are you willing to maintain a private site? It's a lot more work and a bit more costly than a house in an estate. If you're into it, go for it, if you don't have the time, interest or energy or the money to pay someone to do it for you it can be a burden down the road.
Otherwise pick the location you like more.

i know all about it, i grew up on a 1 acre site, my dad is always complaining that its too much to maintain especially as you get older. i am interested in gardening but wouldnt have the time to do much gardening to be honest. could pay someone to do it. a half acre site will do me id say, id be able to manage that.

pgj2015 · 11-05-2019 12:43pm

Mitchell Greasy Spectroscope wrote: »

100% a private site far far better than an estate.

If having kids then even more so go for a private site. Wouldn’t bring kids up in an estate in a fit.

it depends what kind of estate id say, like there are all kinds of estate in the town, council estates to estates where it is occupied by doctors, solicitors etc

11-05-2019 1:41pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Surely kids have better opportunity to mix and play in an estate?

Exactly, wouldn’t want my kids hanging around the estate much prefer them in my own large private garden or just exploring a bit around the county near home, much easier to keep an eye on them. Even more so when they get older no hanging around with groups of friends etc. Friends can come over to play or they can go to friend houses plus the county is just a much nicer place to grow up. Also estate living in general is very unappealing having spent some time renting in them, tiny houses, very limited private outside space, constant parking issues, no room for garages or proper sheds etc etc.

Having grown up in the county on the farm and looking back I would have hated to have grown up in an estate it would have been crap in comparison.

I’m building beside my parents house at home myself, currently working on the plans as it’s going to be fully custom designed and can’t wait to get started on it!

pgj2015 · 11-05-2019 1:51pm

Mitchell Greasy Spectroscope wrote: »

Exactly, wouldn’t want my kids hanging around the estate much prefer them in my own large private garden or just exploring a bit around the county near home, much easier to keep an eye on them. Even more so when they get older no hanging around with groups of friends etc. Friends can come over to play or they can go to friend houses plus the county is just a much nicer place to grow up. Also estate living in general is very unappealing having spent some time renting in them, tiny houses, very limited private outside space, constant parking issues, no room for garages or proper sheds etc etc.

Having grown up in the county on the farm and looking back I would have hated to have grown up in an estate it would have been crap in comparison.

I’m building beside my parents house at home myself, currently working on the plans as it’s going to be fully custom designed and can’t wait to get started on it!

How far will you be from your parents house? I wouldn't fancy living beside my parents, have heard stories before about nosy parents "who was that in the red car that was at your house yesterday at 11.30?"

drunkmonkey · 11-05-2019 2:01pm

You'll miss them when there gone, wouldn't be too concerned living beside them. They know what your like at this stage and could be handy for babysitting or school runs in the future.
I enjoy the garden beats doing the washing up.

Mad_maxx · 11-05-2019 2:20pm

Mitchell Greasy Spectroscope wrote: »

Exactly, wouldn’t want my kids hanging around the estate much prefer them in my own large private garden or just exploring a bit around the county near home, much easier to keep an eye on them. Even more so when they get older no hanging around with groups of friends etc. Friends can come over to play or they can go to friend houses plus the county is just a much nicer place to grow up. Also estate living in general is very unappealing having spent some time renting in them, tiny houses, very limited private outside space, constant parking issues, no room for garages or proper sheds etc etc.

Having grown up in the county on the farm and looking back I would have hated to have grown up in an estate it would have been crap in comparison.

I’m building beside my parents house at home myself, currently working on the plans as it’s going to be fully custom designed and can’t wait to get started on it!

Surely it's more difficult for kids to make friends in a one off housing situation?

OK if parents are from the area but blow ins really struggle

Snow Garden · 11-05-2019 6:05pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Surely it's more difficult for kids to make friends in a one off housing situation?

OK if parents are from the area but blow ins really struggle

Not really no. Kids make their friends at school and in local sports clubs. They find ways to hook up pretty easy. The problems happen when friends inevitably fall out with each other and yet cant avoid each other in the estate.

I coach underage teams and I have always noticed the country kids are generally fitter than the 'urban' estate kids. I guess they do more cycling and walking and mooching around the countryside. I even notice the estate kids are softer - for example I have had kids to my house who had never encountered nettles before!

I grew up in an estate but I now live in a house about 3 miles from a small town.

Mad_maxx · 11-05-2019 6:14pm

Snow Garden wrote: »

Not really no. Kids make their friends at school and in local sports clubs. They find ways to hook up pretty easy. The problems happen when friends inevitably fall out with each other and yet cant avoid each other in the estate.

I coach underage teams and I have always noticed the country kids are generally fitter than the 'urban' estate kids. I guess they do more cycling and walking and mooching around the countryside. I even notice the estate kids are softer - for example I have had kids to my house who had never encountered nettles before!

I grew up in an estate but I now live in a house about 3 miles from a small town.

My fiancé and I are both blow ins, we love our home in the countryside as its huge and cost very little in 2012, however my partner is concerned our two kids will struggle to get picked for teams etc, its so clannish, the kids go to the local playground but it's like the parents instruct the children from they are two to stick to their own

Snow Garden · 11-05-2019 6:19pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

My fiancé and I are both blow ins, we love our home in the countryside as its huge and cost very little in 2012, however my partner is concerned our two kids will struggle to get picked for teams etc, its so clannish, the kids go to the local playground but it's like the parents instruct the children from they are two to stick to their own

I am a blowin too but never had a problem. What age are the kids? I have never seen or heard of underage coaches picking teams according to how many relations were in the local graveyard.

11-05-2019 6:27pm

pgj2015 wrote: »

How far will you be from your parents house? I wouldn't fancy living beside my parents, have heard stories before about nosy parents "who was that in the red car that was at your house yesterday at 11.30?"

About 100 meters or so, opposite end of the same field their house is built in so as not to be in front of another relations house the other side of the road. I’d build it right next door if it wasn’t for facing the other house.

I very much want to live close by to my parents also, very glad that it’s possoble in fact. If they were asking me “who was that car” I wouldn’t care, I’d be asking them the same

. Also very happy to have someone watching the house and vice versa along with other neighboring relations keeping an eye out and a dead end road it’s a very secure place to live.

Mad_maxx · 11-05-2019 6:36pm

Snow Garden wrote: »

I am a blowin too but never had a problem. What age are the kids? I have never seen or heard of underage coaches picking teams according to how many relations were in the local graveyard.

Maybe not with soccer or rugby but it certainly happens in GAA

Snow Garden · 11-05-2019 6:45pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Maybe not with soccer or rugby but it certainly happens in GAA

I have only played and coached GAA and I honestly have never seen it. Many of the coachs are blowins.
What county are you in? It must be a strange club to pick players based on where their parents come from. Very easy to spot in hurling and football if the best players aren't getting picked. I would report the coach if I saw that happening. I never did it or saw it in 15 years of coaching both codes.

NSAman · 11-05-2019 6:46pm

Living in an estate is not my ideal. In Ireland I live in a detached house in a detached housing estate on 1/2 acre.privacy is an issue, kids are an issue, Nosey neighbours and those who try to keep up with the jones’ are an issue.

In the States I live on a private housing estate on 15 acres, secluded, nearest neighbours are 500 mtrs away, ok, upkeep is much more, mowing takes hours but I love it. Trees falling and braches are a pain, but I love the privacy. The dogs can run, chase all types of wildlife (not too happy when they get skunked though)

I could never move back into a semi detached. My retirement home in ireland will be on a few acres and close to town. Again privacy is the issue, it’s private and that’s something I enjoy. My home(s) are a place of relaxation on getting away from people. I work with people all day everywhere numerous meetings etc. etc. when I am home I like to just relax. Having people right next door, being able to hear them would drive me crazy.

puppieperson1 · 11-05-2019 6:48pm

private site - no control on whom your neighbours might be on an estate!!!

id be very wary in these times as good neighbours are everything, good irish neighbours with generations of irish knowledge on gardening and cooking and general neighbourly ness. People who understand you r sense of humour and have read irish literature and know irish history . go for a big site out on its own in a village with nothing so no one else needs to be planted there......

LirW · 11-05-2019 8:31pm

puppieperson1 wrote: »

private site - no control on whom your neighbours might be on an estate!!!

id be very wary in these times as good neighbours are everything, good irish neighbours with generations of irish knowledge on gardening and cooking and general neighbourly ness. People who understand you r sense of humour and have read irish literature and know irish history . go for a big site out on its own in a village with nothing so no one else needs to be planted there......

My Irish neighbours are clannish d1cks though.

Graham · 11-05-2019 11:39pm

Mod Note

keep the racism out of the posts please folks. There will be no further warnings.

Blueshoe · 12-05-2019 10:39am

Aylin Refined Wagon wrote: »

Live in an estate currently. Looking to sell and move next year and definitely wont be buying in an estate ever again. Annoying children and inconsiderate car parking are a constant. As well as a residents association knocking on your door trying to get 40 quid a year basically to organise an Easter egg hunt

Terrible

Graham · 12-05-2019 10:45am

Mod Note

Blueshoe, quit the trolling.

Edgware · 12-05-2019 2:20pm

Snow Garden wrote: »

I am a blowin too but never had a problem. What age are the kids? I have never seen or heard of underage coaches picking teams according to how many relations were in the local graveyard.

You get the odd incident like that in the more backward villages with high levels of in breeding. But most places the coaches will pick on merit. In any case the numbers mightnt be there to allow such bogman attitudes

Mad_maxx · 12-05-2019 3:50pm

A private site is great if you're within twenty minutes drive of a city or big town ( 25000 plus)

DoozerT6 · 12-05-2019 4:47pm

If you're not into gardening, get a small private site for easier management, on the edge of a town or village, so you have your privacy but if you have kids in the future they can still walk to school/friends/activities.

I grew up on c .75 of an acre a decent walk away from the nearest village. The garden took a fair bit of maintenance at the weekends. Many's the time as a teenager I was sent out with the big heavy petrol mower to cut the lawns

I was also just that bit too far away to easily walk into the village on a whim, and went to secondary school in another larger town about 15 miles away, so I often felt a bit isolated. If you do have children in the future and are living in the countryside, be prepared to either chauffeur them places regularly, or prepare for them to spend a lot of time internetting or watching Netflix (or the future equivalent!) once they get too old for imaginative play.

As I get older, I think a small detached place with neighbours and a very small garden, on the outskirts of a town is what I would be aiming for. Not rural or isolated, but not in a heavily built-up area or estate either.

The_Honeybadger · 12-05-2019 4:56pm

Very much depends on the estate. We lived in an estate for six years when our kids were young and we were saving for a deposit. There were a lot of rented units and social housing in it so neighbours changed a lot and there was a bit of anti social behaviour at times. There were a lot of families that let their kids run riot and I didn’t want to let my own kids out tbh.

We bought in a different estate across town a few years ago and it’s fantastic. The houses are well built with adequate parking and there is a big green area in the middle where all the kids congregate and play sports and other games. They are rarely bored and it’s very safe for them. Neighbours are generally all professionals and there is a good residents committee that looks after things. I can walk to a range of shops, pubs etc and the school is on our doorstep. While I like the idea of a private site and grew up in one we couldn’t be happier where we are.

Your neighbours make all the difference in an estate setting. If considering buying in an estate it’s important to do some research, visit the area at different times of the day / week and if you know anybody already living there ask them how they find it.

the_syco · 13-05-2019 12:46am

pgj2015 wrote: »

on a private site

Sorry, but due to local needs, you can't build a house there.

pgj2015 · 13-05-2019 12:50am

im not building, i am buying.

mariaalice · 13-05-2019 10:06am

Grew up in the countryside and lived in a house about 5k outside a small town when the children were young total privacy. I use to leave the front door open all day, fablous views over the sea and habor of the small town, we had one neighbor but they could not see in to us, could have been doing naked handstands and no one would have seen you.

The thing is you might as well be a taxi having children in that situation and you have to drive for every service which can get wareing after a while dont underestimate the amount of time you will be spending in you car even something small like running out of milk mean a car trip.

Lived in two different housing estates for the last 19 years and found it very hard to get use to in the beginning the lack of privicy is hard to understand if you are not used to it. On the other hand its within walking distance of everything shops schools pubs ect, children walk to school here. If you were ever in a position of not driving you are stranded in the countryside but here it would make little distance.

The other issue is you get what you pay for in a estate of bigger older houses they have much bigger gardens, no issue with parking, and more privicey.

estate or private site?

where would you prefer to live? 93 votes

Comments