Buying a house in Cork city

Prim_rose2020 · 01-02-2021 3:46pm #1

I am hoping to move to Cork City shortly. I will be working in Hanover St. I am moving by myself so I don’t need schools etc. I want to be within 30/35 min walk of Hanover St.
I am looking for a modern 2 bed apartment/house in the south side of the city. (Max 200k budget)
I hope to live somewhere between Cork university Hospital and St Finbars Hospital out as far as the N40 approx.
Is this a rough area? If there are any areas to avoid please let me know.
I would like to swim before work. Are there any decent swimming pools in this area?
Are there any decent apartment blocks or apartments I should avoid in this area? (e.g. student apartment block are out).
What areas flood? How far away from the river would be safe?
What is like to get home at night after the nightclub. Are there plenty of taxis or do people take buses etc. I want a social life but I don’t want to live in a traffic area at night where you can hear everyone coming out of the pubs.
I also have to park my car. So I need safe parking at night.
If I cannot find anything in this area, I was very interested in living on the Midleton train line. Is there any of these stops you would avoid? Is there a lot of antisocial behaviour on this line (beyond an odd scuffle)
What areas of Midleton flood. Would I safe enough buying above the train station. Someone once wrote only the bottom half of Midleton flooded. How far up the town do the floods reach?
Is there any other suburbs that would have a bus that arrives before 8am in the morning for work.
Is there any other suburbs I should look into that are about 20 mins on a bus that has a regular bus service to and from the city?

Caranica · 01-02-2021 4:02pm

Maybe try the Cork forum for more local answers?

skooterblue2 · 02-02-2021 7:43am

Right you have a load of gaps in your aspirations. 200k won't get you much in cork city, for what you expect, emphasis on the word "Expect". UCC have a lovely sports facility at the end of the mardyke, suit you grand. Cork buses are like boy bands, there is one every 15 minutes. Look on routes 5 & 208. You can't have life both ways. You can't expect to live in the country and have the great social life where you fall into bed after a night out life isn't like that. Go rent, in Cork for a year.

Kerry25x · 02-02-2021 6:36pm

Maybe consider the northside of the city, its more budget friendly and somewhere like Blackpool or Shandon area is less than half an hour walk to Hanover Street.

skooterblue2 · 02-02-2021 7:48pm

Kerry25x wrote: »

Maybe consider the northside of the city, its more budget friendly and somewhere like Blackpool or Shandon area is less than half an hour walk to Hanover Street.

True is more budget friendly, judging from the tone of the OP, and having lived at the top of Shannon Street and close to blackpool it's not going to suit them! They are looking for 5th avenue on a Harlem budget. Either revise expectations or find another 50k. The only apartments in Cork for less than 200k are student apartments for rental. A year living in a new city is a great education. On the other hand there is a massive recession coming so in theory you could get a nice house in Wilton or bishops town if the economy dips that low.

IHateNewShoes · 02-02-2021 11:00pm

I would for sure advise renting firstly in your situation. Get to know the city and the surrounds before you buy as there are many variables in your questions.

Prim_rose2020 · 03-02-2021 9:25am

Prim_rose2020 wrote: »

I am hoping to move to Cork City shortly. I will be working in Hanover St. I am moving by myself so I don’t need schools etc. I want to be within 30/35 min walk of Hanover St.
I am looking for a modern 2 bed apartment/house in the south side of the city. (Max 200k budget)
I hope to live somewhere between Cork university Hospital and St Finbars Hospital out as far as the N40 approx.
Is this a rough area? If there are any areas to avoid please let me know.
I would like to swim before work. Are there any decent swimming pools in this area?
Are there any decent apartment blocks or apartments I should avoid in this area? (e.g. student apartment block are out).
What areas flood? How far away from the river would be safe?
What is like to get home at night after the nightclub. Are there plenty of taxis or do people take buses etc. I want a social life but I don’t want to live in a traffic area at night where you can hear everyone coming out of the pubs.
I also have to park my car. So I need safe parking at night.
If I cannot find anything in this area, I was very interested in living on the Midleton train line. Is there any of these stops you would avoid? Is there a lot of antisocial behaviour on this line (beyond an odd scuffle)
What areas of Midleton flood. Would I safe enough buying above the train station. Someone once wrote only the bottom half of Midleton flooded. How far up the town do the floods reach?
Is there any other suburbs that would have a bus that arrives before 8am in the morning for work.
Is there any other suburbs I should look into that are about 20 mins on a bus that has a regular bus service to and from the city?

Just to add i will be renting while I'm doing my house search. I want to rent where I buy so I can get a feel for the area. If I can't afford to buy etc the city centre, there is no point renting there. So I'm back to where to rent/buy?
This is merely for advice/options to consider. Cut out aimlessly walking the city and making uninformed decisions that will cost me.
Everything listed is just a list of what I would like.. my preferences/aims ...not necessarily what I will get.. I am realistic and realise I won't get everything listed.
And no I won't be buying based on what I read on the Internet and I will actually go to the city before I invest my entire life savings into a house.

Rows Grower · 03-02-2021 9:37am

skooterblue2 wrote: »

True is more budget friendly, judging from the tone of the OP, and having lived at the top of Shannon Street and close to blackpool it's not going to suit them! They are looking for 5th avenue on a Harlem budget. Either revise expectations or find another 50k. The only apartments in Cork for less than 200k are student apartments for rental. A year living in a new city is a great education. On the other hand there is a massive recession coming so in theory you could get a nice house in Wilton or bishops town if the economy dips that low.

House prices have been rising steadily since the pandemic and will continue to do so.

03-02-2021 9:40am

skooterblue2 wrote: »

True is more budget friendly, judging from the tone of the OP, and having lived at the top of Shannon Street and close to blackpool it's not going to suit them! They are looking for 5th avenue on a Harlem budget. Either revise expectations or find another 50k. The only apartments in Cork for less than 200k are student apartments for rental. A year living in a new city is a great education. On the other hand there is a massive recession coming so in theory you could get a nice house in Wilton or bishops town if the economy dips that low.

You won't have much chance of buying a nice house in Btown or Wilton for 200k even if the economy tanks.

03-02-2021 9:45am

Prim_rose2020 wrote: »

I am hoping to move to Cork City shortly. I will be working in Hanover St. I am moving by myself so I don’t need schools etc. I want to be within 30/35 min walk of Hanover St.
I am looking for a modern 2 bed apartment/house in the south side of the city. (Max 200k budget)
I hope to live somewhere between Cork university Hospital and St Finbars Hospital out as far as the N40 approx.
Is this a rough area? If there are any areas to avoid please let me know.
I would like to swim before work. Are there any decent swimming pools in this area?
Are there any decent apartment blocks or apartments I should avoid in this area? (e.g. student apartment block are out).
What areas flood? How far away from the river would be safe?
What is like to get home at night after the nightclub. Are there plenty of taxis or do people take buses etc. I want a social life but I don’t want to live in a traffic area at night where you can hear everyone coming out of the pubs.
I also have to park my car. So I need safe parking at night.
If I cannot find anything in this area, I was very interested in living on the Midleton train line. Is there any of these stops you would avoid? Is there a lot of antisocial behaviour on this line (beyond an odd scuffle)
What areas of Midleton flood. Would I safe enough buying above the train station. Someone once wrote only the bottom half of Midleton flooded. How far up the town do the floods reach?
Is there any other suburbs that would have a bus that arrives before 8am in the morning for work.
Is there any other suburbs I should look into that are about 20 mins on a bus that has a regular bus service to and from the city?

There's way too much going on in that post to even give you tips on where to look. Wilton has lots of apartments due to proximity to CUH. The whole area is well served by buses and anywhere near the hospitals has ample service. Most places in the general area you are talking about are very safe, but the city centre has gotten noticeably rougher at night in the last few years.

Maybe do some more research on specific areas and people can give you more informed answers/advice.

skooterblue2 · 03-02-2021 11:15am

Deleted User wrote: »

You won't have much chance of buying a nice house in Btown or Wilton for 200k even if the economy tanks.

It did last time, a 350k house peak celtic tiger went down to 180k in Halldene. I had a little cry over that one I couldnt get finance.

skooterblue2 · 03-02-2021 11:17am

Rows Grower wrote: »

House prices have been rising steadily since the pandemic and will continue to do so.

Dont you think it is strange that we are in a recession and there has not been one scandal about a financial institution? What does that tell you? The Dam is about to burst and it will be worse than 1929 when it does happen.

03-02-2021 11:25am

skooterblue2 wrote: »

It did last time, a 350k house peak celtic tiger went down to 180k in Halldene. I had a little cry over that one I couldnt get finance.

A very different type of recession. The property market imploded and there were fire sales. There are no indicators that anything similar is going to happen again.

Stormington · 03-02-2021 11:25am

skooterblue2 wrote: »

Dont you think it is strange that we are in a recession and there has not been one scandal about a financial institution? What does that tell you? The Dam is about to burst and it will be worse than 1929 when it does happen.

Thank God for thoughts like this. It is fuel for the world's economies to keep pumping.

You are right about renting first to get a feel for the city.

skooterblue2 · 03-02-2021 11:28am

Deleted User wrote: »

A very different type of recession. The property market imploded and there were fire sales. There are no indicators that anything similar is going to happen again.

There were no indicator the last time either, all the experts ignored the obvious and carried on, 40% of the workforce were dependent on the construction sector. You cannot have continuous growth without some sort of down turn. Everyone blames the builders but the real problem laid with the banks and the regulators. You have had the Federal reserve printing money to keep wall street hitting new highs of the Dow Jones of over 30,000. Bit coin is over $33k. Gold is at an all time high. Can no one hear the steam valve whistling? It can't go for much longer at this pace.

03-02-2021 11:33am

skooterblue2 wrote: »

There were no indicator the last time either, all the experts ignored the obvious and carried on, 40% of the workforce were dependent on the construction sector. You cannot have continuous growth without some sort of down turn.

I'm not going to get into that now. If you can get a nice 3-4 bedroom house in Bishopstown that does not have significant subsidence issues at the price you are talking in the next few years, then fair play.

Dolbhad · 03-02-2021 3:37pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I'm not going to get into that now. If you can get a nice 3-4 bedroom house in Bishopstown that does not have significant subsidence issues at the price you are talking in the next few years, then fair play.

What’s the saying for houses in that area - you only have houses that have been underpinned and houses yet to be underpinned.

Buying a house in Cork city

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