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Frascati Hall in Blackrock. Anything wrong about it?

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  • 13-07-2017 9:59am
    #1
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭


    Looking at buying property at the moment, and apartments in that particular block seem a bit cheaper than average for the area. Is there anything wrong about it I should know?

    It is at the corner of Frascati Road and Sweetsman Avenue (building where Ulster Bank used to be). As far as I can see the location is fairly good. I can just see not so great looking large houses with apartments at the back which are very close to the development. Anything wrong with those?


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    #2
    uch
    Registered Users Posts: 7,008 ✭✭✭uch


    No, lovely area

    21/25



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    #3
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭Bob24


    uch wrote: »
    No, lovely area

    Cheers. The general area seems very nice indeed. You know if the bigs houses with apartments behind the development are private housing?


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    #4
    caviardreams
    Registered Users Posts: 5,440 ✭✭✭caviardreams


    Do you mean St Anne's Square? I think they are social housing / council flats.


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    #5
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭Bob24


    caviardreams wrote: »
    Do you mean St Anne's Square? I think they are social housing / council flats.

    Thanks. I think that might be it but can't tell for sure from google map.

    I am attaching a screenshot from google street view of the one I am talking about.

    At least at lunch time it seemed petty quiet. Just it doesn't look as good as the rest of the area, which I don't care about but what I was wondering is more if there are noise/poor behaviour issues related to the block as it is just a few meters away.

    IMG_0548.jpg


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    #6
    caviardreams
    Registered Users Posts: 5,440 ✭✭✭caviardreams


    They are the ones I was thinking of, but I don't live beside them so can't help you out as to whether there is noise etc.! Sorry! Good luck with your decision anyway :)


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    #7
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭Bob24


    caviardreams wrote: »
    They are the ones I was thinking of, but I don't live beside them so can't help you out as to whether there is noise etc.! Sorry! Good luck with your decision anyway :)

    Thanks, just having the name of the place still is useful.

    I guess when you research a place you can always find issues but just googling "Saint Anne's square blackrock" returns a couple of unpleasant things.


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    #8
    uch
    Registered Users Posts: 7,008 ✭✭✭uch


    Anne's square is grand, I wouldn't be worried at all,

    21/25



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    #9
    spillit67
    Registered Users Posts: 642 ✭✭✭spillit67


    Those are nice apartments but you are beside a dual carraige way & the small bit of older social housing posted above which is a little unsightly more than anything else. Nothing wrong with it at all but it will knock off a few K of the price naturally. No issues with the area - it's Blackrock.


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    #10
    Olga2016
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭Olga2016


    Bob24 wrote: »
    Looking at buying property at the moment, and apartments in that particular block seem a bit cheaper than average for the area. Is there anything wrong about it I should know?

    It is at the corner of Frascati Road and Sweetsman Avenue (building where Ulster Bank used to be). As far as I can see the location is fairly good. I can just see not so great looking large houses with apartments at the back which are very close to the development. Anything wrong with those?

    Hi Bob24, I have exactly the same issue here. Thinking of buying an apartment in the same building, but not sure about the area after seeing the social flats at the back... Is there something I should be concerned about? It seems really tidy and quiet to me, but still..


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    #11
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭Bob24


    Olga2016 wrote: »
    Hi Bob24, I have exactly the same issue here. Thinking of buying an apartment in the same building, but not sure about the area after seeing the social flats at the back... Is there something I should be concerned about? It seems really tidy and quiet to me, but still..

    In the end I decided not to buy. The flats are the main reason for my decision but to be honest it is just due to my fear of possible issues, I haven't actually witnessed anything bad myself. If you google the name of the flats you'll also find that a drug addict living there was convicted for pharmacy robbery in 2012, I guess it could happen anywhere but on the other end I haven't found that kind of think with other properties.

    Another thing which got me a bit worried is that the price seemed a bit too good for this type of place in Blackrock and the apartment had been on sale for several weeks with no offer (I can actually still see it as available and the agency called me back a few times), which is definitely a bit unusual in the current property market where good places generate a lot of interest, so I kind of got thinking I am not the only one having concerns about it.

    If you want to send me the apartment number in a PM I can confirm whether the one you are looking st is the same one I saw back in July.


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    #12
    Olga2016
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭Olga2016


    Bob24 wrote: »
    In the end I decided not to buy. The flats are the main reason for my decision but to be honest it is just due to my fear of possible issues, I haven't actually witnessed anything bad myself. If you google the name of the flats you'll also find that a drug addict living there was convicted for pharmacy robbery in 2012, I guess it could happen anywhere but on the other end I haven't found that kind of think with other properties.

    Another thing which got me a bit worried is that the price seemed a bit too good for this type of place in Blackrock and the apartment had been on sale for several weeks with no offer (I can actually still see it as available and the agency called me back a few times), which is definitely a bit unusual in the current property market where good places generate a lot of interest, so I kind of got thinking I am not the only one having concerns about it.

    If you want to send me the apartment number in a PM I can confirm whether the one you are looking st is the same one I saw back in July.

    Thanks! Exactly... Possible issues that's what I am also concerned about. Otherwise location is quite good. Still considering...


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    #13
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭Bob24


    Olga2016 wrote: »
    Thanks! Exactly... Possible issues that's what I am also concerned about. Otherwise location is quite good. Still considering...

    Yes besides that the location is great within a short walk of the DART, blackrock village and the shopping centres. The windows of the apartment I was looking at were really facing the flats and just a few meters away though so even minor noise issues could have became an annoyance. I think had it been on the other side of the building I might have considered it. Or the other block called Les Buisssonet just across the main road.

    Also on the plus side I just remembered there is a Garda station just next door which should help keep things ok. I didn't bother as I had made my decision anyway but maybe it's worth asking them if there are any issues?


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    #14
    Olga2016
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭Olga2016


    Yes, I know that Garda is just next door :-) Seems kid of funny in this case. I totally agree with you, if the windows of this apartment was not facing the flats, that would be totally different story. As well as the price.


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    #15
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭Bob24


    Based on what you say I think the appartement I was looking at is the same you are looking at now and our thought process is pretty much the same :-)


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    #16
    Bob24
    Registered Users Posts: 10,905 ✭✭✭✭Bob24


    Another reason I just found out about, which explains the limited interest in those apartments:
    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/blackrock-apartment-owners-face-25-000-bill-for-defects-1.4011690

    Serious defect, the windows are starting to rot and all need replacement at a fairly hefty cost (and previously there was an issue with fireproofing).


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    #17
    KoalaBear98
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭KoalaBear98


    Lived in this apartment block for 5 years. As Bob24 mentioned, there was some issue in some apartments with this and this is being fixed in 2020 with completely new windows. Our apartment had very few/no issues, but the windows are being replaced anyway.
    Bob24 wrote: »
    Another reason I just found out about, which explains the limited interest in those apartments:


    Serious defect, the windows are starting to rot and all need replacement at a fairly hefty cost (and previously there was an issue with fireproofing).

    For us the location was fantastic.
    - 5-7 minute walk to the dart, several bus services (7,4,46e,17,114,84a) and even the night bus that runs every hour so no need for taxi's, etc.
    - getting into town (where we work) from leaving our apartment took 20 minutes on the dart even in rush hour and 30 minutes on the bus at most. at non rush hour times, 20 minutes on public transport into town, so that was fantastic
    - cycling into town took just 25 minutes and the entire way is pretty flat
    - less than 5 minutes walk from Supervalu + frascati Shopping center + blackrock market + the village
    - blackrock park, carysfort park, etc are also less than 10 minutes away
    - 10 minute walk to seapoint and there is quite a nice swimming area there
    - there is a gym less than a minute from the entrance of the block
    - there are several primary and secondary schools in walking distance too so this might be a bonus for some.
    Everything was in such close proximity and that was a big bonus for us, so we loved it.

    We also had really great neighbours, and that was a huge plus. Everyone in the block was chatty and friendly, which in our experience was very uncommon for apartment blocks so we were delighted about this.

    For those raising concerns about surrounding areas, its right beside the Garda station as previously mentioned and there has never been any issue with any unruly behaviour or noise issues in our experience of living there for 5 years. There is even a small courtyard area/ common space between the block and the next set of houses/apartments, and we frequently used this open space with no problems.

    It is right beside the main road (N31/frascati road) but even with this we never really had any issue with car/truck noises.


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