Moving back to Dublin, talk to me about the house market

[Paq]

Early on in contemplating a move back to Ireland after 20+ years away and naively horrified at the price of houses! 😱

Has anyone bought a house in Dublin recently? What's it like?

I’ve just applied for a job in Dublin. It’s my preferred location as it’s my home town. But if great jobs come up elsewhere I’d consider them. I work in higher education but have transferable skills.

Thanks, I will add them to the list. The only issue is if I end up working on the south side, that one hour train/car journey ends up as two hours door-to-door.

Maybe look at Wicklow or the olther side of meath like Enfield or even Maynooth as it would be that bit easier to go to southside from there?

Thanks, Shankhill/Bray/Greystones/Wicklow are on the list. Although Greystones and Wicklow are stretching the commute time somewhat!

Both of my adult dcs have been house hunting in the last year and its brutal, ime properties end up going for considerably more than the advertised price. My ds went for a one bed apartment, nothing special, quite small and slightly shabby, asking was 260k, he had to drop out of the bidding at 310k. Every viewing he went to seemed to be people buying to rent it out, he was often the only person viewing who was looking for a home. Soul destroying. He eventually managed to snag a new build with the help of the first home scheme. My mums home, a 3 bed ex council house in good repair but needing a total refurb was listed at 460 and sold for 560. Crazy.

Thanks for sharing, that is worrying! Any signs of the market cooling down??

God no - years of under supply has created huge demands for houses, they can not be built quick enough. Aprox 50,000 houses a year are needed every year to be built to 2030 and only 33,000 built las year alone
Houses delayed due to funding, planning objections, labour, costs, facilities etc Then we move on to not enough schools, GPs creche places etc being available
No where available to rent either

UCD is a pain to get to from East Meath Louth area. To the point where kids are going to Queens in Belfast rather than deal with Dublin commutes. Id stay southside, but people seem to commute from Enniscourthy these days..

I think the market has quietened for the €1.5 million + houses

definitely and even further. they have to deal with the car park that is the n11 at bray before they even hit the m50
leaving home at 5am to try and beat traffic

I know the market is insane, OP, but you actually have a huge cash budget, you will have no trouble finding something in your price range if you’re open with regard to area. I just did a search for 3+ bed houses within a 50km radius of UCD, and this is what came up:
https://www.myhome.ie/residential/ireland/property-for-sale?ai=1&q=3%2B+bed+houses+within+a+50km+radius+of+UCD&page=1&pageSize=50&aiClass=1

If you prefer public transport then being on a train / dart line is a good idea.
UCD is about a 20 minute walk from Sydney Parade Dart or there are feeder buses from stations on the line.

Greystones would be ideal but it’s not particularly rural. It does feel like an affluent country town though.

You could get something like this www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/5-redford-park-greystones-wicklow/4970858

I think your budget should get you something close to UCD if you're happy to go for a 3 bed that's not a new build or turn key. I live in the area and the areas you should look at are: Rathfarnham, Churchtown, Ballinteer, Windy Arbor, Dundrum, Balally, Sandyford, Stepaside, clonskeagh, kilmacud, leopardstown

Look at Clonkeen Road, Cabinteely, Rochestown Avenue and environs too.

A friend bought a solidly built ex council house in Sallynoggin a few years ago with an odd shaped but huge garden. Don't discount ex council houses.

With this list you could try The Park, Cabinteely - I grew up there and my mum still lives there. It’s a quiet, mature estate with good amenities nearby.

It has Cabinteely Park and Cornelscourt shopping centre nearby, and you’re not far from Stillorgan for more shops, and Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire for access to the sea. Not sure about gyms but I’d say there are a few nearby.

Plus you are right next to the N11 which with the bus corridor will get you into UCD fairly quick,(although traffic is getting worse).

With that budget you could get a decent 3/4 bed semi detached that you wouldn’t need to renovate. Here’s a link to one of the larger detached houses that’s under your budget, although who knows what it will actually go for -

https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/house-2-glen-avenue-the-park-cabinteely-dublin-18/6300019

Is it worth considering the North. Newry is increasingly popular and there are plenty of people in Belfast with Dublin based jobs, especially if they can wfh part of each week. You then have access to the Belfast job market as well.

Just curious, as not Irish..why is Ireland so expensive for housing? It has a relatively small population? I get that Dublin is the capital but even so, the prices seem high everywhere.
I recently looked at going to Galway for a few days and even the accommodation there was too steep to justify the trip.

Cost of living here is very high but arguably so are wages and state benefits compared to some other countries. All a balance.

Ah I see. Thanks 🙂

Paq good luck to you. I did the move 2.5 years ago. I’m from south Dublin, I didn’t attempt to get back to there and came to Meath. It’s been a good thing to not slip back (or try) to connect with an earlier life as it never works out like that. I was gone 10 years. I am close to Dublin, but feels mentally so far away. I am enjoying life in Meath.

but

it is insane trying to buy in these gorgeous villages. You need to pick an area you like and then hunt it out and watch and wait. I managed to get this house despite all the horror stories and insane bidding, nail biting stuff. It happened and I owned it from the first viewing to sale agreed to close took about 5 months (this is unheard of here!!!)

good luck!

Because demand outstrips supply mainly.

Constuction costs have risen hugely too.

There's a lot of new builds going up around Kilternan/Carrickmines which wouldn't be a bad commute to UCD. I think there will be more coming too as they are putting in new roads between Kilternan and Carrickmines which cut through a load of fields and they have already put in some turn offs that aren't currently leading to anything. The problem with new builds is that they are generally not good quality because the developers know that they will sell quickly no matter what.

Cabinteely is also worth a look for a smaller, older house in your budget range. Cabinteely spans both sides of the N11 which goes straight to UCD. The N11 has a bike lane and several bus routes if you didn't fancy driving. Stillorgan is closer to UCD on the N11 and you might get a 3 bed semi-detached (of the type that you don't want) in your budget.

Thanks all, so much appreciated. I will have to wait and see if I am offered the job first but this has been so helpful. My move back is contingent on getting a job so once I know where I will be working I can narrow my search.

@Boobyslims I've been gone 25 years! I'm glad your move worked out. I actually grew up in north Dublin and would love to live around Clontarf, Howth or somewhere in-between as that is where my family are, but I would have to check the Dart commute times. DH loves hiking so would prefer to be close to the Wicklow hills.

This is the house for your DH. Quirky, gorgeous view, in the hills (Dublin, but not a million miles from the Wicklow border), commutable to UCD, guaranteed to be a flipping nightmare when it snows.

www.daft.ie/for-sale/house-1-2-greenmount-house-ticknock-road-sandyford-dublin-18/6316721

Those views are amazing! The house is definitely quirky!