Moving back 2 kids (yet Another thread)

[Fupoffyagrasshole]

I know it’s been done to death! But anyway here I am asking again!

we are both Irish (family in Dublin) living in north London 15 years - kids 2 & 5

planning our move back in time for oldest to start secondary school so have a bit of time yet but obviously it’s a big thing so getting started on planning now!

husband getting a job would be step 1! Likely he would move back ahead of me and live in his parents when he starts his new job

il stay here finish out the school year and sort out selling the house etc

main thing I don’t understand how to tackle is how to find a school - if we live with our parents for a bit before we find a house then this may not be the area we end up staying (we are likely going to need up a little out than Dublin -eg dunshaughlin)

how is this going to work ? Do we need husband to have gone back way before summer holidays to find where we want to live to be sure we find a school? It’s so confusing to know how to time this!!

Good point on the pps - we both have ours anyway from living there before!!
but will need to sort for the kids - it’s really making me feel like it’s all too much hassle hahah

but I miss my family so much (here right now for Easter break and being together will all the cousins - my kids are having a ball) and my parents are getting older and just really think we need to come back soon.

husband deffo needs to have a job offer here before we can even start thinking about moving (he’s the higher earner - I shouldn’t have issues finding something I wouldn’t think once we do move and I have some freelance bits that I can continue anyway to keep me going even after we move so not as urgent)

im thinking now trying to make the logistics all work is trying to figure out area to move and potentially rent first then buy (but I know how hard it is to find places to rent these days - and trying to find somewhere to buy) as I’m worried now about having to move kids schools more than once in short space of time if we are at parents then move to a completely diff area once we buy 🫠😭)

PPS proccess for kids is easy enough. I think we just needed my PPS and their birth certificates. And the man in the Intero office was lovely, welcomed them to Ireland and gave them a lolly!

Hi OP, we moved over with three kids 20 months ago. We timed it so our eldest would go into junior infants (as one of the older ones) . Ended up having to live with in laws a lot longer than anticipated, I don't think you can bank on renting, the rental market is mental. I would plan if you can to be with your parents as long as it takes to get a house bought (you have that enormous advantage over the thousands of workers in Dublin from around the country and abroad competing for a small number of properties). Also, our mortgage process was an absolute balls, they would only lend a very small amount based on DH's UK salary as they don't like to take the risk of currency fluctuations (he was planning to stay in UK job until we got a mortgage approved). So he had to change to an Irish job, then complete probation (6 months is standard here), then start the whole process again. Plus you need to be saving a lot more than what your mortgage repayments would be in a separate account, and not touch a penny of it or the entire process will have to start again (I am not making this up). We had a 70% deposit for our house btw. In the end, we borrowed the remainder from my sister and repaid her after we got the mortgage through. I am not saying this to be unduly negative, just to prepare you for housing market challenges. In fact, now we are settled, I feel like we have made the best choice ever. Our children are so happy and content here. Life is good. Also, you know this already probably (but I didn't, having been born and raised in the UK) the standard of schooling here is amazing across the board. We are in a smallish rural school with DEIS funding and the standard of education has blown me away. We were previously living in an ultra competitive London suburb where parents moved two streets down the road at a massive premium to get into a particular school. What I'm saying is, I wouldn't fret too much about getting into a particular school (although maybe the Dublin natives will correct me on that assumption). I would start putting wheels in motion as soon as you can practically.

@Bolonese don’t forget to switch to Irish child benefit, it will be backdated to when you arrived here too.

This is great advice. A kind soul let us know when we started applying. Tight for money after buying a house and we suddenly get a big cheque in from the Irish government. I had to call my family to tell them the news, couldn't believe it. Ireland is a truly amazing place for families.

@Bolonese that is nice to hear as there have been a fair few Ireland bashing threads on here over the years. I have lived abroad and always came back, it is almost like a sanctuary for me.

This I super helpful @Bolonese

Wow that’s insane about the mortgage 🫠🫠 we will have around 250k euro deposit so though this would have us in a good place - but what you’ve said doesn’t sound great 🤭🤭 my husband will hopefully be working in an Irish job anyway so this will help - (we won’t be moving without him having a new job at a minimum)

I think my main concern is living with parents kids starting school and then moving house yet again the following year and another new school!

but what can you do I suppose!!

i will be much happier sending her to an Irish secondary school for sure !

@Fupoffyagrasshole Will you be aiming to live around the same vicinity as your parents?

edited to add I see you might be moving further out.

Sanctuary is the word. It's bliss. I'm sure you appreciate it all the more for your time abroad.

I know people who did a long commute to primary for a while so they wouldn’t have to move the kids twice. Not sure if that’s doable at all but worth considering maybe?

yes I was going to suggest this, if you know you are moving to a certain area maybe try to get into a school there anyway.

Hmm long commute be hard once I’m working too!!

BUT we do plan to move near my sister eventually - so there could be a way to possibly work from hers or something if we could work from home a few days for example or rope sister into helping us a bit hahah (her daughter be in primary too so if we could get them in same school (trying to get creative here) 😬😬

Yeh it's a tricky one. The suggestions above regarding commuting to your desired school could be a good option?! We did a year in a random pre school for our eldest, but I know it's not the same as moving a couple of kids in primary school. You could maybe get them signed up for GAA closest to the primary school they will eventually land at so they have some friends when they start. Or could your husband work in Ireland for the year before the rest of you move over, and fly back on the weekend?! None of it ideal I know!

Having been back now a few days for my visit

totally changed my mind on possible move to near sister in dunshaughlin - I can’t cope with the bus to the city centre (and that’s likely where we will work with the type of jobs we do )

I think it will need to be Dublin so we can cycle in and out to work tbh! (I already cycled from swords to Stephen’s green for many years - so am aware how crap cycle lanes and stuff are - but it seems to be be getting slightly better - also for us a smaller house better location is better for us I think - making day to day life better (I also don’t think we’d cope with swords - this is where parents are)

plus if we did this we could deffo do the longer commute to school in general area of where we want to live (drive swords to the school in the mornings)

(aware trying to get houses in Dublin seems to be a nightmare- supply and demand issues and people paying way over the asking prices etc

im glad we are starting to think about this now as it sounds like a real puzzle and project for us and it’s not going to be an easy move 🤭🤭🤭