Holywell', Kilcoole. Good place to buy and live?

DubOnHoliday

Hollywell looks grand from the outside. However the land was a bog before the houses were built so I can completely understand the drainage issues. I looked at these houses in 2007, but chose elsewhere. Thanking my lucky starts I didn't pay the 520k they were looking for the 3 beds in 07.

finnis

Phase's 1 & 3 was built on good land. I'm afraid phase 2 was built on a bog.

heavyballs

having a problem with the central heating,in my old house there was a lever in the hotpress that increased the presure in the system as it's now at 0,i can't find one in this house,any help appreciated.

geem

If buying a house in Greystones or kilcoole or anywhere for that matter ask the old people their opinion. There are houses built on, over and near rivers, there are houses built on old sandpits etc. The old people will tell you straight.

Jobo32

Give Ciaran (the younger foreman) a shout. He turned a screw in our hotpress and pressure returned. Unfortunately, I wasn't there when he adjusted it, so I don't know exactly which one he did.

carser

Hey

Some help needed please, we are seriously considering buying a house in phase 3 in Holywell, we have heard a few things that people might be able to shed light on?

1 - Kingscroft are in financial difficulty and as a result have promised to include more than the average "Social affordable" allocation than normal?

2 - Road surfacing very bad

3 - Builders lack of co-operation in realtion to any house problems that may arrise

All advice from people welcome, thanks

Jobo32

1- Cant comment.
2- Road surfacing in phase 1 wasn't done until phase 2 was completed. Some delaying going on there. Still no road names in phase 2. Minimal lighting in phase 2. All of these after much complaining by the residents. God knows when they will surface phase 2. Also, the council gave them a condition to complete the side walk from the estate towards the main street. Still waiting.
3- Major issue. And this was the case when the full teams were are site. Now there is a handful of skeleton staff around. Good luck getting any co-operation.

I am an owner in phase 2. I would simply say to you; don't do it. The quality is very poor. Typical celtic tiger homes. Cheaply and unprofessionally built. eg stairs not fastened to the wall, first floor beams (joices?) are not solid, but 2 pieces joined by metal brackets, chipboard floors upstairs (not screwed down), partition walls nailed instead of screwed down (come loose and squeak), sound travels throughout house, I know of other houses that have water coming through back doors, someone in phase 1 is still chasing them through courts for water coming through the windows upstairs, no drainage in gardens, crap and sparse grass seed etc etc. Kingscroft will shaft you and give you no aftersales respect. Keep your dignity. Honestly

littlemaxi

1 - Kingscroft are in financial difficulty and as a result have promised to include more than the average "Social affordable" allocation than normal?

Just thought id post the following about "social affordable" houses.. As an affordable house purchaser in 2001, i can assure you that this is the least of your worries when making a purchasing decision..

The basic criteria is income related, and the only real difference is that the Co. Council loans the mortgage, rather than a bank (not a bad thing, i might add). See below.. nothing to be sniffed at in my opinion.. there are also minimum income levels, so at least one person must be fully employed.

"The income test

Single income household: If your gross income (before tax) in the last income tax year was €40,000 or less, you are eligible.
Two income households: Multiply the gross income (before tax) of the higher earner in the last income tax year by 2.5 and add the gross income of the other earner in the last income tax year. If the answer is €100,000 or less, you are eligible"

Oldlegs

littlemaxi wrote: »

1 - Kingscroft are in financial difficulty ....
[/I]

Be wary of Kingscroft. Bought a house from them a few years back. Make VERY sure you get a surveyor to do a FULL snag list and withhold some of the final payment subject to the snag list being fully addressed.

In the current climate, it is a buyers market - not the developers - time for Kingscroft to build to a decent standard.

Some very basic examples I saw ..
1. Red & Blue valves on the plumbing attached to the wrong pipes (50% change of getting it right !)
2. Some external vents in the walls inserted UPSIDE down !
3. Inadequate fitting of insulation
4. Builders rubble left under the topsoil (typical for a lot of developers)
Oh yeah ...
5. Roof tiles not nailed down, merely placed on top of each other.

wicklowgal

We're also seriously considering buying a 3 bed semi-d in phase 3 in Holywell. Anybody else here bought a phase 3 house? How are you getting on?

Also any other nice estates that people would recommend in Kilcoole? We're not set on Holywell either but would like something relatively new or in good shape.

DubOnHoliday

wicklowgal wrote: »

We're also seriously considering buying a 3 bed semi-d in phase 3 in Holywell. Anybody else here bought a phase 3 house? How are you getting on?

Also any other nice estates that people would recommend in Kilcoole? We're not set on Holywell either but would like something relatively new or in good shape.

Woodstock, nice quiet estate.

j@utis

Jobo32 wrote: »

I am an owner in phase 2. I would simply say to you; don't do it. The quality is very poor. Typical celtic tiger homes. Cheaply and unprofessionally built. eg stairs not fastened to the wall, first floor beams (joices?) are not solid, but 2 pieces joined by metal brackets, chipboard floors upstairs (not screwed down), partition walls nailed instead of screwed down (come loose and squeak), sound travels throughout house, I know of other houses that have water coming through back doors, someone in phase 1 is still chasing them through courts for water coming through the windows upstairs, no drainage in gardens, crap and sparse grass seed etc etc. Kingscroft will shaft you and give you no aftersales respect. Keep your dignity. Honestly

Honestly :rolleyes: if you want quality - built it yourself for yourself. that's the only way. developer is a businessman. quality isn't in his objectives. don't be naive.
btw, chipboard was screwed down in our one and my partner put some extra screws in just to be sure to be sure. noise travels through the house the same way like in the other this type of houses. we dug some styrofoam out in the back garden last summer, till then I didn't know that styrofoam was a natural resourse

We bought in Holywell almost 2 years ago, not sure what phase that'd be. It is the warmest house I've lived in so far (out of 5 others while renting). Last winter we were getting gas bills for about 160e/month - that doesn't sound too little I know; but some time in spring a guy from bordgas came to read the meter and next month we got a bill stating that we were 380e in credit. Half of last November bill was covered by that overpayment. I should try to locate all the gas bills and calculate an average one day...
I can't comment on the pubs as I don't have a drinking problem. My partner goes for 2-3hrs walks on the beach almost everyday - never a problem apart the dog poop and the start by the train platform.
I love the area - it's very very quiet, and the solar panels on the roof are god sent - from march to october hot water is always in the tap, naturally Getting onto N11 is always a smooth ride - never any traffic around here. Value for money is great - our mortgage is half the rent price we used to pay. recession, austerity measures, horse meat? not a bother, live and laugh.