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How do you decide on where to buy a house and live?

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  • 28-07-2009 10:42am
    #1
    greenedge
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭


    Any advice please for a first time poster!
    Have saved a deposit to buy a site and build a detached family home for young couple and child with views of the countryside, but we're finding it difficult to decide on an area. Have looked in Skerries, Limerick and Clare. Would like to be near nature and walks by the sea. Originally from Clare and living in North Dublin. Any advice on how to decide on where to live. Looking on Daft and estate agents sites isn't getting us any where!
    Thanks..


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    #2
    Galwaydogs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭Galwaydogs


    I think, in general, it is good for a couple with a child to be near some grandparent and, ideally, to have other family around to help out in any way possible. So, if you are both from Co. Clare, I'd be looking for somewhere in Co. Clare within two miles of a grandparent or other supportive family member. This would also be good for the aging grandparent.

    Other factors:



    Your Finances
    Availability of Childcare
    Health and Safety of your Child
    Future Social Life of your Child
    Extracurricular Activities of your Child
    Schools (Primary and Secondary) and Work
    Proximity of Health Services, particularly as you grow older
    Church
    Proximity of Supermarket
    What size house do you want? Do you want space for a piano?
    Will you have a dog?
    Are you happiest in a more urban environment or in a more rural one (hint: when you plan your holidays, do you gravitate towards a city or do you look for nice country views)?


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    #3
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 41,582 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    greenedge wrote: »
    Any advice please for a first time poster!
    Have saved a deposit to buy a site and build a detached family home for young couple and child with views of the countryside, but we're finding it difficult to decide on an area. Have looked in Skerries, Limerick and Clare. Would like to be near nature and walks by the sea. Originally from Clare and living in North Dublin. Any advice on how to decide on where to live. Looking on Daft and estate agents sites isn't getting us any where!
    Thanks..

    a few years ago local authorities were given guidelines pertaining to applications for dwellings in rural areas. The basic premise of these guidelines was that rural housing should be prohibited unless the applicant can should sufficient need for a dwelling in the locality. These 'local needs' can be in the form of:
    (1) a long standing affiliation between the applicants family and the townland
    (2) the requirement for a rural house on a family farm
    (3) the need to live in the area due to work ie forestry, agriculture etc
    (4) returning emigrants who had an affiliation with the townland
    (5) a need to live in the rural area due to medical reasons...

    most councils enforce these guidelines fairly strictly. therefore, generally, no local need equals no permission granted.

    There are some relaxations, however, to these guidelines. Each council was to identify and label certain areas of the county under how 'urban generated rural housing' was affecting each area. This showed that most counties have large areas under pressure from urban generated rural housing (which is how the ops situation would be labelled). However, some counties have shown that certain areas have seen a fall off in population. These areas are identified as 'structurally weak' areas and most counties have policies to promote rural housing in these areas. Areas such as 'near the sea' etc would be very protected against urban generated rural housing.

    These areas (structurally weak), by definition, are in deep rural areas with few public utilities. the councils want to promote rural housing in these areas so that rural services such as post offices, doctors, transport etc can be maintained and provided on an equitable and cost effictive basis. Otherwise the population declines and the areas are further cut off from built up areas such as villages and towns.

    To the OP, I think you need to identify firstly where you would like to live. Then research the counties development plan to see if there are areas identified as 'structurally weak'.... then seek out a few possible sites. The next step would be to organise pre-planning meetings with the local planners to see how they would view your application. Find sites with:
    1. good percolation, (existing flora growth is an indication of soil conditions)
    2. good sightlines (in excess of 90m in both directions)
    3. not in areas of conservation
    4. not in areas of special control
    5. not on strategic regional roads
    6. not within aquifer protection areas


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