Ballymacool Woods

KERSPLAT!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=72542477

Here ya go

I moved to Ballymacool Woods nearly 4 months ago and so far its great, no problems at all. Neighbours are friendly and helpful and the estate is kept pretty well. I might just be lucky in the house we got but in general from walking around the estate, everywhere seems fine

Flibbles

Depends on how far in you are. We were only a little bit in but we had a truly **** time, but IPAM is on the outside of The Green and as he says, has been fine.

redt0m

Ta for answers and pointers, will check it out a bit more

muffler

I'll merge these threads now.

Thanks IPAM for the link

Miss Fluff

Muffler I'm not sure if this should be a new thread or you want to include it in the existing one? Am hoping some people in the know can shed some light on the situation at Ballymacool in Letterkenny. I have a lovely house there that I am hoping to rent out but have been told by the letting agent that the area now has a really bad reputation. I've been told that the estate is now *overrun* with travellers and that they are causing trouble, putting people off. Is that the case? Has this nice estate now become a no-go area? If someone has any feedback on same I'd really appreciate a PM or some replies on what's going on up there!!! Cheers.

KERSPLAT!

I moved out 3 months ago but the 6 months I was there I had no problems at all. There was a traveller family living behind me and like the estate I had no problems with them or anyone else. Cul de sac I was in was fairly friendly

Flibbles

We lived in number 9 the green for 6 months and were forced out by constant car break ins and attempts to get into the house. We still sleep with the bedroom door blocked and a bat beside the bed.

homer simpson

Flibbles wrote: »

We lived in number 9 the green for 6 months and were forced out by constant car break ins and attempts to get into the house. We still sleep with the bedroom door blocked and a bat beside the bed.

A vampire bat, to suck the blood of an intruder :pac:

Seriously though as far as I know it can be hit of miss. Depends on where in the area / which estate (there is 3 isn't there?) your in.

Senna

Miss Fluff wrote: »

Muffler I'm not sure if this should be a new thread or you want to include it in the existing one? Am hoping some people in the know can shed some light on the situation at Ballymacool in Letterkenny. I have a lovely house there that I am hoping to rent out but have been told by the letting agent that the area now has a really bad reputation. I've been told that the estate is now *overrun* with travellers and that they are causing trouble, putting people off. Is that the case? Has this nice estate now become a no-go area? If someone has any feedback on same I'd really appreciate a PM or some replies on what's going on up there!!! Cheers.

Firstly, I wouldn't pay any attention to letting agents, does he/she want your business or not. Secondly, have you moved away from the area and so dont know what its like or are you just listening to the agent?
You should have no problem renting it, you might not get as much as in a smaller estate, but if the house is nice (especially if first letting), then its probably better than 75% of the houses to rent in Letterkenny.

donegal_road

I lived there from Sept 04 to June 06. Never had a problem, except for neighbour's Rottweiler breaking loose a couple of times, was not an agressive dog but alarmed some residents. Same dog could be long gone now anyway.
I have a friend still there and apparently there was a spate of attempted break- ins a couple of years ago, by non-residents.

Miss Fluff

Senna wrote: »

Firstly, I wouldn't pay any attention to letting agents, does he/she want your business or not. Secondly, have you moved away from the area and so dont know what its like or are you just listening to the agent?
You should have no problem renting it, you might not get as much as in a smaller estate, but if the house is nice (especially if first letting), then its probably better than 75% of the houses to rent in Letterkenny.

I haven't been there in quite a few years so I genuinely don't know what it's like and I am relying on my agent for feedback. It's in the Garden and is in great condition but he is of the opinion that nobody wants to live in the estate because of nuisance neighbours - am under the impression that the agent may not be putting their heart and soul into getting it let for me

K-9

I moved recently and did take a look at Ballymacool. Seemed nice and took a look from outside at a couple of houses for rent. All looked nice though again, the ones at the front seemed the best.


Rent seems relatively cheap for a new enough estate, Long Lane would seem to be the only area cheaper near the town for comparable houses.

From speaking to a couple of locals the impression was that rents were low for a reason, put it that way. Did put me of. My recollection of looking at Daft, adverts.ie for about 2 months was, the properties didn't seem to rent quickly, particularly if landlords were looking at €120/130 per week.

Positives: Houses look nice, particularly near the pub! . Wouldn't be that much of a walk to the nearest shop or Dunnes, comparable to other estates. Nice park, new leisure centre, nice local, O'Donnell Park and nice walks all nearby.

Negatives: Just the perceptions of a couple of locals. Would have went with one near the roundabout but something more convenient came up. If the rent is competitive, it should rent. Its a renters market out there.

Just a question, don't answer if you don't want? Would you take Rent Allowance? If you could get a good tenant with good references, they might go for it at reasonable rent.

Senna

K-9 wrote: »

Long Lane would seem to be the only area cheaper near the town for comparable houses.

The estates at the top of Long Lane would be similar age to ballymacool, but their cheaper for good reason.

K-9

Senna wrote: »

The estates at the top of Long Lane would be similar age to ballymacool, but their cheaper for good reason.

Yes, and from looking relatively recently, Ballymacool seems to be just a level higher, if you get where I'm coming from.

Again based on opinions of a couple of locals (hearsay basically) but more objectively, the lack of activity from renters actually taking up houses there, going on daft.ie etc. Couple of houses recently decorated very tastefully and still not shifting quickly.

The only other houses in an en estate at the same price was up past Solomons Court, new estate, name escapes me. Think its classified as a ghost estate and a fair distance out of town.

Again its just my opinion. Positive thinking: At a competitive rent, €100-110 a week, it should rent.

Miss Fluff

Yes, would absolutely take rent allowance, that's why I am so surprised. So the story I'm being told of it being like the Wild West up there is potentially porky pies then?

Flibbles

Miss Fluff wrote: »

Yes, would absolutely take rent allowance, that's why I am so surprised. So the story I'm being told of it being like the Wild West up there is potentially porky pies then?

Really it depends on the area. The house we were in is up for rent again (the people seem to have left after the 1 year contract was up) and the neighbour (who is a nice guy, feel sorry for him and his family) has been trying to sell his house for years.

cosanostra

Miss Fluff wrote: »

Yes, would absolutely take rent allowance, that's why I am so surprised. So the story I'm being told of it being like the Wild West up there is potentially porky pies then?

Have a look to see what estate agent is successful in letting property in that area, you may have an agent that is more interested in letting property in another estate and will exaggerate a bad name in Ballymacool to boost the name of another estate

joasia1973

I moved from the Garden end of february. If You do not mind all the rubbish beside the roads, no proper isolation - causing very cold house , kids ringing your bell and running away, Gardai visiting your place very often, guys hiding in your garden while gardai looking for them - go for it. I moved to carolina Park and I'm the most happy ever, having nice, quiet neighborhood, clean surranding and the most important warm house.

KERSPLAT!

I must have been very lucky!

myrscossie

i lived in ballymacool woods for 2years had my sat nav stole and shed broke into €300 worth of tools stole and a laptop, gardai told me there was 60 robberys in the last 2 months Dec/Jan of 2012 between Ballymacool and Long Lane.
The houses are poorly isolated all have big vents in all the rooms so the houses are hard to heat even when you block the vents up with expanding foam, the vents make the houses more noisy to, if you put your hand near the window on a windy day you can feel the wind coming in and that was the same in the two houses I was in.
Some of the houses are council owned i think its the green or the garden not sure.

suzerxxx

i lived in the green for over a year and i had no complaints, house i found warm enough, handy location, quiet enough area but we did have a few strange neighbors but they didnt bother us, we had a lovely foreign family living next to us who were much more friendly than the irish neighbors. we were never broken into even tho i often left the door unlocked and the car was nearly always unlocked but our dog did bring home peoples shoes and other random items so it might have been him :L

danniemcq

suzerxxx wrote: »

i lived in the green for over a year and i had no complaints, house i found warm enough, handy location, quiet enough area but we did have a few strange neighbors but they didnt bother us, we had a lovely foreign family living next to us who were much more friendly than the irish neighbors. we were never broken into even tho i often left the door unlocked and the car was nearly always unlocked but our dog did bring home peoples shoes and other random items so it might have been him :L

On the topic of location, unless you have a car/bike it can be a hassle as there is no local shop.

And on a sunday morning when the fry is made and you're starving and you realise you have no milk and you have to walk to Blacks (15 mins each way longer if you are at the back) for milk is one of the worst feelings in the world!

donegal_road

it could do with a small convenience store *for anyone who can see themselves doing same for x amount of years

Flibbles

suzerxxx wrote: »

i lived in the green for over a year and i had no complaints, house i found warm enough, handy location, quiet enough area but we did have a few strange neighbors but they didnt bother us, we had a lovely foreign family living next to us who were much more friendly than the irish neighbors. we were never broken into even tho i often left the door unlocked and the car was nearly always unlocked but our dog did bring home peoples shoes and other random items so it might have been him :L

Nice foreign family you say? You didn't live in number 9 did you?